Midway Arcade Treasures

"Great collection, but left wanting more"

For those of use that have gotten our arcade fix later on, the games that are presented in this first offering of Midway Arcade Treasures won't look familiar to some. Only a few will (for me, Roadblasters and a few glances at 720). However, this is still a trip back to when these were familiar to all, but while most if not all of the game mechanics are flawless, this collection gets you to wanting more.

For one, let's get to how the games themselves fare when put up against the controls of the PS2 (and I'll put these in a nutshell when I close).

720:
This is a very frustrating time. You are a skater trying to attain medals in four different events by getting as best of a score as possible while maintaining you gear to the highest you can. But you have a limited time to get to an event, as after a bit of time, the "Skate or die" vocal commences, and a swarm of bees come to kill you, getting faster and faster until you are dead or you reach an event. The graphics and sound are alright, but the controls are NOT! I found myself frantically trying to do a simple spin with the emulated controls. Maybe I will someday, but I don't see this happening. The controls are so sticky yet so sensitive (you'll understand this feeling once you play it), and are too hard to get used to.

BLASTER:
The "unofficial" sequel to Robotron. The controls look alright, and everything seems like it got a perfect emulation from the arcades. If only this were a good game to begin with. Fairly easy to get used to, but not easy to master. Best part is the sound. Graphics are not that easy on the eyes. Many things are hard to figure out what is what. By the way, from now on, we should call this "Williams' attempt to give everyone epilepsy", since there is a TON of weird stuff going on, and try watching what happens when you touch one of the "E's" in the time tunnel things without at least getting a minor headache. I swear, someone at Williams HAD to think that if someone COULD finish this game (which is hard enough to do anyway, since it's a rather tough one), they would stop them by giving them a seizure. Basically, anyone even REMOTELY photosensitive should NOT play this game. You won't be missing out on too much here, anyway.

BUBBLES:
Haha. Addictive gameplay. You're a bubble in a sink, trying to clean OUT the sink while avoiding razorblades and ants. And the bubble grows and has a face. Only complaint is the controls are sensitive, but it's a mild complaint. Expect to be hung here for a while.

DEFENDER:
The one that had a million buttons. Pretty good addition. You're a spaceship trying to kill enemy ships while I think saving civilians (if I remember correctly). Hard learning curve, but get a hang of this, because it's a pretty good game.

DEFENDER 2:
Not that bad, either. Refer to the first Defender. Not much changes.

GAUNTLET:
Oh, if only that buy health thing was not in this. You can "buy health" by pressing a button. Makes THIS WAY too easy. Everything else stands up, though.

JOUST & JOUST 2:
In both of these, you are on a giant chicken (think of what a Chocobo from Final Fantasy would look like in the an early 80's arcade game) trying to knock the other riders off their chickens and collect their eggs. There's a slight gameplay mechanic change in 2 (you can transform into a yellow horse to get some of the bigger guys and more hazards to overcome), but in both games, once you get used to the controls (flap, flap, FLAP), you'll be alright

MARBLE MADNESS:
I haven't played this one in the arcades (so nothing about the track ball here), but I have played the NES version, and if you're familiar with the NES version, be ready for a bit of a heightened difficulty here, as the controls are a TAD bit more touchy than the NES version.

KLAX:
Plays perfectly. A Klax is any horizontal, diagonal, or vertical stack of 3 or more tiles of the same color (though it doesn't necessarily HAVE to be JUST 3 tiles). Great control scheme, easy to learn, addictive gameplay, funny sounds, and good graphics make this one deserving.

PAPERBOY:
Again, one I have to judge from the NES version (I never knew there WAS an arcade version until I saw it on here). The arcade version is a LOT harder (though I think I'm comparing to Paperboy 2, which was also slightly better). All in all, plays alright, though I wish the sound was better.

RAMPAGE:
Ahh, the monster destruction thing. Pretty addictive gameplay, and everything holds out. Only thing is that the jumps are HARD to master.

RAMPART:
Sort of like a video game version of Risk. Plays alright, again, control scheme has a slight learning curve. This can be addicting, though kind of boring after some time of playing this.

ROADBLASTERS:
AHH YES!! THIS IS MY GAME RIGHT HERE!! And yes, this plays near PERFECT. Basically, you go through courses in a ferarri-type vehicle, trying to round up points by "blasting" orange cars (and other things if you can grab special weapons that are dropped in certain courses). As long as you have fuel (gotten at the beginning of each course plus a reserve tank that you can fill up by gathering bonus points at the end of each course). Steering is emulated near PERFECT, though it's a good idea to set the gas to "Right analog stick (relative)" as you're thumb will thank you in the long run. Graphics are on par with the arcade version, and YES, the sound is PERFECT, the lady complimenting you on your sick moves on some courses (which you need on some of them) is nice. Basically put, I got this collection just for this game, and I wasn't disappointed. WELL deserving to be included!

ROBOTRON 2024:
The prequel to Blaster, so to speak, and the precursor to Smash TV. Although it has a bit of similar graphics to Blaster, it's not as seizure inducing as Blaster is. In fact, they are MUCH better, in both the seizure-inducing and the overall interface. This is a much better shooter than Blaster is, though one game in this field beats this one.

SATAN'S HOLLOW:
Basically an answer to Galaxan. Not that great, the graphics are not that good, and the gameplay isn't innovative. Unless you remember playing this, skip this one.

SINISTAR:
BEWARE, I LIVE!! If this game was in the arcades when I was a frequent visitor, I would've played this constantly. It's a damn shame that this game wasn't noticed as much as it was, because it had some innovative gameplay (not only did you have to worry about the ships, but this huge, flying, talking head that could EAT your ship), and the controls fit perfectly. I found myself playing THIS game on this collection ALOT! (Good strategy is to make sure you know where Sinistar is being built at ALL times and make sure he can never be completed. Hard to do, but well worth the effort). This is the one that beats Robotron, in my mind, and Roadblasters beats this, but not by much. Deserving.

SMASH TV:
The ONLY one on this first volume of MAC that, I think, began the journey of Midway into Mortal Kombat and Primal Rage. This is the only game on here that features the gore and blood. The gameplay is much like Robotron, only you're competing in a game show in which you either win or die for a toaster...make that 60 MILLION toasters. Fun, addictive gameplay, but EXTREMELY tough to play.

SPLAT:
Previously unreleased Bally game. Not that big on this. Basically a food fighting game. Nice concept, not very good being executed.

SPY HUNTER:
The same controls that works SO well in Roadblasters don't work here (although you can change them like you can with RB, it's still not the same). It's also alot harder to get a hang of this. Love the theme, though. Graphics show their age.

SUPER SPRINT:
You wouldn't believe it, but this is an actually decent port, and a good game. Basically a pre-Off Road deal (only it's not "off road" or in pick up trucks), but some nice controls and always addictive racing gameplay makes this one a good pick.

ROOT BEER TAPPER:
Oh, how I would've LOVED for this game to give you the option to rename this BUDWISER Tapper (more fun that way). For some reason, I like having that X button better than the tap thing (makes it alot easier). Takes some getting used to if you are used to the tap control, but trust me, it's worth it. Addictive gameplay, nice sound, and though the graphics again show their age, they do the port justice. Nice addition.

TOOBIN:
Hmm...not too fond of this game. Got pretty boring after a while. Sound is kind of lame, the control scheme is hard to get used to, graphics are subpar (even in that day's standards). I skip this game for the most part.

VINDICATORS:
This is NOT my favorite game, as this is TOO hard of a learning curve to take. Grew on me when playing it for this review, but really, not too fond of this one, either. Good music, but while I'm sure that I may get to liking this game in the future, this won't be your favorite game when you first play it.

The extras are rather disappointing. Many games don't even HAVE extras, and those that DO have very little, with the video interviews looking like they were done with Movie Maker to post on YouTube. Basically, not good here. Plus, it's hard at first to find a game that you want because the games are listed as symbols than just the game names (because of the interface the game has of an ancient ruin).

So, in closing, if you liked ANY of these games, then get this. You won't be disappointed in your game, but might be in others. Don't get this for the extras, because they really disappoint. Best games on here are Roadblasters, Sinistar, Bubbles, Klax, RB Tapper, and Robotron, while worst games are Vindicators, Satan's Hollow, Toobin, and Blaster. The rest is somewhere in between them.

Good night, and good luck.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/07/07