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It’s time for another installment of Palm Discovery’s wReview Wednesday!

CAPCOM ARCADE for the iPhone and iPod Touch

I’ve always loved playing those old arcade games of yesteryears like Galaga, 1942 and many other similar shoot ‘em up style games found in most arcade galleries located inside malls or your local grocery store. I think much like most people back in those days, I must have spent hundreds of dollars playing them. CAPCOM has brought out four of their arcade games to the iPhone and iPod Touch available at the iTunes app store packaged under the name of CAPCOM ARCADE.

This game presents itself as an arcade gallery. You enter in the gallery and find the four arcade machines inside along with a teen that’s been playing since late last night and the front desk girl who’s in charge of the gallery. You are given three free tokens each day (no banking allowed) for three games on your choice of the four machines: Commando, Ghouls and Ghosts, 1942 and Street Fighter II. You can choose to use up all three tokens on the same machine but you are only provided with three free tokens a day.

Should you wish to continue playing once the free tokens are used you, you can purchase tokens (sold in sets of 10 for $0.99) or buy the machine ($2.99 each or $11.96 for all 4 games). The games are pretty much the same games that were found in the actual arcade machines except you are playing it on a much smaller scale and in some cases, on a much tinier screen. Thankfully, Street Fighter II and Ghouls and Ghosts are rendered on landscape mode and offers a much better playing experience, compared to Commando and 1942 which is rendered in portrait mode and the screens are tiny. If you purchase the arcade machine (or buy the game) you can play as many times as you’d like and play the game until the end without worrying about buying tokens or spending any more money. Now if that happened to me 20 years ago…

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More details of CapCom Arcade for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (taken from Apple iTunes store)

Your favorite Capcom arcade games are back and better than ever in these near perfect ports of the originals. Play Street Fighter II, the original Ghouls ‘N Ghosts, 1942 and Commando in their entirety for the first time on iPhone and iPod touch.

Play three times a day for free. If you’d like to play more often, additional “Tokens” can be purchased in the Capcom Arcade, or if there is a game you truly love, buy a game’s “Arcade Machines” outright for unlimited play and maximum value.

Features:

• Play the classic arcade versions of Street Fighter II, Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, 1942 and Commando in their entirety
• New games will be added every month to the Capcom Arcade
• Two modes of play - “iPhone” mode for more casual gamers and “Classic” mode for purists
• Special premium DLC “cheats” that unlock special abilities, upgrades and weapons

Check out other awesome games from Capcom - Street Fighter 4, Ghost’ N Goblins: Gold Knights II, Mr. Bill and more!

What’s New In Version 1.00.01

- Changed some background music
- Added a few in-game descriptions to clarify features

Slideshow of CAPCOM ARCADE for iPhone and iPod Touch

Video of CAPCOM ARCADE for iPhone and iPod Touch

Video review of CAPCOM ARCADE for iPhone and iPod Touch

Here are my observations:

I Liked:

Three FREE games per day

The app is free to download and install. You are given three tokens each day you launch or run the game. You can play three games of your choice from the four arcade games they currently have available: Commando, Ghouls and Ghosts, 1942 and Street Fighter. However, any free tokens not used will not be carried over or banked for future use so you can only play three games each day. Period. You can choose to play three games from one arcade machine or play three different games on different arcade machines.

Can purchase tokens to play games when free tokens used up

Once you have used up the three free tokens given to you for a particular day, should you wish to play more, you’d need to purchase tokens. They are sold in sets of 10 for $0.99, offering 10 games of play. And you are only allowed to carry a maximum of 10 tokens at a time, so you’d need to use up all 10 tokens first before you can purchase another set of 10. However, it may be more economical for those who may play a particular game more often to simply purchase the game or in their case, arcade machine for $2.99 each.

Can purchase individual arcades or games for $2.99 each

An option for those who have a favorite game they want to play without worrying about paying for tokens or being limited to playing only three games each day is to purchase the game itself, or in their case, purchasing the arcade machine. Each arcade machine (or more like game) costs $2.99 each. So, in the long run, if you purchase all four games, it will burn a hole of $11.96 in your wallet. Or you can simply buy one game and play the other games using the free tokens.

Plays and renders like the old arcade game

The game renders and play pretty much like the old arcade game, so you won’t miss anything there in terms of the gameplay in that respect.

Can continue playing to the end once game purchased

One of the great things about buying a game is that you no longer have to worry about putting more quarters or buying tokens to continue the game. That means, you can just keep playing through the stages to the end.

Some games rendered in landscape mode

Thankfully, some of the games are rendered in landscape mode. These are: Street Fighter and Ghouls and Ghosts. Unfortunately, 1942 and Commando are restricted in portrait mode.

Extras or special items available for purchase

For those who like to play their arcade with special items or boosts, you can purchase these items from within the game. However, they are obviously available at a price.

Collection offers a book of images you unlock

Very much like a trophy or medal display screen that many games offer, CAPCOM ARCADE offers what they call a Collection, which offers a book of images or pictures you unlock after certain criteria are met such as playing the game for the first time, buying tokens, reaching a certain level in scoring, etc.

Purchase of arcade game removes Admob ad bar

Thankfully, after purchasing a an arcade machine (game), the intrusive Admob ad bar that places over the top of the screen disappears. I was getting annoyed with that bar taking up the screen.

Twitter and Facebook integration

The game offers Twitter and Facebook integration. Apparently, after a game, you can share your scores with your friends on either platforms or discuss the game on the CAPCOM ARCADE Facebook fan page.

I Didn’t Like:

Only three free games per day

This is probably one of the biggest annoyance. Obviously, Capcom knows that they can lure you into either buying tokens or buying the game if they offer you just a taste of the arcade game you may have played earlier in your youth. Three tokens or games is obviously not enough for anyone who is even a little interested in the games. And especially if you can’t bank those free tokens, obviously, you are basically limited to only play three times per day. Eventually, they know you’ll either pay for tokens or buy the game. Obviously, they’ve convinced me to buy 1942.

Plus, with four different machines, I would have expected CAPCOM to offer four tokens so that someone who is trying the game out for the first time can play at least once on each machine. Offering three tokens means that one machine doesn’t get played. That’s silly. Either offer a few more games to choose from, or offer four free tokens to try them all.

EDITED. Looks like they will be offering more new games each month. That’s good.

Pricey if paying for tokens or buying all the games

At first glance, many may not realize the actual cost of the game. A set of 10 tokens costs $0.99 and many may not think about how much money they’ve spent on it over the course of time. Especially when playing for a while, these $0.99 here and there may end up costing much more than any typical game you can buy or download out there offering much more than these. Even if buying the games, if you buy all four, it costs $11.96 plus taxes, which is a lot more than most games in the iTunes app store. Enough said.

Sme games are rendered in portrait mode

Aside from the other peeve of mine is that some games, namely my favorite 1942 is rendered and played in portrait mode. If you watch my video review, you’ll see (pardon the pun) how tiny the entire screen is compared to the iPod Touch/iPhone screen. And, it can be difficult to see the firing by the enemy planes especially when the screen is so tiny. As much as I like the game and bought the game, I’m still not happy at how the game is presented in portrait mode. You’d practically need to have your nose up against your iPhone or iPod Touch to see it.

Tiny area for playing and viewing

As mentioned already in the previous point, with the game rendered in portrait mode, the square viewing area on which the game is displayed is a fraction of the iPhone/iPod Touch screen, as opposed to a much better depiction and rendering for other games like Street Fighter which is rendered in landscape mode. If they can have those games in landscape, I can’t see why they can’t figure out how to render 1942 and Commando in landscape as well.

Graphics shows its age

When playing some of these games, you can definitely tell the roughness of the graphics on these games when playing them on your iPhone and iPod Touch. But mind you, we are talking about games that were developed and created over 20 years ago and so you have to understand that aspect. But, I can’t see how CAPCOM can’t at least try to enhance and smooth out the rough edges on the images at least to give it a better look. Just a suggestion.

Virtual button controls feel clunky to play

Compared to the arcade game consoles with buttons and joystick, we are restricted to movement using the virtual directional buttons on the iPhone and iPod Touch. I’ve never been great with games like Street Fighter anyway, but I found that it is much harder to try to play some games with the virtual keys.

Admob ad bar can be somewhat distracting

For those who are simply playing and using the free tokens each day, you may find that the Admob bar located at the top very distracting. Although thankfully it doesn’t show up in the game itself, I personally found it a bit distracting when going through the menus.

Twitter and Facebook integration is minimal

Although the game offers Twitter and Facebook integration, the interaction is minimal. The game will allow you post something on Twitter and Facebook directly from within the game. Unlike PopCap’s Bejeweled Blitz! which allows you to compare your scores with friends on Facebook, I am disappointed that there isn’t much. However, you can connect with the CAPCOM ARCADE Facebook fan page from within the app and share your stories with other fans, so at least that offers something.

Review Summary

CAPCOM ARCADE for the iPhone and iPod Touch is a virtual arcade gallery that somewhat depicts the old arcade gallery of yesteryears offering four of CAPCOM’s arcade games: Commando, Ghouls and Ghosts, 1942 and Street Fighter II. You are provided with three free tokens each day
to play on any of the four arcade machines and additional play will require tokens which can be purchased directly from within the app. Alternatively, you can purchase individual arcade machines to save money, allowing you unlimited plays on that machine. However, I have found that the portrait mode rendering of 1942 and Commando makes the entire screen so tiny that I’m not sure that many will find much enjoyment playing those particular games. However, Street Fighter II and Ghouls and Ghosts are rendered in landscape mode for better viewing and playing. Considering that the individual games cost $2.99 each ($11.96 for all 4 games) or 10 tokens for $0.99, this may be a very expensive retro-style and rendered game that perhaps only nostalgia buffs like me will want to buy.

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