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Reading Time: 5 minutesIt’s no secret that retro gaming and 80s aesthetic has seen a bit of a renaissance as of late. So it stands to reason that the arcade experience — a staple of video game competition in decades past – would eventually find representation in some tangible way, as well.
Originally a Kickstarter project by New Wave Toys that sought to bring the classic Centipede arcade cabinet back to life in 12-inch-tall form, the RepliCade console proved to be such a hit that the company quickly followed up with a rendition of Tempest. Now Street Fighter II has been given the RepliCade treatment.
For those among us who remember riding bikes to local 7-11s in order to spend hours upon hours plugging quarters into these machines back in the day, the sights and sounds of Street Fighter II are permanently etched into our collective subconscious. And that means that when it comes to authenticity, the subtleties make a difference. So, does New Wave Toys’ miniaturized interpretation of SFII have what it takes to be a champion on such a demanding stage? Let’s find out.
Incredible Level of Detail
It’s clear that New Wave Toys sweated the details here. The wooden cabinet boasts an illuminated marquee and is an instantly recognizable tribute to the original in terms of shape, artwork and color scheme. The joystick and buttons are true to the full-size machine’s aesthetic, as well.
However, the single-player control scheme is the most obvious visual deviation from the original arcade console design at first glance. This concession is likely due to the fact that fitting both players’ controls into such a tight space would have made for some seriously cramped quarters.
Still, the overall presentation is absolutely top notch. Geeky touches like the functional diecast metal coin door – replete with miniature tokens – are wonderful additions that really add to the fun. While the coin slots themselves do not accept said coins, they do function as buttons. The 1P coin slot/button adds credits to the current match, while the 2P coin slot/button calls up a settings menu that allows you to switch between Street Fighter II: Champion Edition and Super Street Fighter II Turbo, both of which operate off of the original ROMs.
The top of the console houses a power button with an LED status indicator, as well as volume controls. Around the back there’s a pair of speakers, two USB ports for controllers, a micro-USB port for charging, and a storage compartment that’s designed to house a second controller and its cable.
A 3.5-inch color LCD serves as the display. The console is also equipped with a built-in rechargeable battery that provides up to two hours of untethered gameplay.
Here Comes the Next Challenger!
At 12 inches tall, the RepliCade isn’t quite a hand-held. And we found it a bit awkward to use when hunched over a coffee table, as well. Sitting at an office desk, however, suits the scale perfectly.
Upon firing up the mini-cabinet, we were greeted by a rush of nostalgia as the intro clip and accompanying music fired up. Although it sadly lacks a 3.5mm jack to hook up headphones or an external audio system, the Street Fighter II machine is the first RepliCade iteration to feature dual speakers, which provide a good amount of clarity at high volume and meaningful stereo separation.
Once we got a match underway, it was 1992 all over again. The display is bright and sharp, and while the clickiness of the joystick and buttons doesn’t quite reproduce the feedback of the original full-sized controls, it’s a genuinely satisfying experience right off the bat. The joystick’s size makes precise inputs difficult, though, and as a result, we were a little frustrated at times when we couldn’t execute special moves with a measure of confidence and predictability.
The good news here is that the difficulty settings are adjustable in Street Fighter II: Champion Edition. The bad news is that the same cannot be said for Super Street Fighter II Turbo, which runs in its default arcade setting all the time. We had some difficulty getting past the second match when playing the latter, so unless your skills are truly honed, Super Street Fighter II Turbo might be a better option for two-player bouts, rather than player-versus-CPU – at least until you’re back in fighting shape.
Should You Buy the Street Fighter II: Champion Edition X RepliCade?
These days, there’s a myriad of different ways to get your Street Fighter II fix. It has been ported to everything from the Super Nintendo to the Nintendo Switch over the past thirty years.
At $119.99 with a second controller included, the RepliCade is probably not the cheapest way for you to get into the ring, and with the tiny controls, it’s probably not going to be the most satisfying way you could play a highly competitive game like Street Fighter II, either.
It is, however, a faithful rendition of the original that makes up for its limitations with a large dollop of cool factor. And the quality of the console’s design alone justifies the price. If you’re an SF II fanatic looking for a functional collectible, you’d be hard pressed to do better than the RepliCade without stepping up to the real deal.
Buy a Street Fighter II: Champion Edition X RepliCade
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Bradley Iger
Relocating to Los Angeles after completing his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Berkeley, Brad translated his obsession with cars and background in information technology into a unique journalistic voice, lending his efforts to MTV Networks, Autoweek, Hot Rod Magazine, and others. When not behind the wheel, Brad can often be found standing too close to a dimed guitar amp, out on a cycling trail, or breaking something just so he can put it back together.