All the jump kicks.
I simply adore beat ‘em up games. Capcom was the king of these back in the days of arcades. Over the years a lot of their titles have been released in various compilations, but this is the first time we have seen a few of these games released stateside. Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle is a treasure trove of jump kicks and over-the-shoulder throws…and it is glorious.
For $19.99 this collection includes the following games:
- Final Fight
- Knights of the Round
- Captain Commando
- The King of Dragons
- Warriors of Fate
- Armored Warriors
- Battle Circuit
MSRP: $19.99
Platforms: XB1 (reviewed), PS4, Switch
Price I’d Pay: $19.99
While some of these titles are obscure, that doesn’t change the fact that they are great. Playing through each one brought back plenty of memories of dumping quarters into arcade machines. Then I get to the end of each game and realize how many quarters I would have to pony up to beat some of these end bosses. Captain Commando you are just unfair when it comes to that final boss. Still, every game here features free play so no quarters required. Pretty sure I would have spent more than $20 on the final boss of Captain Commando alone.
Capcom has also added online play to every game. I like the idea that I can start a game solo, and then people can join my game and drop out at any time. The sessions I experienced were pretty good. There was a hint of lag from time to time, but for the most part it felt good.
As far as packaging is concerned this is not the best nor the worst. The included artwork scans are excellent. Each game has a gallery that includes artwork and visuals from the official releases. They are high-res and fun to dig through for nostalgia sake. Each game also has settings including difficulty and when it rewards extra lives. These seem arbitrary due to the fact that all games have free play. It is nice playing without fear of having to start over, because I suck at these games now.
Each game is presented in its original 4:3 ratio with selectable borders. Sadly there are no options for screen size or filters. Each game looks like it did in the arcade, like it or not. Most collections allow for screen stretching (which is awful, don’t do that) and filters, but alas it makes this compilation feel a little rushed.
Still it is impossible not to recommend Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle. There is so much joy packed in this compilation. The genre has definitely seen a resurgence as of late, but it is impossible to deny how good these classics are. If only Capcom had been able to figure out the licenses behind some of their more popular titles like Alien vs. Predator. Perhaps in the future, but for now this is the best place to perform jump kicks anywhere.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
