Marvel Cosmic Invasion Preview: A Stellar Follow-Up to Shredder’s Revenge

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Previously, the team at Dotemu and Tribute Games hit the jackpot with the outstanding beat ’em up game, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge”. Now, this partnership is all set to repeat their success with a new title called “Marvel Cosmic Invasion“. Following its unveiling during a Nintendo Direct event earlier in the year, details about what players can anticipate from “Marvel Cosmic Invasion” have been gradually released by Tribute Games and Dotemu. The game will have its playable premiere at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. Not only is “Marvel Cosmic Invasion” a worthy successor to Tribute Games’ work on “Shredder’s Revenge“, it sets a high standard for future beat ’em up games to surpass.

During San Diego Comic-Con, we at Game Rant got to try out Marvel Cosmic Invasion ahead of its public demo. From our hands-on experience, it seems this game is hitting all the marks for its genre. Similar to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, Marvel Cosmic Invasion strikes a perfect balance between difficulty and enjoyment. Its extensive roster of characters ensures that no two playthroughs will ever be identical. Even though an official release date beyond “2025” hasn’t been set yet, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is already one of the most anticipated upcoming games for fans who love classic beat ’em ups.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion Channels Marvel vs. Capcom 2 In the Best Possible Way

In the expansive Marvel universe, there are numerous legendary characters, providing an abundance of intriguing playable heroes and villains. This richness is something that Capcom recognized when creating the Marvel vs. Capcom series of games. Instead of limiting players to a single character, they allowed for the selection of two (or three in the case of Marvel vs. Capcom 2) and even the ability to swap between them. I was pleasantly surprised that this tradition continues in Marvel Cosmic Invasion, offering a vast array of characters for players to choose from, and allowing each player to select not one, but two heroes to battle against Annihilus’ army.

In its final release, the complete edition of “Marvel Cosmic Invasion” will feature a total of 15 playable characters. Out of these, 9 were available in the demo version. Similar to Capcom’s renowned tag-team fighting series, “Marvel Cosmic Invasion” encourages players to make thoughtful decisions when picking their two-character teams, as it rewards strategic pairings where the abilities of the chosen heroes work well together. To aid in this selection process, helpful icons on the character select screen provide information about each character’s unique attributes, such as flying abilities, projectile attacks, or high damage potential.

We experimented with every character from the Marvel Cosmic Invasion preview build, but in the end, we chose to finish the two levels it offers, executing each level with a distinct pair of characters for every attempt. First, we picked Captain America and Venom. Captain America is one of the game’s top overall fighters, equipped with his trusty shield throw to handle long-range adversaries. On the other hand, Venom is a heavier, slower character who can pick up and hurl enemies like they were dolls.

For our second run through of the full preview build, we selected an efficient duo, going with Wolverine paired with Spider-Man again. Spider-Man is swift, quickly bridging gaps using his web-swing, and he even has a long-range web attack that slows enemies as it builds up. Notably, Tribute Games managed to create one of the finest renditions of a playable Wolverine in any beat ’em up game ever showcasing the character. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Wolverine is almost overpowered, considering his immense power level and significance within the Marvel universe.

Tribute Games Has Once Again Struck a Great Difficulty Balance in Marvel Cosmic Invasion

In terms of striking a balance between accessibility and complexity, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge” and “Marvel Cosmic Invasion” lean more towards simplicity and enjoyment rather than intricate gameplay mechanics. This aligns perfectly with the tradition of beat ’em up games starring these characters. Compared to challenging titles like “Streets of Rage 4” or “Fight N’ Rage”, these games maintain a less demanding atmosphere, although each character offers distinctive abilities that set them apart. Despite this, they all share a common control scheme and basic combo patterns incorporating both light and heavy attacks.

It’s quite likely that simplicity is ideal for a game starring Marvel characters, considering their widespread popularity could draw in new players or even attract back old fans of the beat ’em up genre. However, those seeking intricate gameplay or a tough challenge similar to that found in the highest difficulties of games like “Streets of Rage 4” might find “Marvel Cosmic Invasion” too straightforward. On the other hand, if you enjoyed the ride provided by “Shredder’s Revenge,” reminiscent of the genre’s golden age during the 16-bit era, then you’ll be glad to know that “Marvel Cosmic Invasion” strikes a near-perfect balance between challenge and fun once more.

Cosmic Invasion Keeps the Beat ’em Up Renaissance Going

Over the past decade, it seems that the beat ’em up genre, which at one point appeared to be a remnant of arcade gaming history, has made a strong comeback. The revival began with the return of the Kunio Kun series, as seen in River City Girls, a game that appears to have been influenced by the success of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – itself reminiscent of River City Ransom. This resurgence opened the door for games like Streets of Rage 4, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, and many other retro-styled beat ’em ups that harkened back to the golden age of side-scrolling action. With the release of Marvel Cosmic Invasion, it feels like a complete circle for this genre, as players are now offered a fresh 2D Marvel beat ’em up in the post-MCU era – the first since Capcom’s Marvel Super Heroes in War of the Gems from 1996.

Cosmic Invasion” isn’t the only beat ’em up game announced this year that has caught our attention, as a sequel to “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game” unexpectedly entered the scene when the genre is enjoying a resurgence. “Marvel Cosmic Invasion” seems to be perfectly timed with this renaissance, offering a balanced blend of core beat ’em up gameplay mechanics and a large roster of swappable characters, making it one of the most eagerly awaited new titles among the current and upcoming side-scrolling beat ’em ups.

The Marvel Cosmic Invasion game is being worked on right now for release on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X/S. Game Rant received a code for the PC version to write this preview.

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2025-08-05 18:19