Nostalgia to the rescue!
X-Men: The Arcade Game is one of the titles I grew up with back in 1992, and spent many a quarter playing. The game is a blast, but truly much more fun with some friends. It's a 6-player beat-em-up co-op title with a decent amount of levels and bosses. Since it was in the arcade, you wouldn't expect a game like this to be lengthy. So, after all of these years, how does the title hold up? And is it worth it?
Konami used some filters to smooth out the textures for us HDTV home owners. It's much like what has been seen before on NES or SNES emulators, or just in the Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection title. They also set it up where the game is played in full or widescreen, but you have to pick 6-player titles to view widescreen. Don't worry though, you only need to pick the option, not actually have the 6 friends to play with. The sounds are still classic, even leaving in some of the best unforgettable bad English. The game has the option for local or online gameplay, which work great either way. You even get to play the game in it's Japanese or USA format.
If you've played a beat-em-up, then you know how this works. You scroll from left to right, punching and kicking things until they die. While this might not like much, it's not. But it's fun for those who grew up in these games. There's a selection of characters to choose from, all with unique special powers. Ah, who are we kidding? Each power basically kills everything on screen or near-by. Each level ends the same way, with a boss from the X-men universe. To beat them? Punch and kick your way to victory!
I do have a hard time believing if you're not a fan of X-men or grew up in the time of arcade beat-em-ups, you're going to enjoy the game. This game was truly put out for people that loved the arcades in the 90s, and for those who love beat-em-ups. If you're not very fond of a game like Golden Axe, then ignore this title. But if you're a huge fan of the 90s games, this is a true treasure. If anything should hold you back, it's the price for the length. This game clocks at about 30 minutes if you're slow, so the price of $9.99 just seems a bit steep.
+ Classic arcade action and great multiplayer.
- Price is still a bit much for the length.
Recommendation: Buy it. Now, where's my "The Simpsons Arcade" release?