Image via Complex Original
It's Mah-vel, baby! While most lists will critique the actual gameplay of a given title, this list aims to discuss the artwork and the cabinets themselves. Exactly what cabinets are we taking a look at? The best Marvel arcade games of the '90s.
And being that all of these games came out during that glorious era, you can expect a lot of stunning artwork that really pops out. Many of these games were always occupied, so standing beside them and marveling (pun not intended) at the sleek and comic-booky designs was something that could never be forgotten. As Stan "The Man" Lee would say, "Excelsior!"
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10. Captain America and the Avengers
Year of release: 1991
This red, white, and blue beauty had Vision, Hawkeye, Iron Man (before he was cool) and Captain America in full-on action positions. And with the side of the cabinet being so gloriously beautiful, Data East made it a point to let you know that these were the Avengers, bitch, and that they were going to kick some Red Skull ass. What was especially nice about this cabinet was the actual board for the joysticks. Each of the four Avengers was on it, striking a pose. To victory!
9. X-Men vs. Street Fighter
Year of release: 1996
Though pretty plain with its black sides and joystick board, the label at the top was perfect, bearing both the X-Men, and the Street Fighters. What else could you possibly want? With Wolvie, Rogue, and Gambit on one side, and Ryu, Chun-Li, and a shirtless Akuma on the other, you knew this was going to be a throw-down. And since Rogue and Gambit made their first fighting game appearances in this game, they were a welcome sight. Because seriously, when is Rogue not a welcome sight?
8. Marvel Super Heroes
Year of release: 1995
Marvel Super Heroes was really cool. Depending on which cabinet you got, you either had the plain Jane black around the screen edges, or you had the impressive blue version, with the comic book panel lining. The latter was definitely the preferable option. The picture on the head of the machine featured all of your favorite Marvel superheroes—Wolverine, Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, and yes, even Psylock—as they all posed around the title. It was simple and effective, and it got the job done. Good stuff.
7. Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes
Year of release: 1998
Continuing with the blending of Marvel and Capcom characters was this snazzy cabinet that had Wolverine, Spider-Man, and an intrepid Captain America staring across at Ryu, Captain Commando, and Mega Man. What really made this image stand out was Captain Commando, who many gamers might not have known at the time if they hadn't played his classic beat-em-up back in the day. It was a good way to let the players know that Capcom was really digging in the vault for this fighter. Too bad it didn't feature Arthur from Ghost 'n Goblins. He wouldn't be a playable fighter until Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
6. The Punisher
Year of release: 1993
Younger audiences familiar with Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury might be a little confused by the Nick Fury on the side of this impressive cabinet. But he stood in pure '90s glory just above the man himself, Frank Castle, who was better known as The Punisher. The image on the header was even more amazing, as everybody's favorite vigilante was seen blasting shit up as he leapt to the side of his name. Nick Fury's image was all like, "Yeah, I'm going to shoot, too, but I know I'm not even half the badass as you, Frankie." I guess he didn't want to steal his thunder. Who would?
5. Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter
Year of release: 1997
This is probably the best header of all the Marvel vs. games, and it's mostly because all of the characters on it looked fucking pissed off and ready to rumble. Ryu looked like he was about to transform into a Super Saiyan, Cyclops looked like he was about to blast someone into oblivion, and Wolverine looked like he was going to stab Cyclops right in the back with some adamantium redemption. I mean, good Lord. Did this look like a congested glob of testosterone or what? The answer is yes, yes it did.
4. The Avengers in Galactic Storm
Year of release: 1995
This extremely rare arcade game was special because it didn't look like any of the Capcom-related fighting games that were around at the time. Given that this came from Data East—which was the same company that made Captain America and the Avengers—the characters had a more distinct, 3D look on the cabinet, abandoning the comic book appeal that Capcom had famously presented. But the funniest and most memorable thing about this cabinet, though, was the header, which had Cap Am on one side and a member of the Kree on the other. The Kree, with gritted teeth and wormy green hair, looked like he could have used a bath and some shampoo. In other words, he was cheesy and wonderful.
3. X-Men: Children of the Atom
Year of release: 1994
While it may have been a little plain, the cabinet for X-Men: Children of the Atom worked because of its simplicity. With Wolverine gritting his teeth on the header and Cyclops shooting his beloved "Optic blast" into the distance, you had a strong, central image. And with characters like Storm and Omega Red on the border around the screen, you knew you were getting X-Men, and you knew you were getting their villains. It was simple and effective, leaving most of the excitement inside the screen.
2. Spider-Man: The Arcade Game
Year of release: 1991
Sega wasn't playing around when they released this arcade game in the early '90s. The side of the cabinet was simply amazing, with Spider-Man climbing down an enormous web as King Pin, The Lizard, and Venom stood menacingly at the bottom. All the while, the header of the cabinet featured everybody's favorite web-head swinging into action. Could it have featured Namor, Hawkeye, and The Black Cat on the cabinet since they were also playable characters in the game? Sure, it could have. But in the end, this was Spidey's game, so he took center stage. Can you blame Sega for it?
1. X-Men
Year of release: 1992
And now for the most spectacular arcade cabinet ever (not just from Marvel, but ever). If you were lucky, you got the panoramic screen version with six—count 'em—six different joysticks and buttons to play with. But it didn't stop there as the artwork was a step above the rest as Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, and even Dazzler struck intimidating poses. And on the sleeve above the joysticks was even a little description of each X-Man in the game. You know, just in case you didn't know all about the elusive Nightcrawler. With the six joystick scheme, there was room for pretty much everybody, and even a little more room on the sides so you could watch on as you waited your turn.