Review by xenodolf
"Capcom's worst beat 'em up."

Capcom became known as one of the side-scrolling brawler genre heavy-weights from the late 80s to the late 90s. They have produced over a dozen beat 'em ups in that space of ten years, the majority of them good and even the lesser of them above average. Avengers was their second foray into the beat 'em up genre (following the brawler-platformer hyrbid Trojan), and it remained their worst throughout the years. Since no one else has bothered to review this title on GameFAQs, you're going to have to accept my opinion or play the game yourself. It is available on Capcom Classics Collection: Volume II. Onto the review:

Graphics 7/10

Unlike the majority of beat 'em ups, Avengers has a top-down view of the action - a camera angle usually reserved for old school run 'n gun games like Commando (another Capcom title). There weren't very many brawlers that followed suit with this idea (I can only think of Down Town and Ikari III: The Rescue) and I can see why. It is harder to see the close-combat action from this perspective, and it makes you feel like a spectator instead of being right there for a rumble in the street. I'm getting a bit off topic, so I'm going to head back to the review. For a 1986 overhead-viewed game, the visuals were good but not great. There are a variety of enemies, and the environments were pretty detailed. However, the attacks and their animations weren't very fluid - especially the headbutts most of the cannon fodder loved to use at every available.

Sound 6/10

The music is above average (for that time), and on most of the stages I would have liked to really listen to it if I wasn't trying to escape a dozen of the over-powered basic foes. The sound effects are ok, but you'll be hearing a stuttering of screams, power-up noises, and cranium smacking all too often.

Control 8/10

The controls weren't so much of an issue, aside from the spinning kick occasionally not registering fast enough. It was the lack of offensive and defensive programming, which left me feeling less like a manly protagonist and more like a scared little boy running from a riot. Even when my character's speed and strength were upgraded I was better off running than trying to slug it out against near-infinite hordes of goons.

Game-play 4/10

The first stage plays pretty well, and if that experience had been replicated for every level this game could have gotten a 7/10, or maybe even an 8/10. Instead, the crowds of enemies only grow larger, with more annoyances like boulders and bullets cluttering the screen. My somewhat limited arsenal of moves (three: a punch, kick, and spinning roundhouse) went from a formidable method of combat to something that only take a slight edge off the world of pain I was entering. Bosses transformed from giant thugs wanting to straight slug-it-out with your character to a bunch of cowards who will only fight you with the aid of projectiles, or a bunch of meddling cannon fodder helping to whittle down your life-bar. By the end of the fourth level, I was no longer enjoying myself but simply trying to complete the game so I could accurately review it. As I mentioned earlier, the basic foes are way too powerful - as their headbutts can render the majority of your health depleted before you can shake them off. Even with a good number of check-points, this game sends you to your death too often to be casually enjoyed. I'd hate to think how many quarters were lost to this game back in the arcade.

Replay value 2/10

I've played through this game twice - when I first purchased Capcom Classics Collection 2, and just before I wrote this review. Most people will probably play it once, and if they have bad memory, twice. While it isn't a terrible title, too much of the game-play becomes a chore and with over a hundred classic beat 'em ups out there - you could do better.

Overall 4/10

Unless you are an arcade cabinet collector, you're probably only going to be able to experience this title on Capcom Classics Collection 2. I say you should play it once - even if just to see how far Capcom has progress from when they first created this game (and that's a lot of distance, since Capcom eventually became the biggest name in the beat 'em up genre until the mid-90s). Avengers just isn't worth wasting more than 10 minutes of your life on.

Reviewer's Rating:   2.0 - Poor

Originally Posted: 08/06/07, Updated 03/17/10

Game Release: Avengers (US, 12/31/88)