Nice way to enjoy these retro arcade games. Preferable experience would be through other means but these aren't bad ports. Still a good way to introduce these bangers to my kids and enjoy them myself on the go. Mainly do rd into these when they first came out because of Mega Man Power Fighters & Power Battles. So super excited to have those physically in the upcoming 2nd Stadium.
STORY/GAMEPLAY
The 80's - 90's in a cartridge. The 32 games included in the first Capcom Arcade Stadium collection are broken down chronologically into three distinct decade-defining packs, plus two standalone bonus titles.
Pack 1: Dawn of the Arcade (’84 – ’88)
Vulgus (1984): Capcom’s historic first video game—a challenging, fast-paced vertical space shooter.
Pirate Ship Higemaru (1984): A nautical maze-action puzzle game where you throw barrels to defeat pirates.
1942 (1984): The legendary vertical military shooter that put Capcom on the map, flying a P-38 over the Pacific.
Commando (1985): The definitive top-down run-and-gun shooter starring "Super Joe" fighting enemy lines.
Section Z (1985): A side-scrolling, jetpack-fueled space shooter where you fight your way into an alien space station.
Trojan (1986): A gritty post-apocalyptic, side-scrolling hack-and-slash game utilizing a sword and shield combo.
Legendary Wings (1986): An overhead fantasy shooter featuring co-op gameplay and transitions into side-scrolling boss rooms.
Bionic Commando (1987): An innovative platformer that swaps traditional jumping mechanics for a physics-based grappling hook.
1943: The Battle of Midway (1987): The highly polished, explosive aerial sequel featuring health meters instead of instant-death lives.
Forgotten Worlds (1988): A multi-directional shooter where flying soldiers purchase upgrades and weapons from an in-game shop.
Pack 2: Arcade Revolution (’89 – ’92)
Ghouls ’n Ghosts (1988): The brutally difficult platforming sequel following Sir Arthur through haunted landscapes.
Strider (1989): A high-flying ninja action platformer featuring acrobatic wall-climbing and plasma-sword combat.
Dynasty Wars (1989): A side-scrolling beat 'em up based on the Three Kingdoms era, entirely played on horseback.
Final Fight (1989): Capcom's genre-defining urban beat 'em up featuring Mike Haggar, Cody, and Guy cleaning up Metro City.
1941: Counter Attack (1990): A highly refined, fast-paced entry in the WWII shooter series featuring loops and wall-scaling.
Mercs (1990): The spiritual top-down successor to Commando, bringing chaotic 3-player co-op to the frontlines.
Mega Twins (1990): A colorful, whimsical fantasy action platformer starring twin brothers out to restore their kingdom.
Carrier Air Wing (1990): The spiritual successor to U.N. Squadron, a side-scrolling jet fighter shooter with strategic weapon purchasing.
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (1991): The monumental fighting game that revolutionized competitive local multiplayer.
Captain Commando (1991): A futuristic, sci-fi 4-player co-op beat 'em up featuring Capcom's original mascot.
Pack 3: Arcade Evolution (’92 – ’01)
Warriors of Fate (1992): A chaotic Three Kingdoms beat 'em up featuring brutal combat on foot and horseback.
Street Fighter II′: Hyper Fighting (1992): The legendary speed-boosted balance update that allowed mirror matches.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo (1994): The absolute pinnacle of original arcade SFII, introducing Super Combos and Akuma.
Armored Warriors (1994): A frantic mecha beat 'em up where players rip parts off enemy robots to use as dynamic real-time weapons.
Cyberbots: Fullmetal Madness (1995): A competitive fighting game spin-off utilizing the mechas and universe of Armored Warriors.
19XX: The War Against Destiny (1995): A massive late-era vertical shooter entry featuring lock-on missiles and gorgeous sprite work.
Battle Circuit (1997): Capcom’s final, highly stylized arcade beat 'em up, featuring bounty hunters upgrading special moves.
Giga Wing (1999): A bullet-hell shooter famous for its "Reflect Barrier" mechanic that lets you catch and fire bullets back.
1944: The Loop Master (2000): A vertical military shooter co-developed by Raizing, utilizing a modern charge-shot system.
Progear (2001): A legendary horizontal bullet-hell shooter developed by Cave, featuring gorgeous steampunk aesthetics.
Standalone Add-ons
Ghosts ’n Goblins (1985): The infamous, relentlessly tough dark fantasy platformer that started it all.
CONSENSUS SCORE
80/100 🙂↕️ (Critic Score)
72/100 😎 (User Score)
Capcom Arcade Stadium includes the incredibly rare arcade shooter Progear (2001), marking the first time in history this game was ever ported to a home console. For over 20 years, Progear was considered a "holy grail" for retro collectors due to its fascinating backstory.
Because the game was a collaboration between two different companies, complex co-ownership rights locked the game in a licensing vault. It skipped the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and PlayStation 2 eras entirely, despite fans begging for a port.
Before this collection, the only legal way to play Progear was to track down and buy a physical, commercial arcade printed circuit board (PCB), which regularly sells on the secondary market for anywhere between $500 to over $1,000.
Its inclusion on the Switch cartridge means players can experience one of the most beautiful, steampunk-inspired horizontal shooters ever made without spending a fortune. Pick up a copy of you can.
