A new Marvel beat-'em-up game has been revealed in the form of Marvel Cosmic Invasion, which will see some of Earth’s greatest heroes fight off an alien invasion. The past few years have been an exciting time for gamers who love Marvel. Insomniac’s Spider-Man series continues to impress, while there are several promising titles starring heroes like Captain America, Wolverine, Black Panther, and Iron Man in the works at various developers.
It has also been an exciting few years for fans of the classic side-scrolling beat 'em-ups of the '90s. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made their own retro-style comeback in 2022's TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, while last year’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind let players morph and fight their way through a time-bending adventure starring the original Teenagers with Attitude. The inclusion of the old Punisher arcade beat-‘em-up in last fall’s Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics probably triggered some nostalgia among comic-loving gamers, and now a new Marvel-based side-scroller is on the way.
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Dotemu, the publisher behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge and the upcoming Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, announced a new beat-‘em-up titled Marvel Cosmic Invasion during the March 27 Nintendo Direct livestream. As its name suggests, Marvel Cosmic Invasion puts players in the role of some of Marvel’s most popular heroes as they battle against the intergalactic villain Annihilus and his invading army.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion Brings Back Classic Beat-‘Em-Up Action
The recently released Marvel Cosmic Invasion announcement trailer highlighted colorful retro-style action and a promising list of playable characters. These heroes include Captain America, Spider-Man, Venom, Wolverine, Storm, Nova, and Phyla-Vell - who as some might point out recently made her MCU debut in 2023’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Players can pick two heroes to form a team to take down Annihilus’s forces, switch between them on the fly using the new Cosmic Swap system, and even unleash powerful team-up moves.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion also promises four-player drop-in/drop-out local co-op, online co-op with crossplay, and a host of accessibility features to ensure that anyone can get in on the superhero action. So far, there isn’t an official release date for Marvel Cosmic Invasion aside from a vague 2025 launch window, but the gameplay and impressive hand-drawn opening cutscene shown so far look like a promising throwback in the style of TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge. More information about Marvel Cosmic Invasion will likely be revealed in the future, so gamers looking for a fun new beat-‘em-up should keep their Spider-Senses peeled.
