Spider-Man and the X-Men in Arcade's Revenge is a side-scrolling action game featuring Spider-Man and members of the X-Men. The story centers on Arcade, who has built a large amusement park filled with traps to capture and kill the superheroes. The game begins with Spider-Man witnessing the X-Men being kidnapped and following them into Arcade's park. After entering the park, the player can control Spider-Man, Cyclops, Storm, Gambit, or Wolverine, each of whom is trapped in a different section of Arcade's maze. Each character has distinct abilities used to navigate hazards, defeat enemies, and confront bosses, with the overall objective of guiding all five heroes safely out of the park.