Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium, review of new pack dedicated to cabin cruisers of the past

Retrogaming will never die, but rather evolve in new directions. That’s Capcom for a while, as it understands gamers’ continued interest in the titles of glorious cabinets of the past. Last year we had our first try when the first Capcom Arcade Stadium came to all consoles and PC; These days, we have a ready confirmation of the Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium debut. This probably represents the second phase of a larger operation, perhaps going with two, three, who knows how many packages.

There is no need for a specific preface or interim explanation: Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium review I will briefly explain which new games from a very distant past for our industry are ready to return, and above all in what form. We tested it on PlayStation 4, but the content shouldn’t change much on all other platforms where the game will launch.

Contents: 32 games from the arcade era

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to try out the first Capcom Arcade Stadium, you’ll already understand how this new operation from the broadcaster works. contents. In short, anyone (from July 22, 2022) will be able to download the “public container”, the virtual arcade with all the beautiful arcades known as Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium. You’ll even find a free game waiting for you, and it’s EndEnd. You might already know this, given that it’s re-emerged on the Virtual Console for the Nintendo Wii in recent years: It’s a horizontal-scrolling platformer video game, and it’s grounded (but very liberally) starring a very determined ape to eliminate all enemies along its path. ) Chinese novel Journey to the West.

Nothing gets trashed for free, so you might want to consider downloading Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium just for this offer; After all, if we remember well, the first Capcom Arcade Stadium gave everyone another video game, but it was definitely better known: Street Fighter. Now, it’s clear that SonSon only represents the tip of the iceberg in this nostalgia op. Because apart from that, there are thirty-one other names ready for you, in total. thirty-two titles. They are simply purchased and added to the game room, to enjoy: and here you can choose packs or single options with a certain number of lockers. But be careful, because buying a locker and then immediately after a package already in it does not entitle you to any refunds. It is recommended that you review the list of titles and their subsections in your console’s (or Steam’s) store.

On quality Within the thirty-two Capcom offerings, the matter gets more complicated. Many of you will probably have memories of certain names, and that may already be enough for a prospective purchase. For those who are not completely familiar with the history of cabinets, it should be said that in general we are dealing with a variegated chessboard, both in terms of years of publication and types of references. lovers fighting game They will not be able to fast as there are (among others) Street Fighter, Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter Alpha 2 and Street Fighter Alpha 3. and elsewhere: you have to throw a ball up, break as many bricks as possible, and then pick it up and send it back to the bitter end using a limited-length platform without letting it fall to the ground.

It seems to have been tried to appeal to all tastes and tastes. all genres. In fact, in addition to the majority of games based on crazy shooting horizontally and vertically (the aforementioned SonSon, Savage Bees, Gan Sumoku, The Speed ​​Rumble) and others that stand out with their reputations (Megaman The Power Battle, Black Tiger, The King of Dragons, Darkstalkers) isn’t lacking in much lesser-known titles, but still not enough to tempt some players. And in that context, think of Capcom Sports Club, the Three Wonders, and the Pnickies—the latter, presumably, the member of the Puyo Puyo family that everyone forgets to invite to their birthdays.

Personalization is everything

As with other such retrogaming actions, the developers’ main goal in Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium was not just to deliver as smooth and efficient emulation as possible (although we did not encounter any issues or disruptions). . ) how far each element that makes up the emulation’s own context is allowed to be modified as desired. In an other saying, customization is everythingand invests to varying degrees in gameplay, gameplay, cabinets and the surrounding environment. Let’s try to better understand what can be done, reviewed, changed.

First of all, you can change it whenever you want. appearance of the screen, and for each title of the collection. For example, those who like the feeling of being right in front of a cabin cruiser can have their presence on display in 3D; Those who want to get straight to the point will want the game window with no other frills to distract the audience – and we know how important concentration is for vintage arcades. In addition, the number of filters available is quite large: for example, they allow you to add, change or remove scanlines in a simulation of your choice, more faithful than in the past or adapted to modern times. Some possibilities include adding CRT scanlines, LCD RGB grid, or general pixel smoothing. Curious is also the rotation of the screen, which now allows you to enjoy the traditionally vertical shots horizontally as well. And vice versa, if you want …

Besides the general view, Gameplay can be changed on demand. Apart from invincibility, which can still be activated from the settings of individual lockers, you can change the overall difficulty, number of health, damage done by enemies (and them). Perhaps, Rewind will be very useful for those who want to educate themselves on old school experiences and then seriously challenge them. It is a feature that allows you to rewind time almost exactly as you wish: Therefore, in the event of death, you will be able to realize your mistake and take a different action. Maybe this jump was too short, or the punch was thrown downwards rather than up against the enemy, or your plane had to turn left rather than right. As they say “practice makes perfect”: Rewind is the practical application of said idiom.