X-Men is one of my favorite beat’em up style arcade games. It has simple gameplay but is fun to play as recognizable characters from the X-Men universe. The game is extremely tough to beat. As a kid I never had enough quarters to beat it. I played through this classic arcade game today and still enjoyed every minute of it. Let me go into detail on the gameplay and history of X-Men and why it still holds up as one of the best arcade beat’em ups.
X-Men Clips Showcasing the Story and Gameplay
X-Men the Arcade Game History
X-Men the arcade game was made by Konami and released as an arcade cabinet in 1992.
There were different versions of the machine made. A two-player, four-player, and a six-player version. The six-player machine was unique because it used two screens to make it double wide to fit all the players.
An HD version of the X-Men arcade game was ported to Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network in 2010.
Later it was released as an app on IOS and Android but has since been taken down and is no longer available on mobile.
X-Men Arcade Game Characters
- Cyclops
- Colossus
- Wolverine
- Storm
- Nightcrawler
- Dazzler
You can switch characters in the middle of the game if you die and use a coin to continue.
Each character has their own special ability which destroys enemies in one hit in an area.
X-Men Arcade Game Story
The story of the X-Men arcade game is similar to the movies and comic books. Magneto wants to destroy all humans, as he thinks they are against all the mutants.The X-Men are sent to save the world from his wrath.
Magneto kidnaps Professor X and Kitty Pryde later in the game. The X-Men go on a mission to save them. They locate them on Magneto’s base, along with every single boss fight from earlier in the game.
The X-Men defeat the bosses and Magneto and save Professor X, Kitty Pryde, and the rest of humanity.
The boss fights in X-Men the arcade game:
- Pyro
- Blob
- Wendigo
- The White Queen
- Nimrod
- Juggernaut
- Mystique
- Magneto
X-Men (1992 Arcade) Gameplay
X-Men Controls
Joystick to move up, down, left, right
Jump button
Attack button
Special ability button
The special ability kills most enemies on screen. It cost health points to use.
Dodge enemy attacks and defeat them to progress through the levels.
How Long Does it Take to Beat X-Men?
It took me about an hour to beat the entire game. You could definitely beat it faster than me as it was my first playthrough in years.
It also took about 20 coins/continues to beat. So it would have cost me $5 in quarters at the arcade!
Where Can You Play X-Men the Arcade Game Now?
Contains affiliate links below to products I recommend.
MAME
I play X-Men (1992) on my PC using an X-Men arcade rom and MAME emulator. I like this method as it allows me to collect arcade games and have an archive of them so they can be preserved.
I use the 8Bitdo SN30 Bluetooth Controller. It is perfect for arcade or retro games as it has the best D-pad of any controller that I have tried.
X-Men Arcade Cabinet
If you are more into preserving the authenticity of the arcade experience than this 4-player Arcade Machine from Prime Arcades is perfect. It has over 3,000 classic arcade games in an upright, decorated arcade cabinet.
It can be the centerpiece in your mancave. There is nothing like the nostalgic feeling of using the classic joystick and hitting the buttons on the cabinet.
More information on classic arcade beat’em ups: The Simpsons or Dynamite Dux.