MARVEL MaXimum Collection Switch Review – Nostalgic but Flawed Retro Comeback

MARVEL MaXimum Collection kicks things off with MARVEL superheroes – and villains – Assemble! That is the theme for this latest retro collection of MARVEL superhero games from the 1990’s. Sorry, everyone, if you were expecting that giant “X” in the title meant this would be all things X-Men related. Not that they aren’t represented here, of course. From Captain America to the Silver Surfer, from Red Skull to Carnage, there’s an eclectic mix of heroes and villains here to turn the tide of your gaming evening back to the 1990’s and the coin-chomping difficulty of it all.

Game Line-Up Overview

Filling out MARVEL MaXimum Collection are six superhero shenanigan-filled games, ranging from well-known and iconic to obscure. And what’s more, some of these games come in different flavours, and by that I don’t just mean the region different ROMS for the arcade games, but also different home console versions that do another fantastic job of retro game preservation.

X-Men: The Arcade Game (1992)
Captain America And The Avengers (1991)
Spider-Man and The X-Men in Arcade’s Revenge (1992)
Spider-Man/Venom: Maximum Carnage (1994)
Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety (1995)
Silver Surfer (1990)

Five of these titles come with different console versions as well, making for a total of thirteen games for you to while away the late hours with. As anyone whose delved into licensed titles from this era will know, the differences between the console versions can range from subtle to night and day.

X-Men: The Arcade Game

Undoubtedly, the star of the show is Konami’s X-Men: The Arcade Game, which has the honour of being one of the few beat-em-ups to allow for six-player arcade action. It’s up to the X-Men to stop Magneto and his menagerie of mutants from mucking up the world across a variety of iconic comic locations. It’s a simple, but much-loved fan favourite beat-em-up that doesn’t do anything to deviate from the formula but manages to deliver a splendid beat-down even today.

Captain America and The Avengers

Captain America and The Avengers is the first game on this list to roll out with both the arcade version and it’s home console iterations. Like X-Men: The Arcade Game, this is another straightforward beat-em-up that is still fun to play even though it does nothing new. Unlike X-Men though, it features far less detailed sprites and environment design. It also has some truly, hilariously awful dialogue.

Spider-Man and Venom Titles

Spider-Man/Venom: Maximum Carnage drops players into a Final Fight style beat-em-up with light web mechanics. It’s simple but effective, with the SNES version offering richer colours while the Mega Drive version feels smoother to play.

Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety follows a similar formula but feels too familiar, reusing assets from its predecessor. The SNES version edges ahead slightly in overall presentation.

Spider-Man and The X-Men in Arcade’s Revenge

Spider-Man and The X-Men in Arcade’s Revenge spans multiple platforms including SNES, Mega Drive, Game Gear and Game Boy. Despite the variety, MARVEL MaXimum Collection remains one of the weaker entries in the collection, suffering from frustrating design choices across all versions.

Silver Surfer

Silver Surfer is a side-scrolling shooter reminiscent of R-Type, but it is infamous for its extreme difficulty and unclear navigation. Cheats are highly recommended unless you enjoy punishment.

Quality of Life Features

MARVEL MaXimum Collection includes modern enhancements such as rewind functionality, multiple display ratios, CRT filters, and custom borders. There is also a music player featuring all soundtracks and an archive section containing box art, design documents, and promotional material.

From a preservation standpoint, MARVEL MaXimum Collection is an impressive package that retains the quirks of 90s gaming, including sprite flickering and arcade difficulty. Save states and cheats make the experience far more accessible.

Final Verdict

MARVEL MaXimum Collection is nostalgic-heavy collection aimed primarily at retro fans. While X-Men: The Arcade Game and Captain America and The Avengers still hold up well, other entries vary in quality significantly.

MARVEL MaXimum Collection Trailer

Adam Ligocki

Writer, 3D modeller, philosopher and unenthusiastic Polka dancer extraordinaire. When not crafting delicious tales of horror to thrill and enchant, he doffs the cap of a world weary armchair archaeologist searching for the means to awaken The Great Old Ones into this reality. What’s that? Not real you say? The same thing could be said of David Hasselhoff’s Pop career. When the search proves fruitless, he retires deeper into his chair with a packet of snacks to raid. . .