As long as you're okay with its unreasonable lack of online functionality and screen filter niggles, there are hundreds of hours of fun to be had with Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium. 32 mostly excellent games and another historically notable preservation piece, it recalls the essence of what an arcade felt like. Achieving that feeling, however brief, will be enough to justify a purchase for those with an affinity for gaming's rich history.
Them's Fightin' Herds isn't entry-level stuff, and it's impressive that an indie developer has created something that professional teams take years to master. Soft and furry in appearance though it is, this is a robust and fleshed-out fighting game, and one that demands practice. It's challenging even on its default difficulty with AI that won't fall prey to simple or repetitive routines. While its story mode is engineered toward a particular fanbase, the wild combo-building demonstrates an excellent multiplayer experience. Thematically, its draw might be limited, but there's no real ceiling in its appeal to fighting game fans. While would have been nice to have had a few more characters out of the box and a little more invention in its world-building backgrounds, if you're here for pure fighting game action, don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
That it's called 'The Anniversary Celebration' rather than 'collection' is a substitution of phrases that couldn't be more apt. With its smooth, fast, and perfectly-pitched interface, and rich, thoughtfully created content, Atari 50 really is an honouring of the company that founded the industry. It's true that its content is going to have a greater appeal to an older generation of gamers, to today's parents (and grandparents) who grew up in the whirlwind of the '70s and '80s arcade scene. For them, reliving moments and experiences that used to cost a pocketful of coins will be joyful. For others, understanding the appeal of a lot of these games will take work, and few of the titles outside of the Lynx and Jaguar catalogues are easy to pick up and play for the uninitiated. At the same time, Atari 50 is so thorough and engrossing a retro gaming tunnel, akin to exploring a virtual museum, that it transcends its target audience somewhat. For those interested in video gaming's history, the unearthing of the past, and for gamers not afraid of what today is considered rudimentary, there's a great deal of enjoyment to be had in this trip down memory lane.
This is the kind of package we hope for when a relatively unloved, but largely excellent arcade title is ported for a modern system. There's no slacking here, with all the options and modes a fighting game fan could desire, updated visuals for modern displays, and that all-important rollback netcode for online skirmishes. Superior to its already very enjoyable predecessor, it will be great to see the online fighting game community revive The Rumble Fish 2 in a way that never really happened with its original arcade release. Ideally, both the original game and this sequel should be on a single package - and DLC paywalls be damned - but this is a well-executed port of the best entry in this short-lived series.
Breakers Collection feels like a passion project. It delivers a game that still feels incredibly modern and visceral to a new era of players. When mining its combos and developing its dizzyingly broad array of tactical options, new players will no doubt be surprised by the high bar of Visco's work. While its menu presentation is somewhat less explosive than the game itself, the level of thought that's gone into its modernisation through crucial up-to-date features can't be spoken of highly enough. This kind of treatment should be standard when revisiting bygone classics, yet so often it isn't. Breakers Collection, to that end, gets it very right.
Team Ladybug is really demonstrating its programming expertise with Drainus. It's both dangerous and brave to attempt a shooting game on the scale of Gradius V or Einhander, yet for the most part, the developer pulls it off in convincing fashion. It's not entirely perfect, arguably overly easy, and various aspects will sit better with some players than others. But, at the very least, it's a spectacular sci-fi action epic that constantly evolves, creates, and showboats. To that end, Drainus will land well with both hardcore and casual players alike.
Cannon Dancer is an undeniably polished product and has Yotsui's action-cinema aspirations stamped all over it. Speed, dynamism, and full-bodied combat snap will keep bringing you back for more. While visually inspired and boldly artistic, it's a concise affair, as was Strider, buoyed by a refined control scheme and consistently interesting stage developments. While the finale is no Third Moon, and could have been improved with a few adjustments, it still qualifies as the Strider sequel you always wanted but never knew.
Degica's work here is commendable. Not only is this the best of the series, but it's now the ultimate version out there. Castle of Shikigami 2 comes easily recommended to fans of bullet hell shooting games, and while it might not be up there with the very best, it's certainly original, deviously devised, and layered like crazy. With all the characters, their individual assets and stories, as well as all-new modes to toy with, this is how we like to see publishers handling re-releases of arcade titles, rather than slapping out another no-frills port-of a-port.
Batsugun remains a thrill ride: a barnstorming, explosive affair that holds a pivotal position in the history of the shooting game and its evolution. Its systems are not as in-depth as most Cave titles, and it's also comparatively short if you discount all the looping, but it remains a superbly entertaining and surprisingly accessible piece of gaming history. It's a shame the arcade originals aren't present, but, with all its very welcome bells and whistles, it's certainly the best home release yet.
This is the best of it in regards to home ports of the Ray series, spit-polished by M2's dedicated commitment to quality. It offers very accurate arcade ports of three superb, nuanced shoot 'em ups, famous for their fantastic soundtracks, engrossing gameplay mechanics, and visual showboating. Lag is minimal enough to have no impact, and the HD upscaling is wonderful. With no training modes, historical bonuses or rearrangements, however, it falls shy of being the ultimate package. But only just.
Switch-bendingly tough though it is, Gimmick is a salient example of what made the 8-bit era so wonderful: a razor-sharp, thoughtfully illustrated action adventure full of creativity and imagination. Just be warned that when people talk about 'old-school difficulty', Gimmick is a cut above what they usually have in mind, and to that end may prove frustrating for those unable to steel themselves to the challenge.
Dino Rex and Solitary Fighter aren't exactly high points, and considering they're two of three exclusives, much of the appeal of this collection depends on how many titles you may already own, and how much you want Darius II. That said, for those who are yet to dabble in Hamster's series, it's a superb slice of Taito arcade gaming that outdoes its predecessor in terms of quality and appeal, and comes through with solid emulation. There are hundreds of hours of fun to be had here with some of Taito's most deservedly celebrated works.
The Making of Karateka is not for everyone, and most of its appeal will lie with older gaming generations. If you're a student of historical gaming flash points, however, it's a package that delivers the goods, and in fine form. It doesn't have anywhere near as much unique gaming content as Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration, a fact that will limit its appeal. Despite this, the two remasters are solid, the prototypes intriguing, and the content comprehensive. If you were a fan of Atari 50, The Making of Karateka will find you well.
Fans of Hot Wheels will feel well served from a nostalgia point of view, and inspired by its huge number of new modes. Unleashed 2: Turbocharged combines furious arcade race challenges with childlike creativity, being able to build tracks any which way, and race them to breaking point. You can feel the Switch's lack of muscle, with a markedly smudgier feel than the grip offered by more powerful consoles, but as a racing experience bursting with customisation, modes, and creativity to mine, it's both an excellent successor to the 16-Bit Micro Machines legacy and sits firmly in pole position over its predecessor.
Halberd Studios has crafted a Metroidvania with a really encouraging number of unique elements. We have no issue in declaring it A Good Game™ and a great time thanks to its careful crafting and implementation of a number of original ideas that elevate the gameplay, rather than stifle it. It is just another Metroidvania at heart, yes, and it doesn't revolutionise the genre; but, while there are a few scrappy bits where you can see a thinning of the budget compared to works by larger studios, it holds its own as an inventive, pretty, and consistently enjoyable adventure.
Its very reasonable price tag isn't the main selling point of Berserk Boy. Rather, it's a very competently made indie action adventure that has the feel of a 16-bit title, powered by the oomph of current-day consoles. It's far more arcadey than both Mega Man and Gunvolt; faster, and altogether more interesting owing to its multiple character forms and deft stage design. Its hub world is easily navigable, and the upgrade shop, Metroidvania backtracking, and prisoner liberating side-missions encourage players to squeeze the most from the experience. There are minor, trivial aspects that could have been tightened up slightly, and the independent development aspect isn't entirely in the background. For what it attempts, however, Berserk Boy is very successful, regularly showing up larger development studios with its creativity, and comes easy to recommend to 2D action enthusiasts.
El Shaddai feels genuinely more creative and interesting than a lot of the titles it would consider bedfellows today. It shares a place with the likes of ICO, Nier, and Panzer Dragoon in its arcane design and historically inspired symbolism. Elsewhere, it borrows from the likes of Okami and Mizuguchi's Rez for its abstract, acid-trip beauty. It's true that the combat can become routine, the platforming occasionally frustrate, and some of the boss encounters appear slightly samey, but it runs smoothly and assuredly across 11 visually astounding stages. El Shaddai, more than anything else, is a game of moments, and a lot of them. It's certainly one of the most intriguing titles in the action-adventure, hack-and-slash genre, and deserves the attention this time around that it never achieved on its original release.
Fading Afternoon is a very ambitious game that improves on Technos' decades-old Kunio-kun formula in almost every way. It's certainly the most accomplished of Yeo's works to date, and impressive in its polish. What really shines, though, is the way it expands on its life-simulator elements and those all-important details. It keeps things fresh, interesting, and compelling. Although regularly punctuated by satisfying gangland violence, it's not a fast game by any means. With its downbeat plotline and melancholic motifs, it's more an experience to become absorbed in, to be explored and tapped for all its little surprises and diverging paths on subsequent playthroughs. For everything it strives to achieve, beyond anything else, Fading Afternoon is incredibly charming.
One may consider that, being programmed in Unity, Blazing Strike is a feat in and of itself; but the fact that it's largely built by one person is nothing short of remarkable. Original and beautiful-looking, the possibility in its broad character roster feels fresh and exciting. It isn't a game for absolute novices, but dabblers and aficionados will find its Rush system an intriguing and well-implemented combo tether. Whether or not it can draw the community away from the current Marvel vs. Capcom online boom, and if so, for how long, remains to be seen. Regardless, it's a title that deserves attention, and would perform well at a professional tournament level. Like most first iterations of fighting games, there are areas that can use some tweaking, but such an impressive first attempt certainly bodes well for the future.
Considering Power Rangers games have more often than not been middling-to-poor, Rita's Rewind is a pleasant surprise. It's been given a lump sum of love and attention from a development team at one with the source material. And, if its obvious polish wasn't enough, it's a game that really understands the arcade format and goes all out with dazzling Super Scaler action stages that work well to stave off the genre's naturally repetitive nature. There are a few aspects to the combat that could have been tweaked, but with its humour, lengthy 15-stage campaign, multiplayer hijinks, and heavy-duty '90s charm, Rita's Rewind is probably the best Power Rangers game we've ever played. It's pretty Morphinomenal.