PLATFORM: PC, PS4/5, XBOX ONE/SERIES (REVIEWED)

Capcom are back with another line-up of classic games for retro arcade lovers everywhere. Following on from last year’s well received Arcade Stadium, the Japanese gaming giants are treating us to another thirty two favourites from the 80s and 90s over a wide variety of genres, all with the same excellent presentation and array of options from the previous Arcade Stadium game. They’ve clearly gone with an ‘if it aint broke, don’t fix it’ approach, as all the menus and interfaces are almost identical, but that’s no bad thing. All the extra features from last time, such as being able to rewind real time gameplay and change the speed of your game, are still here, but it is now also possible to unlock an invincibility option, which really makes getting through those tough later stages an absolute breeze (whilst simultaneously taking all fun out of the experience).

The most represented genres here are fighting games and brawlers, but with such a large number of titles on offer, there is something for everybody. Some of Capcom’s most notable franchises are included, such as Street Fighter, Darkstalkers and Mega Man, but we also get the likes of Saturday Night Slam Masters, 1943, Knights of the Round and far too many others to mention here. All of the games in CA2S are emulated, but it’s so close to perfect you would never be able to tell. CA2S features online leaderboards, save states, the ability to change the ratio of the screen, as well as the ability to add filters and scan lines and change viewing bezels. Capcom have pretty much thought of everything, and this excellent collection is just another in their long line of recent successes and triumphs. This is about as good of a commercially available compilation of retro games as you will find anywhere.