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These 12 Capcom classics will take you back to the glory days of arcades. We take a hands-on look at the Arcade1Up Street Fighter II Big Blue!
Arcade1Up’s line of home arcade machines have been delighting classic gamers since its inception in 2018. While retro machines likeNBA Jam,Pac-Man, andTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesare great, it’s the fighting game cabinets that pique our interest. Enter theStreet Fighter IIBig Blue, a fantastic recreation of Capcom’s classic cerulean cabinet from the 90s. Does thisfaithful recreationlive to the original? You’d better believe it.
A Dozen Capcom Classics
12 old-school Capcom games are included with the Big Blue, each one listed below in the order they appear on the machine’s main menu:
Each game is faithfully recreated to run just as it did in your favorite arcade with every pixel, animation, and sound intact. While each game has its own issues–and I’ll get to the biggest ones–on the surface all 12 of these games perform incredibly well.
Building Big Blue
Before I talk about playing the games, the first thing I need to address with this Big Blue machine is putting it together. The machine requires assembly; there’s no just opening the box and dropping right intoSSF2T. Thankfully building the machine is idiot-proof–I’d know, I’m an idiot when it comes to building things–due to its clear labeling and directions.
Everything comes packaged together easily and the directions clearly illustrate the process. There’s also a few extra small parts like screws should you lose some in the build. Arcade1Up definitely designed assembly with regular Joes in mind. It only took me about three hours; a more seasoned builder could get it done in half that.
Also, and this is a huge benefit, the fight sticks and the piece that hold the monitorarepre-constructed. Those two pieces fit into the rest of the build with little more than screws, meaning you don’t need an electrician’s pedigree to get things up and running.
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Fighting in the Streets
The main attraction here is the fighting games, and man is it a nostalgic romp booting these up for the first time. TheStreet Fightergames feel right at home here–probably because it’s aStreet Fightermachine–and playing them gives me flashbacks to the North Wildwood, NJ boardwalk as a kid.
The Big Blue arcade machine recreates that feeling effortlessly, the joysticks and buttons feelingjust likethe real thing. As I expected, theStreet Fightergames rule the roost.
Not to be outdone however is theDarkstalkerstrilogy, which despite not being in their own themed cabinet also performs flawlessly. All three games are a blast on the Big Blue, especially when you have someone to face off with. These ghoulish fighting games are underappreciated gems in Capcom’s library–well, outside of one particular character–and the fact that they stand tall with the flagship franchise is a wonderful thing.
Big Blue Beat ‘Em Ups
The rest of the cabinet’s offerings aren’t as impressive, but they’re still fun in their own right.Saturday Night Slam MastersandMuscle Bomber Duodelight with their takes on pro wrestling, though the control scheme takes some getting used to.
Knights of the Roundis a solid arcade platformer, andEco Fightersis a neat shmup hampered by a strange control scheme. I don’t think this is the Big Blue’s fault, I’d have thought this back when it originally launched, but the weirdness makes me balk at playing it.
Capcom Sports Club’s trio of sporting events are fun, butmanare these games hard! I do not remember any of these being so merciless in the past, but they do not mess around on the Big Blue. I lost a Kick Stars–the game’s name for soccer–match one time where the CPU never missed a shot. That’s simply brutal! Smash Stars (tennis) and Dunk Stars (basketball) aren’t as relentless, but they’re still challenging in their own right.
Verdict
The Arcade1UpStreet Fighter IIBig Blue arcade machine is a heck of a buy. It recreates the arcade experience so authentically you can close your eyes and imagine yourself back in your favorite spot. Not all of the games play up to that level–I might have switched outEco Fightersfor something likeFinal Fight–but the ones that do absolutely shine.
You are required to put the machine together, but there’s no rocket science involved here. I look forward to holdingSuper Street Fighter 2Turbotournaments from the comfort of my home for years to come thanks to this machine and its nostalgic excellence.
For more Capcom fighting game news, here’s our look atJustin Wong looking back atMarvel vs Capcom 2.
A sample of the Arcade1Up Street Fighter II Big Blue arcade machine was provided by the manufacturer for this review.
