Capcom Home Arcade
DOES KOCH MEDIA STICK IT TO THE COMPETITION?
Koch Media’s device has certainly caught a lot of attention since it was first announced in April. We had a hands-on with the system a few months ago, but now we’ve got to experience the final product, so let’s dive in and see if it’s worth the eye-watering price it sells for.
The most obvious thing to start with is the actual look of the device, as its ungainly shape and sheer size have drawn plenty of criticism. Should it have been two detachable sticks? Well of course, but we already know it would have been even more expensive as a result. Yes, it’s certainly snug when you’re using it with a second player, but let’s face it, you were always jostling with your mates when standing in front of an arcade machine anyway, so in that respect we found it to be a surprisingly authentic experience.
That authentic experience is largely down to the decision to craft the device using authentic Sanwa arcade parts. As a result, it feels great in your hands with a reassuring tactile feel to each button and a stick that offers a lovely ‘click’ sound as it’s used. From the moment your hands touch the Capcom Home Arcade it’s obvious why the machine is so much more expensive than other mini devices (we’re loathe to call this a mini console, but there’s no denying that that’s what many will compare it to) and while it’s clearly designed to be used at a table we were able to play it on our laps with no difficulties. Granted, you need to play with your legs slightly apart to take the balance of the second stick when playing on your own but it never feels uncomfortable to use.
At the back of the device you’ll find a power button along with a Micro
USB port for plugging into your TV or the supplied plug socket, as well as a HDMI port. There’s also a spare EXT USB port, but the instructions that come with the device make no mention of what it’s used for (it’s possible that it could be used for connecting to your PC for downloading updates instead of relying on the included Wi-fi). The supplied cables are 2.5 metres long, meaning most gamers should have no issues finding a suitable space in front of their TV.
We mentioned a while back that the Capcom Home Arcade doesn’t
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feature scanline filters of any kind and the version we tested (1.3) is no different. This is disappointing to see when you consider the high cost of the device, and we’d have preferred more tweakable options against what’s on offer. That said, Koch Media’s decision to have games output at 1080p means that all the included games looked incredibly sharp, even when we were running them on a 65-inch 4K OLED TV. Screen options have been included and include the games’ original arcade ratios, a fullscreen mode (which is far better than we were expecting it to be) and a widescreen option that we weren’t too keen on. There’s also smoothing options but we didn’t like the effect it produced.
With regards to the emulation it appears to be rock-solid, although interestingly we noticed that our device randomly began to drop frames when we disconnected it from the internet (connecting it instantly fixed the issue). From a personal viewpoint it’s disappointing to see that Strider is an early ROM with missing level soundtracks, but that’s to be expected considering the Capcom Classics
Collection also has the same issue. After experiencing the Mega Drive
Mini, the lack of regional variations is also a shame. All our issues could potentially be fixed with a patch, but it’s still disappointing to currently see them.
The 16 games are a great mix that cover a wide range of genres, from shoot-’em-ups and scrolling fighters to puzzle games and one-on-one brawlers. The highlights are arguably Progear and Aliens Vs Predator as this is the first time either have received official home releases. When you consider that arcade boards of both would cost you north of £500, that £200 asking price begins to look more reasonable. Most importantly, both games are still superb today, with Aliens being tremendous fun. The rest of the titles range from great to excellent, and only really Mega Man: The Power Battle lets things down. Sure we’d have preferred the final Darkstalkers game and the lack of an Alpha title feels odd, but there’s no denying there’s a great range of games on offer, even if the list is relatively small by ‘mini system’ standards.
It’s obvious that the Capcom Home Arcade certainly isn’t going to be for everyone - the £200 price tag practically guarantees that. Yes, it’s presentation is rather basic and yes the ability to not play games online or download additional games feels like a missed opportunity, but there’s no denying we’ve had a hell of a lot of fun with Koch Media’s device, and ultimately that’s what matters.
In a nutshell
Koch Media has crafted a resoundingly well-built product, but it does cost £200, which may be too high a barrier to anyone other than stalwart Capcom fans.