Capcom Arcade Cabinet: Game Pack 4 (Video Game Review)

Capcom Arcade Cabinet release for PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE Arcade back in late February and set a new standard for what a collection of ported games could be on current generation consoles. With the addition of fun and easy to navigate menus, plenty of unlockables, online leaderboards and easy to share features, Capcom made these classic titles for the Capcom Arcade Cabinet the best versions a gamer could purchase. Unfortunately, many of the games included in the collection haven't aged well and aren't as much fun as older gamers remember from their childhoods even with the new features included in the collection. Some timeless classics such as Ghosts 'N Goblins and 1943 are included in the Capcom Arcade Cabinet, but other "classic" games in the collection are better left forgotten.

The 1985-II Pack is the newest expansion for the Capcom Arcade Cabinet, and the first game in the pack is vehicular combat game called The Speed Rumbler. In The Speed Rumbler, players find themselves facing off against a dangerous gang of thugs in a post apocalyptic future armed only with their car and a gun. With obvious influences from the Mad Max film series, The Speed Rumbler was likely a hit with some gamers when it was released in the arcades back in 1985, but a grueling difficulty, poor controls and a few other design flaws stick out more than crazy Mel Gibson stories in the headlines. Upgrades can easily be attained through the game that will give added vehicle durability, increased fire rate, increased speed and the like, but you lose all powerups upon death, and you will die tons during your time with this game. Luckily, the game does feature more than generous checkpoints throughout nearly the entire game, but this makes the game more of a test of patience as you slowly grind your way through levels towards the end of the six stage long campaign. So many problems exist in the game that keep it from being as fun to play in today's modern era of gaming that you'd be better off playing any other title in the 1985-II Pack.

Savage Bees is next up in the 1985-II Pack and places players in control of the Colonel and Sergeant Issue spacecrafts, as they fight off a giant race of insect-like aliens known as the EXES. Savage Bees is easily one of the strangest games in the entire Capcom Arcade Cabinet to be sure, as nabbing powerups will either downgrade or upgrade your ship or turn all enemies on screen into random fruit. This vertical scrolling shooter is still a lot of fun much like 1942 and 1943 even if some of the design choices are a bit bizarre. Dying or using continues in the game will cause you to respawn exactly where you left off in the game, and the difficulty of the game is toned down greatly this time around. Enemies are recycled often, as with most of these games, but you'll hardly notice as you blast your way through over 16 stages of space shooting, and bringing a friend along for the ride makes the game even more enjoyable.

Commando is the last release featured in the 1985-II Pack, and it offers yet another challenging title in the form of a vertical shoot 'em up. You'll play as Super Joe, although you'll quickly be questioning his name as he quickly seems much less Super and more like Wimpy Joe the longer you play the game. Getting touched by anything from a bullet or grenade to a soldier will instantly kill Super Joe, and there are plenty of oncoming bullets to dodge in this game. If the game wasn't difficult enough on its own, the scenery of the game can really obscure your vision making it impossible to see some incoming projectiles and tell where you are standing at some times. The game is also the first in the Capcom Arcade Cabinet that makes poor use of the auto-fire button included in the new port. It seems Super Joe can only fire around 10 bullets at any given time, and you'll have to wait until the bullets have landed before firing off anymore rounds. Good luck Super Joe, you're going to need it!

As always, the Capcom Arcade Cabinet includes plenty of special features for every game in the 1985-II Pack including online leaderboards, online multiplayer, score attack mode, casual mode, a training mode and plenty of unlockable artworks and screenshots, but the sheer difficulty of the games included in the pack will make you second guess purchasing them all at once. You'll need to purchase the entire pack to unlock all the Achievements and Trophies for the Capcom Arcade Cabinet, and waiting a few more weeks for the next arcade pack and Savage Bees for individual sale may be difficult to ask. Still the 1985-II Pack features some fun times, and things get much simpler when you invite a friend to play or head online with another player, so you shouldn't completely pass over this pack; just temper your expectations.

Capcom Arcade Cabinet is now available for PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE Arcade and can be purchased for $4.99 or 400 Microsoft Points. Capcom Arcade Cabinet is rated T by the ESRB for Fantasy Violence, Partial Nudity and Use of Tobacco. For more information on the Capcom Arcade Cabinet, check out the official Capcom website.

Game Features:

Multiplayer 1-2

Purchase Separately or in Bundle

Save Replays and Upload to YouTube

Online Leaderboards

Trophy/Achievement Support

Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Capcom
Platforms: PlayStation Network & Xbox LIVE Arcade (reviewed)
Release Date: April 2, 2013

Score: 6 out of 10