X-Men (1992 video game)
Up to six players battle Magneto in this arcade beat 'em up.
X-Men is a 1992 beat 'em up arcade game developed and published by Konami, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team. It features character designs from the 1989 pilot X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men and supports up to six players simultaneously. The six-player version uses a deluxe cabinet with two screens, and the game was among the top five highest-grossing dedicated arcade games of 1992 in the United States.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Konami
- Director
- C. Lee; Hideki Ohyama
- Producer
- C. Lee; Masahiro Inoue
- Programmer
- Hiroshi Matsuura; S. Yasuda
- Artist
- K. Hattori
- Captain OE
- Yuji Asano
- Mitsuhiro Nomi
- Composer
- Seiichi Fukami
- Yuji Takenouchi
- Junya Nakano
- Ayako Nishigaki
- Released
- March 1992 (NA); June 1992 (JP)
- Genre
- Beat 'em up
Facts from the source article.
Plot
The player selects one of six X-Men: Cyclops, Colossus, Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, or Dazzler. Their goal is to stop Magneto from devastating human civilization. Enemies include Sentinels, mutant crocodiles, the Reavers, and supervillains such as Pyro, Blob, Wendigo, Nimrod, the White Queen, Juggernaut, the Living Monolith, and Mystique. Magneto later kidnaps Professor X and Kitty Pryde, leading the heroes to rescue them and fight through Island M to Magneto's base on Asteroid M for the final battle.
Gameplay
In this game, players aim to get as far as they can while dodging attacks from Magneto and his forces. A standard joystick controls movement, with separate buttons for attacking, jumping, and using mutant powers. Characters can shift up and down the screen, giving the action a three-dimensional feel. Every fighter can punch, kick, or use other close-range moves. Each also has a special mutant power that wipes out many foes at once, but using it costs three health points. Once a character’s health drops below four, they lose access to powers, though bonus powers can be saved like items. The Japanese version uses power items before health, and levels contain power-ups and health packs.
Release
The number of players who can play at once ranges from two to six, depending on the arcade cabinet. The six-player version stands out because it uses two screens placed one above the other, with a mirror reflecting the lower screen to create a single wide display, much like Tecmo Bowl. In 2010, Backbone Entertainment handled a digital release for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, which included both the US and Japanese ROMs. These versions let up to six players join via drop-in local or online play, though the Xbox 360 version only supports four locally. Players can also adjust difficulty and use custom matchmaking. The voices were newly recorded by Bang Zoom! Entertainment, with Kyle Hebert and Mela Lee voicing all male and female characters, but the script kept the original lines like "I am Magneto, master of magnet!" and "Welcome to die!" The game was removed from both digital stores by the end of 2013. Konami also put the game on iOS and Android in 2011, adding on-screen controls, but it was no longer available in US app stores by 2014. In 2021, Arcade1Up released a Marvel cabinet featuring X-Men alongside Captain America and The Avengers and Avengers in Galactic Storm. The original arcade version returned in 2026 as part of the Marvel MaXimum Collection, adding online multiplayer with rollback netcode.
Reception
In Japan, Game Machine listed X-Men as the third most successful table arcade unit and seventh most successful upright arcade unit of August 1992. In the United States, it was the top-grossing deluxe arcade cabinet on RePlay charts from May to October 1992, and one of the top five highest-grossing dedicated arcade games of 1992 per the AMOA. At the 1992 AMOA Games Awards, it was nominated for most played video game (dedicated) and most innovative new technology. Play Meter's Jim Overman gave it a 91% rating and a gut feeling score of 10 out of 10. In 2004, GameSpot inducted it into its list of greatest games of all time. Arcade Sushi ranked it 3rd on their 10 Best Retro Beat 'Em Ups in 2013, and Nerdist.com included it in their Top Ten Most Iconic Marvel Video Games. Time Extension placed it on their top 25 Best Beat 'Em Ups of All Time list in 2023. IGN scored the HD port 7.5, calling it simple and repetitive but a blast with friends. Some reviewers noted that unlimited continues cheapened the experience. Sinclair User gave it 58/100, acknowledging the six-player capability but stating it was not big fun unless one was a big Marvel fan. An X-Men cabinet donated to MAGFest in 2008 became a tradition where attendees mimic Colossus's roar; Nobuo Uematsu led a crowd roar in 2012. The cabinet remains with a memorial for donor Charles Margolis, who died in 2017.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was X-Men (1992 video game) released?
X-Men was released in March 1992 in North America and in June 1992 in Japan.
Who directed X-Men (1992 video game)?
X-Men was directed by C. Lee and Hideki Ohyama.
Who composed the music for X-Men (1992 video game)?
The music for X-Men was composed by Seiichi Fukami, Yuji Takenouchi, Junya Nakano and Ayako Nishigaki.
More in Konami Games of the 1990s
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