One of the things that we love doing at Ground Kontrol is buying an old video game that’s been converted to a crummy game, and restoring it to its original glory. Last year we purchased a cabinet that we quickly realized was originally a Captain America and The Avengers. After peeling away the old artwork, filling various holes, cutting a new control panel on a CNC machine, installing new artwork and new controls, and replacing the circuit boards, we have this game looking and playing like it did when it rolled off the factory floor!
1991’s Captain America and the Avengers was Data East’s only foray into the 4 player beat-em-up genre dominated by Konami. Luckily for fans of the genre and Marvel fans alike, the game was a thrilling success. Players team up as Captain America, Hawkeye, Iron Man and Vision to battle against Red Skull’s assembly of supervillains in metropolises, a secret underwater base and even the moon! The heroes fight through hordes of enemies by utilizing hand-to-hand combat, throwing select items, using ranged special attacks, or by employing their unique “Avenger Attack.” Special power ups are also available throughout the game to summon help from other Marvel superheroes. The heroes must complete a total of five stages while battling mega-foes like Klaw, The Living Laser, Whirlwind, The Grim Reaper, The Wizard, and The Juggernaut.
No one should group the arcade game in with the poorly ported home console versions; the original Arcade version is widely considered to be one of the best classic, co-op beat’em up games of all time! The game provides a TON of Marvel cameos that are surely to excite any comic book fan. The game can be a bit too difficult if you go it alone, so bring along a friend or three to help defeat The Red Skull and his gang!
Did You Know?
• The arcade cabinet is visible in the 1994 comedy Airheads.
• Captain America and The Avengers was the second most successful game for the now-bankrupt and gone Data East (first being RoboCop, 1998).
• There is a special ending if the game is beaten using just one credit.