From low-cost AtGames clones to premium SNK/Playmore Neo Geo X Gold, I have a pretty wide range of micro consoles in my video games collection and I’m always looking for the newest licensed products to come out so when Capcom announced its Home Arcade micro console, I was thrilled until I went to pre-order it and saw a prohibitive £199.99/€229.99 MSRP which is $350 with the current exchange rate.
A Few Things Got Me Very Excited About It
When the Capcom Home Arcade was revealed a lot of what was shown was really appealing: as an arcade fan, hearing the joysticks and buttons would be from Sanwa Denshi was great; the use of the excellent Final Burn Alpha for the emulation is guaranteeing that the games will run flawlessly; the wifi connectivity is a nice touch; while small, the game selection is varied; and of course the usb port in the back jolted my imagination as, without a doubt, it will be the path to add more games and tinker with the device.
What Most CPS1/CPS2 Fans Already Own
I grew up in the era during which Arcades were filled with Capcom Power System 1 and 2 cabinets and I’ve spent a lot of quarters in them. Many like me are very fond of the great CPS1/CPS2 titles and many of us have already purchased compilations released by Capcom featuring some of these titles.
$20 – 22 Games
This is a very common compilation with many great games and that is still very affordable.
$25 – 20 Games
This one is harder to find but it has the best games lineup. It’s worth spending a few extra dollars to buy it.
$30 – 17 Games
When released this was way overpriced and only met success when it became heavily discounted.
$25 – 8 Games
More than just emulated games, the Street Fighter here is the gorgeous HD remake drawn by studio Udon.
$25 – 7 Games
The latest compilation from Capcom feature some of the best Beat ‘Em Up ever made but is lacking a few memorable ones.
$100 – 20+ Games Is The Sweet Spot For Micro Consoles
Like I mentioned before, I’m a big fan of micro consoles and have an extensive collection which helps gauge the value of new products coming on that market which growth has exploded in the last few years. The Capcom Home Arcade seems more like a product with a niche appeal within that market but this doesn’t make comparisons with the market leaders any less relevant.
$100 – 21 Games
Nintendo is one of the players in the retro micro console market; their two releases had the same price point and were featuring a similar number of games.
$100 – 40 Games
The latest to enter this market with an offering that is similar but as SEGA does what nintendon’t and will offer double the number of games.
$135 – 40 Games
The Neo Geo mini is definitely a niche item with a premium price tag; yet it still overs a compelling value as the base unit comes loaded with 40 excellent titles.
$200 – 20 Games
One of the earliest and priciest micro consoles, the Neo Geo X Gold makes up for it high price by offering: a portable console, a dock, and an arcade stick.
A Game Selection That Is Lacking Some Of The Biggest Fan Favorites
Even if the 16 games announced offer a wide variety of genres, some of the most beloved and best games of the CPS1/CPS2 era are missing on arrival; this could be excusable if the number of games wasn’t this limited. On this device the price per game is over $20 when even for premium micro consoles like the Neo Geo mini, which also provides arcade games from the same era, is less than $4.
The $350 Price Tag Is A Deal-Breaker Considering The Value Offered Compared To Alternatives Available
I might be wrong about the Canadian MSRP being a direct conversion from the UK/European one and even if it was $229.99 CAD, the amount of value required to justify that price tag is something that I’m not sure the Capcom micro console is offering given products competing against it in that price range.
$350 – 4 Games
This 3/4 scale arcade cabinet comes with 4 of the 16 games present on the Capcom Home Arcade. Just the physical object is a better value considering it’s size and it doesn’t require to be plugged to a tv.
$200 – 1000+ Games
The Chinese popular micro console is very similar in design to the Capcom Home Arcade and uses the same emulator to run the games. Even if its legality is more than questionable, its value is unmatched.
$80 – 90+ Games
This licensed, android-based, micro console offers a tremendous value; it has 8 of the 16 games coming with the Capcom Home Arcade and over 80 more classics. It also supports usb arcade sticks.
As it stands right now, the Capcom Home Arcade is a very interesting device with a quality built but a tiny game lineup which purchase at this exorbitant price tag cannot be justified. If there is a big enough retro community hacking the device and if it goes on sale or on clearance for $150-175, I will definitely grab one but as long as it will retail for over $200, I will not even contemplate purchasing one.
