Marvel Cosmic Invasion is the latest beat ’em up game from Tribute Games from Dotemu and Marvel Games. Based around the idea of setting the Marvel crossover event Annihilation and having it take place in the mid-90’s rather than the early 2000’s. The game is a throwback to the old pixilated arcade games from the 90’s and features a wide variety of Marvel characters, many of whom are voiced by veteran performers such as Brian Bloom, Josh Keaton, Cal Dodd, Alison-Sealy Smith, Elysia Rotaru, Steve Blum, Trevor Devall, Aileen Mythen, James C. Mathis III, Matthew Mercer, Jennifer Hale and Isaac C. Singleton Jr.

I have to say, this game is a lot of fun. Tribute Games has already shown what they could do for the beat ’em up genre with Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge and they bring all of that and more here. The game features a staggering 15 character playable roster with classic characters such as Spider-Man or Wolverine but also the more obscure like Phyla-Vell’s Quasar or Frank Castle’s alternate universe counterpart, Cosmic Ghost Rider. Unlike previous games like Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite or Marvel’s Avengers which stuck extremely close to the MCU in terms of tone and character use, this game embraces the whole of the Marvel Universe and feels all the better for it. And this extends to more than just the playable characters and bosses, each level is bursting with personality as the players fight their way from the streets of New York City to the jungles of the Savage Lands to the far reaches of the cosmos. All of them sharing little bits and references to the comics as background characters also fill out the setting.

Gameplay-wise there’s plenty to talk about. Besides the usual setup of movement, attacks and super moves, each character is designed to move and attack in a way that wholly unique to them. She-Hulk for example is slow and doesn’t have the best range but hits hard and is one of the few characters with a proper grab. Fans of the Marvel vs. Capcom series will find plenty of shout-outs in how several characters attack.

But what sets it apart from others in Tribute Games’ catalogue is the unique tag mechanic. Players will actually use two characters that can be switched in and out with the press of a button, these tags can also come in the form of an assisted attack or super move. This adds a bit of complexity to the formula as players now have to keep track of two different health bars and focus meters needed for special attacks. Then there’s the matter of which characters to use; do you pair two of your favorites together or do you want to make sure you balance out one character that specializes in melee with another with a wide variety of ranged attacks? Should you have at least one flier on the team? And when going through the campaign are you aiming for the level-specific achievements that require certain characters to hit certain goals? Either way, this game has plenty of replay value and like previous beat ’em ups from the company, they offer means of leveling up characters.

This is a fantastic game, a spectacular homage to the arcades of the past, and a worthy addition to the genre. I sincerely hope that the game succeeds much like Shredder’s Revenge did in the past and allows for more support from the company in the form of an expanded roster and more styles of play.