Midway has carved quite a reputation for being the developer to release nostalgic compilations of their old classics back to current consoles in recent years. It all started back in 2003 with Midway Arcade Treasures, when my desire to play Marble Madness, Paperboy and Joust again were thankfully fulfilled. Last year brought the sequel packed with the first two installments of the famed Mortal Kombat series along with Gauntlet and other classic titles. This year more than ever, Midway has been pressured to keep up the quality of games of these compilations to make them the best value they can possibly be. Last year at this time, I said during my review of Midway Arcade Treasures 2: "if Midway makes one of these again next year, I can expect to see a San Francisco Rush or two to show up!." This was one of the few times in my life that I have ever been right about anything, so it seemed fitting that I would flaunt my awesomeness before all of you and write up this third installment of Midway Arcade Treasures. This time ‘round, Midway focused on calling up all their classic racing games of the past (or when gamers like me were in diapers, I mean, training pants), so how did this genre-specific classic compilation stack up to previous installments of this series, and is it worth your hard earned money or time?
Some may think that classic compilation games are a cheap cash-in for many developers that bank on old proven money-makers and fan favorites and offer no new ideas for gamers to explore. And while they are considerably cheaper to produce than an entirely new product, many developers have gotten burned making such games with graphical glitches and controls that get lost in translation (must I mention Collecovision Lives!). So creating a quality revival may not be as easy as it seems; thankfully for us, a developer like Midway knows how to do it, just like a good kiss, not too overdone and a little tongue can go a long way….er, I was never good at making analogies.
I could go on and on about how you only need to know about one game in this compilation in my efforts to persuade you all to purchase MAT3, but I guess that might leave many of you guessing how the rest of the games are. Back in 1999, my favorite racing game,Rush 2049, was released. It may not be a racing sim, it may not even have the most accurate physics, but it is fun, fast, and the stunt mode is simply unmatched.
I remember playing 2049 for a good two years with up to three other friends along side me whizzing through the verses mode for racing, stunt, and “battle” which was Rush’s rendition of a Twisted Metal type game. The replay value was, and still is thanks to this compilation, through the roof with limitless gameplay and cool unlockable items, which stem from racing feats, circuit completion and of course the obtaining of course medals. This game is preserved in all its glory maintaining its sleek look from 1999 and plays just as smooth as it once did on my old Dreamcast or arcade machine.
To those of you that wanted, or should I say, needed more than just one Rush title on this set, Midway also serves up San Francisco Rush: The Rock; an old arcade favorite that takes the engine of the first game in the series and reworks it’s graphics a bit, and focuses on the Alcatraz levels. This was quite a bit of fun to play; though I felt the controls were a tad over sensitive, which may be caused from porting this arcade-only game to the home consoles. After much kicking and screaming, I have come to terms that Midway did not include Rush 2 in this set, but after all, I really can’t say I can complain.
Ok, after spending upwards of 600 words describing how great I think the Rush series is on this compilation, I guess I could tell you what else you’re getting for this $20 budget title. It seems that Midway was determined to grab you in with some recent favorites like Rush and Hydro Thunder, but once they have your attention, they lay down Super Off Road on ya; a game that no racing gamer is complete without. Back in the day, I remember my friends and I running off the school bus to our local bowling alley where this arcade game was featured. You may remember it as the one with the three racing wheels. Many hours and quarters were burned on this game, but I regret none of it; the look of defeat on my friend’s faces was all worth it. This game obviously is hurt by default simply because the game was flawless when using the racing wheel on the arcade machine, but I will say that the controls on a standard Xbox controller did not actually hurt the gameplay too much. I already have logged in many hours on this game once again with a friend a few days ago only to find that it still captivates me just as it did years back. The best part: I’m not spending $5 a day playing it.
Badlands was a game that I was only vaguely familiar with when it was released back in 1989, though it plays like a varied version of Super Off Road with an urban setting and missiles strapped on your vehicles. I really can’t say that I look forward playing this game, but it is by no means bad; it just doesn’t have the same classic appeal that I’ve noticed with Super Off Road.
Many of you may remember S.T.U.N. Runner as that arcade favorite that tried to incorporate a slight 3D element while cruising through tunnels avoiding other vehicles, picking up power ups, and of course, causing destruction with an acquired gun you can fire. I really never loved this game when I was younger, so I can’t say that I was too excited that this game was included though it is certainly a recognizable title in this package. The controls were a bit oversensitive to my every movement; I felt they were a bit lost in the porting of it onto the consoles.
Race Drivin’ is included just as its previous version was added to last year’s collection. I find this race simulation to be too ambitious for its own good. The real thrill came from actually turning the key in the arcade version. What little fun to be had is lost when playing it at home it seems.
As I mentioned earlier, Hydro Thunder is included in this compilation as well. And even though I defeated this game on my Dreamcast and showed off to friends when playing it at the arcades (when you could actually find one), it was still a nice challenge to start playing this game again like an old pro. It was a neat surprise to find out that I wasn’t going to pick this game up again and win every race like I used to. Truth be told, Hydro Thunder is a challenging game even though I retained memory of many of the short cuts I used to enjoy taking in order to qualify during a race. And last but not least, Midway loved to take a good thing and run with it; that would explain why they even decided to make Off Road Thunder; picture Hydro Thunder with big rig and off road trucks. Yeah, it plays worse than it sounds and is one of the lesser-played games in my rotation of this compilation.
The graphics on this title are hard to judge since the games range from over a decade of gaming. I will say, however, that I ran into only minimal occurrences of graphical glitches when playing through this package. That is more than some developers can say when reviving their old classics. Also, the sound was resurrected from all these titles in their true form. My only complaint was the start button command of the title shuts off all your audio options for Rush 2049 so you cannot change the music you’re listening to at will like you could on the Dreamcast.
Xbox enables you to post your high scores online like they have in years past. I was #11 in the world in Marble Madness a few years back, so I have started to feverously playing Rush again to get back up to the status I had during my Dreamcast days. It’ll be a long road ahead, but I’m welcoming the challenge.
For me, the inclusion of Rush 2049 was enough of a selling point of the third installment of Midway’s classic compilation. But once they have your attention with this fan favorite, they drop a handful of other great games your way. Sure, it doesn’t have 20 games like last year, but the quality of the ones included is considerably better. I can once again sit here and tell you that Midway does this sort of thing best; they should lend Tecmo and Collecovision a few pointers next time around. For your money, Midway Arcade Treasures 3 is one of the best values I’ve seen in a few months. My suggestion: pick this one up, and remember the good times.
