Capcom Arcade Stadium

Capcom Arcade Stadium is a staggeringly good port of many solid games, breathing new life into them with unique challenges and through a robust suite of difficulty options.

65%Game Brain Score

graphics, gameplay

music, optimization

49% User Score Based on 1,420 reviews

Critic Score 80%Based on 28 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Capcom Arcade Stadium offers 1943 -The Battle of Midway- and 31 other classic Capcom games, from shooters to fighting games. Customizable display settings and new features like gameplay rewind, speed adjustment, and online leaderboards enhance the retro arcade experience. Every game is saveable/loadable, providing a fresh take on these timeless favorites."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

49%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,420 reviews

graphics13 positive mentions

music8 negative mentions

Capcom Arcade Stadium offers a nostalgic experience with a collection of classic arcade games, allowing players to relive their childhood memories.
The emulation quality is generally good, with features like save states, rewind options, and customizable display settings enhancing the gameplay experience.
The ability to purchase games individually now provides more flexibility for players, allowing them to choose only the titles they want.

The initial pricing model was criticized for requiring players to buy games in bundles rather than individually, leading to frustration among those who only wanted specific titles.
The user interface is often described as clunky and confusing, making it difficult to navigate and find games, which detracts from the overall experience.
Some games have been criticized for being censored or lacking original cabinet artwork, which diminishes the authenticity of the arcade experience.

graphics
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
77%
4%
The graphics in the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the nostalgic pixel art and customizable display options that enhance the retro arcade experience. Players appreciate the smooth performance and authentic arcade aesthetics, although some express disappointment over the lack of original cabinet artwork and clunky menu interfaces. Overall, while the graphics are generally well-executed, there are concerns about performance issues and the absence of historical content.
- “The graphics are amazing and the games are easy to play.”
- “The retro pixel art of each game is wonderfully preserved, but the new graphical features let you polish the games with a modern touch, keeping the nostalgic vibes intact while offering a smoother presentation.”
- “I love the aesthetic of this collection! The graphics are perfect; you can set the screens to look old, CRT display, or top resolution graphics for your modern PC - whatever way you like it, retro or modern.”
- “Graphics are horrible, there is no way to turn off music and the controls are weird.”
- “My main gripe is you cannot make the machines look as they actually did, no original artwork, no custom models, just generic bland trash.”
- “Unfortunately here they have been put behind a bloated UI that requires an i5 to run in order to animate the generic ‘arcade’ cabinet graphics.”
gameplay
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
77%
6%
The gameplay in this retro arcade compilation is a nostalgic blend of classic mechanics from beat 'em ups, shooters, and fighting games, enhanced with modern features like rewind options, speed adjustments, and customizable visuals. While the emulation quality is praised for its accuracy and responsiveness, some games retain their notoriously challenging difficulty, which may deter casual players. Overall, the collection successfully balances vintage charm with contemporary gameplay enhancements, making it accessible and enjoyable for both new and returning players.
- “With modern features, arcade-style presentation, and timeless gameplay, this collection brings back great memories and proves these classics still hold up today.”
- “The classic gameplay has been preserved, capturing the authentic arcade experience with its challenging difficulty and fast-paced action.”
- “The implementation of rewind & save states makes virtually any entry accessible, and the ability to speed up gameplay helps the more sluggish inclusions get much needed play time.”
- “It's not because I think that time is special to casual readers, it's more like this would probably be understandably boring to other people. The games are limited, and some of them are notoriously hard, like the first Ghosts and Goblins. These are games designed to make you drop coins in them; they're seemingly pointlessly hard, and the gameplay will seem very limited or simple because it was early days.”
- “- brutally hard and unforgiving gameplay to the point of being unfair.”
- “Confusingly, the normal system of extra lives has been replaced with an ever-diminishing energy meter which must be replenished by grabbing floating power-ups. I personally prefer the more classic extra life/aircraft Galaga-esque style of gameplay over health or power meters in bullet-hell type games, but for me, this is 1943’s only major downside besides the fact that it is an old game.”
music
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
66%
18%
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players finding it annoying, repetitive, and unmutable. Users expressed frustration over the inability to turn off the music, describing it as "disgusting" and reminiscent of unwanted noise rather than an enjoyable soundtrack. While some appreciated the nostalgic elements of the main menu music, the overall consensus is that the music detracts significantly from the gaming experience.
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “Mini-albums are soundtracks for the arcade games.”
- “The music in the main menu is enjoyable and adds to the overall experience.”
- “Garbage developers and the music is disgusting.”
- “And to make it even more frustrating, you cannot mute the awful music.”
- “Music is unmutable and near cruel and unusual after 2 minutes.”
optimization
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
71%
18%
Overall, the optimization of Capcom's arcade titles is a mixed bag. While some users report smooth performance and crisp visuals, others highlight significant issues caused by newly implemented DRM, which can lead to stuttering, frame drops, and reduced performance on various platforms, particularly affecting modding capabilities. The performance varies depending on the platform, with some users recommending console versions to avoid DRM-related issues.
- “The games have been faithfully emulated, with smooth performance and crisp visuals that maintain the original pixel art’s charm.”
- “Capcom Arcade Stadium runs smoothly across all platforms, with minimal issues.”
- “These games have basically been improved by the RE Engine, with clear images and smooth performance.”
- “This DRM decreases game performance by 15 fps, causes frequent stuttering, and blocks modding.”
- “Capcom retroactively adds obscure DRM to their older titles, breaking modding, causing performance issues, and crashes.”
- “Unplayable - the games suffer stuttering, frame skipping, and input lag.”
monetization
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
18%
71%
The monetization model of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many reviewers expressing frustration over the reliance on DLCs and microtransactions for additional content. While some users appreciate the option to purchase games individually, the overall sentiment leans towards disappointment due to aggressive advertising, constant pop-ups, and a lack of value for the price paid. Despite a few positive notes on the collection's features, the overwhelming consensus is that the monetization strategy detracts significantly from the gaming experience.
- “I'm personally completely fine with the monetization in the collection; buy what you want to play, but the whole 3D cabinet does not jive with me, and not being able to change it at all hurts the experience for me.”
- “But now, since you can order each game individually, I don't see any reason to criticize the monetization.”
- “Amazing concept, but the monetization of this game makes it not recommendable.”
- “Bad things: apparently, if you don't buy all the games, the system will spam ads at you to buy the ones you don't own.”
- “Shameless cash grab, got it on sale for like 3-5 bucks without knowing it was going to be a minimum of an extra $15 to play anything other than the 1 absolutely horrid game they give you by default.”
- “Very misleading, it's just a hub/advertisement to buy DLC games.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the reviews highlights a mix of frustration and amusement regarding the game's shortcomings, such as overpriced content and limited controls, which some find hilariously ironic. Players appreciate the nostalgic charm of classic games, even as they poke fun at the absurdities of the current gaming landscape, like the lack of online co-op in a collection that seems ripe for it. Overall, the humor is rooted in both the nostalgia for past gaming experiences and the comedic failures of the current offerings.
- “It's hilarious as an experiment, but the most frustrating thing if you are trying to play for real.”
- “Hilarious how bad this thing is.”
- “Laughing so much at the complaining complainers.”
stability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
91%
The stability of the game collection is mixed, with some users reporting no significant issues, while others experience frequent freezing and performance problems, particularly on lower-end devices and the Steam Deck. Despite troubleshooting efforts, many players find the game unplayable due to persistent bugs, especially in specific titles like "1943," which is noted for its better performance compared to others in the collection.
- “The default game 1943 runs great; however, I appreciate the overall stability it offers.”
- “Doesn't work correctly on my potato laptops in that it freezes every 10 seconds.”
- “On Steam Deck, it just freezes after a few minutes and then you need to restart the machine.”
- “I've done everything suggested in the troubleshooting guides and nothing makes it run.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The collection offers substantial replayability with 32 retro games and a leaderboard system that appeals to score-chasers, though the absence of online multiplayer limits social engagement. While mods enhance replay value, the lack of achievements for individual games may deter some players. Overall, it provides a nostalgic experience with significant content and replay potential.
- “With 32 games to choose from, the collection offers substantial replayability, particularly for fans of retro games.”
- “Mods greatly improve games, increasing their replayability.”
- “That said, it's an excellent trip to the past, with a good amount of content and tons of replayability.”
- “However, the collection lacks online multiplayer, which is a missed opportunity, as it could have added replay value and connected players worldwide.”
- “The leaderboard system adds an incentive for score-chasers, but the lack of online multiplayer limits the social replay value.”
- “It lacks Steam achievements for each game, which diminishes replayability unless you want your name on the online ranking.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
40%
40%
The story aspect of the game is perceived as lacking depth, with some users noting that it offers little narrative beyond a moral lesson about perseverance. While one player found the initial premise engaging, they felt that the gameplay became monotonous due to an abundance of levels without sufficient storytelling to maintain interest.
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “Story - no story, just games.”
- “1943: Battle of Midway started out strong but gets boring later as there are too many levels and too little story.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its nostalgic and immersive qualities, reflecting the care taken in perfect emulation and the recreation of a vibrant arcade environment. Users appreciate the variety of display options that enhance this engaging atmosphere.
- “It’s clear a lot of love went into making sure these games were emulated perfectly and to recreate the atmosphere of a bustling arcade.”
- “[perfect emulation, tons of display options, excellent atmosphere]”
- “It has a nice atmosphere to it.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers appreciate the character designs, noting that they evoke a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic games like Gunstar Heroes, suggesting a strong visual appeal and a unique artistic style that enhances character development.
- “The character designs remind me of Gunstar Heroes, which adds a nostalgic touch to the game.”
- “The depth of character development really makes you feel connected to each character's journey.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making their stories feel rich and engaging.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect of the game to be notably slow, particularly criticizing the launcher for its sluggish performance on machines with integrated graphics.
- “The launcher is grindingly slow to even get that far on a machine with integrated graphics.”

80%Critics’ scoreBased on 28 critic reviews

Buy Capcom Arcade Stadium

79h Median play time

54h Average play time

15-100h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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Capcom Arcade Stadium

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