Midway Arcade Treasures

"Midway throws their best punches into one huge collection."

Midway Arcade Treasures is a collection of many arcade classics of long ago. There are puzzle games, action games, unusual games, and more, all of which are brought back to life. This game is good, but it is flawed in many ways.

Gameplay 9/10
These games are fun. They were way back when, and they are now. There is something for everyone, even if you don’t like anything. There are over 20 games, and a multitude of variety.

You can change all aspects of the games. Time limits, lives, or simply easiness; you can do it all. If you don’t want to fool with all the settings yourself, there are pre-set levels for use. Easy would naturally make the game simple, and hard makes the game complex.

The Xbox Live features for the game are amazing. The game saves your scores of a game, and then you may upload them for everyone to see, via Xbox Live. This adds a whole new level of competition; trying to be number one, and get on top. The pre-set settings also intertwine with this, as you may upload scores earned under easy, or hard settings.

There are also many extra features, other than the games themselves. You can select commentary from the original creators of the games, trivia questions, art, and more. This is a much-welcomed feature, although sometimes it lacks.

Sound 6/10
The game’s original sounds and music are still intact. For some this might be gamer bliss, bringing back memories. For others, it might make you wrench in pain. The blips and beeps are all the same. There are no enhancements at all. This really bugs me, as we are in a much sophisticated world today, with better sound quality. Midway should have done something about this. Maybe make them a bit more clearer, or sprucing them up by adding more of today’s sounds. It just doesn’t work.

Graphics 6/10
This is where the game really hurts. Let me make myself clear. The games original graphics are still there, and personally, I think they are wonderful. It’s outside the games the count. The menu screens are horrid. They have Playstation 1 graphics AT BEST. The quality is grainy and blurry, and generally hard to see.

The games have icons that you can choose to play the game. I see this as another problem. Unless you memorize what each one is, it is very hard to know what game you just chose to play. There is no wording at all that states the names.

The bonus videos aren’t that great either. They, as well, have grainy, blurry feed. The Xbox is capable of much more.

Closing Comments
This game is ok. That’s really it. The games are great, but everything else lacks. The only thought that saved the game from getting any lower is that the price tag is only $20! The price really brought me in, and I stayed for a bit. The game has flaws, but the price is cheap. The bonus videos and such are a good add-on, as it kept me entertained for a bit longer.

Rent or Buy?
I would say buy, only because it’s $20. It wouldn’t make the cut if it was any higher.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 01/26/04