24 games for ยฃ19.99, thatโs less than pound a game and you donโt have to keep putting 50pโs in anymore. Anyone who is older than 20 and a true gamer when younger shall remember most of these games Iโm sure.
There is a selection of games, some single player only, a fair few 2 players, a handful of great 3 player games and Gauntlet, the first 4 player game I ever played (and still do thanks to this collection).
When you load this CD up you are faced with all 24 games ready to select, you can custom each games controls and game play options, such as starting lives, points to gain extra life etc. Some games have short interviews you can watch to learn more about the creation of these gems, history of that games, and images like the cabinet design (if youโre interested) and some games have multi choice โdid you knowโ questions.
All the games have separate scoreboards, which you can view thanks to X-box Live, and upload your own scores. But you cannot cheat by giving yourself lots of starting lives, as the option to upload scores is made invalid when you try to โcheat the systemโ. This makes it fair for everyone.
Most important of all of course, is the games on offer. Here they are:
720: An isometric skate boarding game, jump, spin and do basic tricks, whilst going along or downhill, over rampsโฆ you get the idea. You earn money and can buy better head gear, knee pad, boards etc, all adding to your speed, jump height etc. Quite hard to get into but very fun when you get used to the way itโs played.
Blaster: A 3d looking shooter, waves of enemies fly towards you as you try to shoot them down, the colours are very bright, and the graphics pretty terrible, my least favourite of the games, it gives me a headache playing this one.
Bubbles: You thought every game but the kitchen sink had been made, but that has too. Youโre a drop of water sliding around the sink. You have to collect small items, as you kill and collect things you become bigger, therefore being able to kill the bigger baddies. Easy to get into, additive too.
Defender & Defender 2: Side Scrolling shoot โem up, where you have to save people from the invading aliens, you have access to smart-bombs, warps etc, a true classic
Gauntlet: 4 player classic, levels galore, collect keys, use โsmart bombโ potions, as you wander though the levels battling grunts, fire demons, invisible wizards and even Death! You can select from Warrior, the slow yet strong close-up killer. Elf, fast and weak. Wizard, weak also, but good firepower or Valkyrie, pretty average all round with good armour. Extremely easy to pick up, and you could play this all day.
Joust & Joust 2: You control a guy on what seems to be emu, and you have to kill enemies as they beam in, and to kill them you have to be higher than them when you collide, can be played two players, as a co-op game. Joust two adds little as you change into a heavy flying horseโฆ it has an advantage though.
Klax: Itโs a puzzle game, and a brilliant one at that. Colored blocks slide towards you, and you have to stack them up into 5 piles, get three of the same colours touching, up, across and diagonally, they disappear and you get points, itโs that simple. One of the best games on the disks.
Marble Madness: You control a marble and you have to negotiate the levels with other marbles trying to push you off the level, tubes trying to โswallowโ you, and worse of all the tilting, turning terrain plus various other assortments of traps as you timer ticks down. 1 or 2 player.
Paperboy, an isometric classic, you control a paperboy on this daily rounds, you bike up the screen throwing newspapers into mail boxes, but for extra points you can hit other โtargetsโ with your tabloid ammo, cars, burglars, as you dodge the various cars, dogs etc. Great, great fun.
Rampage: up to 3 players control a freak of nature, a giant wolfman, Godzilla or good old trusty King Kong (all have different names of course) and to complete each level you have to destroy all the buildings by punching them as you hang off the side. This game has big bold graphics, and it is fantastic fun destroying cars, eating people, and wreaking the joint overall. You can play โtennisโ with a tram too. I loved this game years ago, and I still love it. A great party game
Rampart: up to 3 players, you have to build walls around your castle, and then place and fire your cannons to destroy the other players. In single player you are also attacked by ships. Original game, but not great fun overall.
Roadblasters: A fast driving shooter game, you have to collect fuel to continue the levels and take out enemy cars, roadside turrets. As you progress you can collect different and much better weaponry. Not as additive as most games, but once you have got used to it, it really is a good game.
Robotron 2084: A simple design shoot โem up, you can fire in the main 8 direction, and walk in any direction at the same time. Itโs like an early Smash TV (see below)
Root Beer Tapper: It shows you how original game designs were, you play a bartender, and you have to pour drinks, and slide them across different bars to serve the customers, as they approach. Just make sure you catch the empties as they come flying back! Great Fun!
Satanโs Hollow: Plays similar to Space Invaders in that you are a small โshipโ that fires upwards at enemies, but instead of rows, they fly around a lot more, dodging and the such. You also have a shield button. Plays very well, but lacks real staying power.
Sinistar: A top down scrolling space shoot โem up. This is new to me, and its okay. As shooters go not as good as Defender
Smash TV: 1 or 2 player fun, as you run around a Running Man style game show, gunning hundreds of enemies down, collecting cash and gold all the way. Unique play style though as you can fire in any direction as you run in any direction. You get like 10 kills a second this game is so frantic. Fun fun fun. Another favourite of mine.
Splat: A very unusual game in which you have to collect food falling from the top of the screen, and proceed to throw it at other players to score points. Thatโs the game pretty much, dodge flying cakes, chuck pies, and literally loose you head over an apple.
SpyHunter: An upwards scrolling classic shooter, you have to gun down the different enemies that try to ram you off the road, you have access to smoke screens, oil dumps, and missiles. sometimes the bridge ahead with be destroyed and you have to trek down a small side track where you emerge from what looks like a shed, as a boat, and you traverse the next part of the level on water, still killing enemies and watch the many yellow ducks go past.
Super Sprit: 1, 2 or 3 players each control a mini F1 car as you speed round the different designed tracks. Some have jumps, oil spills, chicanes, and much fun indeed, a party piece for sure! Another of the best games on the disk.
Toobin: Itโs a down stream race as you and another player (or CPU player) are in rubber rings. This game has a clever control system in that, but pulling the left stick down you paddle with your left hand, and right stick for right hand, this turning you, both together to paddle forwards. You end up dodging each other, trying to pass through gates, and avoid arrows fired at you, bears clawing you, always trying to not burst your rubber ring. Very fun, out of the games Iโve never seen before, this is one of the best.
Vindicators: An extremely fun tank game let down only by the difficult controls. You shoot other tanks, turrets, as you roll up the screen. You earn points, which can be spent to improve your shield, firepower etc. If you want FULL control of your tank though, movement of each track, position of gun turret etc, you will find this game very hard, easy option is just use the d-pad to do basic movements, and A to fire.
All these games are great fun, yet very different from the games you would be use to playing on your x-boxโฆ these games were created as quick, short sharp games for the arcades. The odds will be against you at times, harsh timers, lots of bad guys etc. No introโs, hardly any instructions, and until you get used to the game, you can find yourself unsure what is enemy, what isnโt etc.
