X-Men (1992 video game)

X-Men (エックス・メン, Ekkusumen) is a

An arcade exclusive for many years, a home version of the game developed by Backbone Entertainment was released by Konami digitally on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2010, followed by mobile versions for iOS and Android devices. This version is no longer available for purchase as of 2013.

Plot

The player chooses one of six X-Men:

Gameplay

The object of the game is to progress as far as possible while surviving attacks from Magneto and his minions. The character is controlled with a standard joystick, an attack button, a jump button, and a mutant power button. In addition to right and left, the character can move up and down the screen as well which adds a three-dimensional feel to the game. Every character is able to fight with punches, kicks, or other close combat attacks. Each character also has a unique mutant power which can be used to defeat multiple enemies on the screen at once. The use of a mutant power is very effective, but also costly since it causes a character to lose three health points. Normally, a character who drops below four health can no longer use any mutant powers, but it is also possible for characters to obtain bonus mutant powers which can be stored like items. In the Japanese version, the power items are used up before the health, and there are also power-ups and health packs throughout the levels.

Release

Depending on the machine, the maximum number of simultaneous players varies from two to six. The six-player version is particularly unusual because it has two contiguous screens (one screen in the usual place for an arcade game, the other in the cabinet below, reflected by a mirror one side of the screen) which created the effect of a single, "double-wide" screen set up, similar to Tecmo Bowl.^[3]

X-Men was ported to

In Japan, Game Machine listed X-Men on their August 15, 1992 as being both the third most-successful table arcade unit and the seventh most-successful upright arcade unit of the month.[6] In the United States, X-Men was the top-grossing deluxe arcade cabinet on the RePlay charts for six months in 1992, from May^[7][8][9] through October.^[10][11][12] It was one of the top five highest-grossing dedicated arcade games of 1992 in the United States, according to the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA). At the 1992 AMOA Games Awards, it was nominated for the "most played video game (dedicated)" and "most innovative new technology" awards.^[13][14]

In Play Meter magazine, Jim Overman gave the arcade game a rating of 91% and a "gut feeling" score of 10 out of 10.^[15]

In 2004, X-Men was inducted into GameSpot's list of the greatest games of all time.^[16] In 2013, Arcade Sushi ranked X-Men 3rd on their "10 Best Retro Beat 'Em Ups".^[17] Nerdist.com included the game in its "Top Ten Most Iconic Marvel Video Games".^[18] In 2023, Time Extension included the game on their top 25 "Best Beat 'Em Ups of All Time" list.^[19]

IGN gave the HD port of the game a score of 7.5, saying "the game is incredibly simple and repetitive... And yet it works. It's simply a blast to play with friends".^[20] Many websites and reviewers such as Gouki.com^[21] stated that having unlimited continues without penalty for all modes has cheapened the classic experience, especially online play. Sinclair User magazine gave X-Men a score of 58/100, noting the arcade game's ability to have six players playing simultaneously, although stating "big game, big sprites, but unless you are a big fan of the Marvel comic, probably not big fun".^[22]

References