Ultimate Arcade Games

"A 12-in-1 little gem"

Well, this one is probably the best old-school games compilation ever released on the GBA. Why? Because every game has been greatly improved compared to the original one. Not only graphics and sound have been redone by today standards, but concepts and gameplay have been extended, giving most of the time to the player a hell of a cocktail.

I will only give you the example of the old Asteroids: now you have missions, can buy weapons and upgrade your ship in many ways. Blend that with very good graphics and sound (you will see some cool effects that really use the power of the GBA, and sound quality is top-notch, with musics that are truly haunting after some time spent with the game), lot of different levels and perfect controls, and you've got a new classic: the true version 2.0 of your beloved ancestor, keeping the gameplay you used to love, and bringing lots of new exciting elements.

I will let you discover the eleven others by yourself, and it will take ages to discover everything in this one. Should you be strong enough to unlock everything and finish every game in every possible mode, there will be still challenges to complete for expert gamers. A great idea, as challenges sometimes change the rules of the games, and providing you fresh new levels to play through!

That being said, now here's how I would note every aspect of the game:

Presentation: 8/10

Nice menus, clear and easy to navigate into. Instructions are given for each games, and each one has its own arcade-like presentation with a demo. Well done.

Graphics: 8/10

Very good and detailed for most of the games, but very simple for a few (nothing hideous though). Nice special effects here and there.

Sound: 9/10

Sound effects are good and never annoying. Most of musics are catchy and sound astonishingly good for a GBA. Each game has its own atmosphere, so there is really a lot to hear in this cartridge.

Gameplay: 9.5/10

Perfect for every game. Each one has simple and adequate controls, with a good learning curve, and all are challenging and fun.

Lasting Appeal: 10/10

There is a LOT to do here. With twelve games to beat and more than a hundred additional challenges to unlock, you will find yourself playing this one for weeks.

OVERALL: 9/10

Lots of games and unlockables, great gameplay with smart improvements over the original concepts while retaining the old-school feeling, really good graphics, sounds, and musics that make good use of the power of the machine... This one is the best compilation game ever released on GBA, and a great game in itself, packed with what every gamer is looking for: lots of fun.

Nocturnal Entertainment Australia really deserve kudos for this one. If you are a old-school games lover, don't lose one more minute and go buy it. If you're not one, go buy it as well, I swear you won't be disappointed. With so many quality content and greatly enhanced old-school fun for a so low price, you can't go wrong with this one. Two thumbs up!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/17/05