(Ed. Note ? The scores above for graphics and sound are an average based on the following: how they stack up compared to other titles on the same system (4), and how accurately the effects are reproduced from the original material (8). Thus, this title’s effects result in an average of 6.)
Hearing the name Midway brings back fond memories. Gamers that didn’t live in the golden age of Midway may not see why many of these games were so successful. Nostalgia is a hot commodity nowadays, and many companies are trying to resurrect games out of their old inventory. Old and new gamers alike seem to enjoy playing a piece of videogaming history. This is not the first time Midway has done a best-of collection, but Midway Arcade Treasures 2 has some bigger hits than what was found in the first installment.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
There are 20 games in this collection, all of which are expected to be exactly reproductions of their arcade counterparts. Sadly, in many titles this is not the case. Some of the more recent games (like Mortal Kombat III) have problems with jumpy or flickering graphics and subpar sound. Amazingly, the same thing happens with some of the older games too (A.P.B.). In the Mortal Kombat games you can see some problems with the models and shadow effects, not big problems, but it still looks different. In other games the sound effects are just downright wrong, but they weren’t great sound effects to begin with so you don’t miss them that much. Some of these reproductions feel like they weren’t even made by the original company, but more like some ROMs found on the Internet. Under normal circumstances, when you get 20 games for the price of one, some mistakes may be expected. However, these games are running on hardware more than capable of handling what they try to do, and you ought to be getting arcade-perfect conversions that played and looked and sounded exactly like they used to. If you weren’t around when these titles were in arcades, this collection may give you a slightly inferior impression of these classics.
GAME PLAY
The GameCube controller is not at all like the joysticks found in the original arcade versions, but many people didn’t like the arcade layout anyway. If you are used to playing with the GameCube controller, you won’t have too much trouble. For all those hardcore gamers, the layout of this controller will make you even more nostalgic for the arcade setup, but you can get used to it. Thankfully, almost all of the games in the collection play well on a console; you just have to get used to playing these games on a TV screen and without people challenging you in the local arcade.
The most amazing thing about these games is that they are still very fun to play even compared to today’s games. It’s like comparing Tetris to a Call of Duty. Both are fun, and fun can outweigh technological superiority. Midway Arcade Treasures 2 revisits the Mortal Kombat series, which has always been successful and controversial. In today’s gaming world where violence in games is common and arcade fighting games are almost gone, it’s refreshing to play this classic fighting franchise and see that it’s still strong. Most people will probably spend more time with the Mortal Kombat games than any other, but there are some other classic games that you will surely remember, if only vaguely, and some that you may have never heard of. Almost all of them are fun to play, which may seem remarkable considering their age.
Videogaming has been around for decades now, most of the games in Midway Arcade Treasures 2 are from the 90’s, which was a great decade for arcades and gaming in general. It’s safe to say that videogaming now has a history, and like any human activity, gamers can benefit by learning from it. Playing these games is like playing a history book. This collection hits the nostalgia factor big-time, though not done with the best of technical efforts. Some careless mistakes and oversights were made that tarnish the overall experience somewhat. All that aside, it’s a highly recommended compilation for old timers (myself included), but maybe newbies will not appreciate the games as much. You’ll find yourself playing this game either to relive the heyday of your youth or to see what others have been raving about in the last ten years or so.
