Marvel Maximum Collection Review

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Fast Facts

Is This a Marvellous Collection?

The recently released Marvel Maximum Collection contains a handful of classic Marvel games alongside some bonuses such as cheats, artwork, and a sound check. The games included in the collection are primarily beat-em-ups but there are a few additional titles as well. Do these titles stand out in the modern market? Find out in this Rapid Review. 

The Marvel Maximum Collection consists of six titles. However, none of the games featured a riveting story mode. Many of the games followed a generic premise. An enemy did something bad, and the player is tasked with hunting them down and taking them out. This is not an issue for me, as each of these games focus on their gameplay. However, given the interesting intellectual property, getting a more detailed narrative would have been fun.

X-plaining the X-Men

Instead, where these games focus is on the gameplay. My enjoyment here varied significantly across the game library. The game I enjoyed the most was X-Men: The Arcade Game. This game, originally published by Konami, is an arcade beat-em-up. In it, I performed the types of behaviors I would expect from a similar title. I took out enemies and bosses with regular attacks and a special move unique to each of the playable characters. The core gameplay loop was simple, but I enjoyed being able to bash different enemies and maneuver through different areas. 

Where this game stands out is in its simplicity while remaining engaging. Backgrounds and character sprites are vibrant which makes exploring the different areas a lot of fun.There are a handful of different characters to play as here too. While this was fun, many of the characters play very similarly. On one hand, this made it easy to mess around with different characters, but on the other, playing through the campaign with a different character does not lead to an overly unique experience. 

This was compounded a bit by the repetitive enemy designs. With the exception of boss fights, I fought nearly all enemies in the same way. This was a bit disappointing, but it also made the game very approachable. When looking for variety, the bosses did deliver, providing some fun encounters, but nothing that stuck with me for a long time after playing. As a whole, X-Men: The Arcade Game is a fun title that can be great to play with friends casually, but is not a title I would expect someone to sink a ton of time into. 

Assembling an Assessment

I also enjoyed my playthrough of Captain America and The Avengers. Many of the core components of this game are similar to X-Men: The Arcade Game. The minute to minute combat is fun, but basic. Character moves are simple, as are enemy attacks and sprites. That being said, there were some standout points. Some sections of this game were shoot-em-up sections where I transformed into something like a top-down perspective. This was great, as it broke up the pace of the game, and kept me entertained. 

Moreover, while this game still did not have a noteworthy story, it highlighted some more unique Marvel characters, which was a cute addition. These worked in nicely with the different areas I got to explore. My consensus for this game is similar to the game above. It is a neat little title that I had fun with, but not a game I would expect someone to devote a lot of time towards.

The Best and the Rest

Though I enjoyed the titles I mentioned previously, there are three Spider-Man games in this collection which are significantly less enjoyable. Two of them are beat-em-ups which follow a similar pattern to the games above. However, the combat feels less fluid, and despite having the ability to navigate by web-slinging, I felt restricted in my movement. In these two titles, the enemies are not only repetitive, but copied through the games. The areas I explored in these titles also felt uninteresting. Generally, these games felt less fleshed out, even though they took longer to complete. These titles were not very fun for me, and I would not recommend going too deep into these ones unless you are a serious Marvel fan. It is nice that they are remastered, but I do not see myself revisiting these. 

The platforming Spider-Man game is even worse. The game had me follow different lights in a stage to eventually sneak out of the exit. There were some enemies to take out along the way too, but the game quickly became tiresome. The premise was not overly interesting, and I quickly got bored of this game. The movement was nothing special and the combat did not impress me, so compared to modern titles, it paled. Again, it was nice to see this in the collection from a preservation perspective, but I would not say it adds much value outside of that. I did not find it fun. 

Maximum Value?

This collection also includes Silver Surfer, a shoot-em-up which is quite difficult. Though this game is fun, at many points it feels unfair. The character can collide both with enemy projectiles and in-game backgrounds. However, the backgrounds often blend with backgrounds that do not interfere with progress. Dying to these hazards rarely felt fun. Additionally, in Silver Surfer enemies flood the screen, and without foresight, it is hard to get through different areas. Sure, having powerful weapon upgrades help, but even then, this game is a challenge. It is a fun addition, and I enjoyed my playthrough, but I do not see it as a core selling point for the collection.

To supplement these titles, the game has a jukebox area where I could sample the music, a collection of different game artworks, and additional bonus features such as a rewind button and cheats. These made the games far more approachable, especially given some of the difficulty associated. I enjoyed these features. The bonus features made these games more approachable and easier to pick up after a long day, and the music tracks were nice too. While not all of the games had visual styles which impressed me greatly, the art book was also a neat inclusion, especially to look at the art I did enjoy.

As a whole, the Marvel Maximum Collection is a decent package. Two of the games are fun, and were worth the playthrough. While Silver Surfer may appeal to others, the Spider-Man games did not impress, even as someone who likes a wide variety of games. For the current asking price, I think this is a good package, but mainly for the two beat-em-ups and the chance to experience a licensed IP’s gaming history. This one would be good to pick up on sale. 

You can purchase the Marvel Maximum Collection on the Microsoft Store here.