Part of the game's appeal is its charm; from the goofy dialogue (such as the classic line: "I am Magneto, master of magnet,") to a bizarre story that takes you to such locations as an island where you fight giant bees and alligator people, it's just a great snapshot of early '90s Konami game design sensibilities. One aspect that doesn't quite hold up as well is the music, though -- it's not necessarily bad, but for some reason I remember it sounding so much cooler blasting in the arcades all those years ago.
But the real beauty of X-Men Arcade, both then and now, is playing with friends -- this is how the game was absolutely meant to be experienced. Here you can play both locally or online, and the game offers both cabinets to choose from; the 4-player standard mode or the 6-player widescreen one.
I'll admit, players who don't have the same nostalgic attachments might find X-men Arcade a tad dull or silly, but objectively, it's still a solid beat-em-up. If you did frequent arcades in the early '90s and remember just how fun X-men Arcade was, though, this is a must-purchase. Facebook your childhood friends, add them on Xbox Live, and relive an awesome period in arcade gaming.
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