Taito Collection 3 Review (Switch)

 

The first two Taito Milestones collection were a bit of a mixed bag. The first collection had ten games on it but lacked for the price that was being asked. The second collection fared better, having The New Zealand Story and a unique version of Darius 2 on it. While still limited to ten games, the third collection is arguably the strongest set of games so far.

Before we get into what’s on here it’s important to say that you now get all the expected game-based bells and whistles retro collections have started to accumulate. Save states, display settings, the ability to tweak in game options and online rankings are all here along with in game manuals. There isn’t much in the way of museum or archive material though.

Headlining this collection are the classics of Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands. Both are highly regarded arcade games that you’ll no doubt have heard of. They both play as excellently as you remember as well with their different takes on platforming still feeling fresh and fun, while also influencing so much that came after them. 

The Rastan games are also here.  The impressive Conan the Barbarian inspired sprites still hold up and the arcade style hack and slash will keep you playing longer than most arcade games have a right to. The second game is even more visually impressive with some excellent set pieces and huge graphics, but it lacks in terms of how it plays and will likely be skipped over after the initial wow factor has warn off.

The rare, third game in the Rastan Saga has also been included. Warrior Blade is Taito’s attempt at producing something like Golden Axe. It’s not been the easiest game to get hold of so it’s nice to see it here and it does a good job at creating a swords and sorcery hack and slash game. It has a pretty wide range of moves as well and three different characters to pick from so if you get tired of just hammering the attack button there are options to mix things up.

Championship Wrestling is an interesting choice, it’s a relatively fun take on the sport which looks great but lacks a few moves. It runs at a decent speed and all the different characters are visually different. They also have a few unique moves between them. As there’s a real lack of decent wrestling games on the Switch it could gain a bit of a cult following. It’s certainly fun in small bursts.

RPG/ Hack and Slash crossover Cadash has made the cut as well. You start by picking from one of four characters and then must press on against the clock in a side on adventure. Occasionally you’ll level up and have to continually find gold. It’s not a game that has aged massively well and will likely just become a curio as players look for something a bit easier to deal with. The same can be said for Runark (otherwise known as Growl), which is a fairly average belt fighter with a few cool elements and an interesting theme.

Luckily, Thunder Fox is much more interesting. It plays like a sort of cross between an updated version of Rush ‘n’ Attack and the arcade version of Shinobi. Levels are varied and it’s responsive and good fun. It has the basic structure of walking through levels and hitting enemies but the bosses are decent and occasionally you get to drive vehicles and blast things in jets. As an arcade experience it works well.

The collection is rounded off with Dead Connection a cool action game set across a single screen where you break into gangsters’ dens and shoot everyone. Levels are set up like a club or a restaurant and you must eliminate a certain number of targets to progress. Much of the environment is destructible and interactive as well which adds to the chaos. It’s a continual good time and a much-welcomed addition.

Overall, The third Taito collection is the strongest in terms of overall selection of games yet. There’s a good mix of well recognised titles and curios and most of them are at least fun to play in small amounts. There are of course always things we would have liked to see added. In this instance we would have loved to have more of the Bubble Bobble games on here, Bubble Symphony seems to never want to come out on anything again. The price may still be too much for some but in terms of quality you can’t really argue.

Overall 8/10

Parasol Stars Review (Switch)

We’ve seen a marked change in retro Switch release recently. It used to be that these sorts of games would be released via Arcade Archives or one of the other retro companies but more and more they are becoming larger scale releases. Taito has released a couple of retro collections, but Parasol Stars is being sent out on its own into the ever-expanding Switch market for a modest price.

For the uninitiated, Parasol Stars is the third game in the Bubble Bobble franchise, it’s also as different to Bubble Bobble as the second game in the series, Rainbow Islands. The biggest thing that sets this one apart in terms of history is that Parasol Stars was never released in the Arcade and instead went to console such as the NES and PC Engine. The Switch release is seemingly a new version (it’s certainly not the NES or Amiga version), so we assume it’s based on the PC Engine release and updated. Information is mysteriously vague on the subject.

In terms of gameplay, it’s very much in the classic single screen arcade platformer mould of the time. Players need to eliminate all enemies on a stage to progress and collect fruit and sweets to pick up points. You are armed only with your trusty umbrella which can be used to pick up enemies and then fling them at others.

It won’t be long before you’ll see rain drops falling onto the stages. These provide an unlimited source of projectiles to throw and if you collect enough can unleash a flood of water that surges along all the connecting platforms taking any enemies with it on the way. At the end of each world, you then face off against a cartoon styled boss where you’ll need to grab lightning bolts to fire out of your parasol in order to defeat them.

Generally, controlling your character is a little awkward but nothing out of the ordinary for games of the time. You can only really walk and jump but Bub and Bob are a bit sluggish and have the worst leaping power imaginable. But then it’s all about using the Parasol and setting up chains of enemies to be dispatched for high scores.

In terms of modes and options the game is limited. You can play through both the US and Japanese version of the game with unlimited continues or play the normal mode which adds in a rewind and save function but gives you limited lives and continues. There is also a challenge section where you can rank on an online leader board. There are a few cheat options that can be activated as well as various display options and borders. More in the way of museum content would certainly be welcome. Alternate console versions of the game would have been nice but sadly it was not to be.

Overall, it’s nice to see Parasol Stars taking its turn in the spotlight and it’s certainly reasonably priced. It is perhaps the weakest of the three Bubble Bobble games but then we certainly still have good memories of it, and it holds up well. If you are a fan of retro arcade games, then this is still one of the best and we are keen to see what else gets spotlighted as we move into the later days of the Switch.

Overall 7/10

Taito Milestones 2 Review (Switch)

 

Taito has one of the best catalogues of games in the industry, but the first Taito collection on the Switch was uncommonly stingy in terms of both content and its price point. Even though the days of the massive collections seen in the days of the PS2 are long gone there is still a balance that can be struck between offering players something decent and a company valuing its legacy. With that in mind we are pleased to say that Milestones 2 is much better in terms of the games selected.

Even in this collection of ten titles though there is some filler that will likely serve as little more than a curio to most. Dino Rex is a one-on-one fighting game in the mould of Primal Rage. That game itself isn’t the best and Dino Rex proves to be even more clunky. Solitary Fighter is another that falls into this category. A sort of better looking cross between Street Fighter and Pit Fighter, it’s not something that is strong enough to hold your attention for long.

Aside from these two games though the others all have some real merit. The NewZealand Story remains a classic arcade platformer that it’s worth playing through multiple times. The arcade version is tougher than the home releases, but the bright colours and responsive gameplay mean it’s easy to forgive its difficulty. It’s also full of iconic moments such as needing to be eaten by the whale boss to damage it – something many a gamer will remember fondly.

Metal Black is also on here and is an excellent side scrolling shoot’em up. It uses a unique dual beam power up system with players able to blast it out at set increments on an energy bar. It looks great and has all the mammoth bosses and waves of enemies you could want from the genre. At one point it was going to be an entry in the Darius series but was later turned into its own title.

Speaking of Darius, one of the big selling points of this collection is that the three screen Darius II is included here as an exclusive. It’s an amazing game and if you have access to a big screen, it will blow you away with the scale and the speed of the thing. Inevitably, three screens crammed onto the Switch in handheld mode does make things a bit small, but we still found it playable enough – especially on the OLED screen.

If you are still not convinced, you also get one of Taito’s best platform games on this collection in Liquid Kids. Like some of the others it is available separately but in our view it’s almost worth the asking price on its own. It will please many a Saturn owner who now doesn’t have to pay out the price of a small house to own a copy as well. In the game you control dog thing that chucks bubbles. These trap enemies which can then be bashed off screen. When enough bubbles build up it sends water surging around to clear away enemies and deal with basic puzzles. Imagine a sort of side scrolling Bubble Bobble.

Rounding out the package are four games that we would classify as ones you’ll likely dip into now and again. Kiki Kaikai is first in the Pocky & Rocky series and very tough but fun. In our view it’s probably the weakest of the series and Reshrined is also on the Switch so that would be the one to spend more time with. Gun Frontier is another Shoot’em up with the gimmick of needing to down the end of level boss with a single shot. Again, it’s fun but you’ll be too busy playing Darius II. The fairly well-known Legend of Kage is a platformer that works in short bursts but has no real lasting depth and Ben Nero Beh is a cool little single screen game where a fireman has to reach a damsel in distress avoiding fires and collapsing floors. You may well find yourself addicted to this for a while as once you get used to it there’s a lot of charm here.

Overall, Taito Milestones 2 is a much stronger and better value collection than the first one. There are at least three games here that are major selling points and the majority of the others are good fun and games you’ll likely return to multiple times. There is still room for improvement in terms of options and presentation but it’s all moving in the right direction. Retro fans should find more than enough here to keep them happy.

Overall 8/10

Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! Review (Switch)

 

It seems hard to believe that Puzzle Bobble (or Bust-a- Move as it’s otherwise known), has been around now since the days of the Super Nintendo and first released in 1994. Since then, we’ve had releases across various platforms including the Playstation and Saturn where it arguably fully established itself as a franchise to rival the Tetris’ and Magical Drops of the world.

Unfortunately, for many of those years most of the games have been somewhat inaccessible to us due to the colour coded nature of games. Admittedly, we aren’t sure when it started but Everybubble has addressed this by making sure that each colour also has a unique pattern attached to it. This means you can match up the bubbles easily even if you are colour blind and is a welcome addition that works excellently.

Accessibility aside, Everybubble comes packed with a host of different modes. There’s a multitude of multiplayer options both local and online where up to four people can either team up or compete against each other. There’s also a fun little diversion which effectively mixes Space Invaders into the puzzle fun with the invaders filling the bubbles.

Aside from multiplayer fun there is plenty for lone players to do as well. There’s a story mode which sets you up against numerous arrangements of bubbles and gradually drip feeds new features and skills to you throughout to keep things interesting. This can be played with up to four players as well and adjust the levels accordingly to keep it interesting. You can also play with bots but we found this be a frustrating experience as they caused more problems than it was worth most of the time. To top it off there is also the Baron’s Tower which is the games version of an endless mode where bubbles continually come at you until they eventually overwhelm and cause the game over.

In keeping with the Bubble Bobble ethos the visuals are clear, bright and cheerful throughout. The bright colours help to keep things easy to see during game as well as also providing a cartoon-like aesthetic to cheerfully guide you through the story cut scenes.

Aesthetic aside, a puzzle game is only ever as good as its gameplay loop so we are pleased to report that Puzzle Bobble judges this just about right. It’s a mix of slight panic and zen like relaxation that works well. A lot of the levels can seem pretty straight forward but you are never one hundred percent sure where your bubble is going to land or what it might stick to so there is always the nagging doubt that the next shot might cause complete disaster.

Overall, Puzzle Bobble Everybubble is a well judged and welcome return for the franchise. It’s packed full of content and things to do and the core gameplay remains as enticing as ever. The accessibility concessions mean even more people can enjoy the fun and if you are into cute dragons chucking balloons up a screen it’s hard to see how are going to go wrong with this.

Overall 8/10

Taito Milestones Review (Switch)

Retro collections and arcade releases are become more and more common on the Switch and each new one seems to try and push the bar higher in terms of what’s included. We’ve had Sega, various Konami collections, Capcom and SNK just to name a few giving us wide ranging collections of their back catalogues with a vary degree of options and museum elements. Now Taito are entering the market with a group of ten arcade games and it’s not really what we had hoped.

Taito has been releasing its games on the Switch for some time in the form of Arcade Archives branded stuff which generally come with regional variations and a few other options. By comparison what we get here is about as bare bones as possible. The title screen simply has the games displayed for players to pick and that’s it. No museum extras, no regional variants, nothing really which shows these games off or explains why they are so seminal to company. When you put that against efforts from the like of SNK it simply it’s up to the same standard. There are online leader boards at least.

While the ten games do cover a wide range of genres, they aren’t exactly the iconic titles you might be hoping for. Alpine Ski, Wild Western, Front Line and Space Seeker are really very early arcade representations of the teams work and just don’t have the hook that a lot of gamers will be hoping for as they handle very stiffly.  Halley’s Comet is an ok vertically scrolling shooter and the Ninja Warriors is a quite poor side scrolling brawler which is a million miles away from the quality of the SNES/Switch sequel already available on the system.

It's not all bad though as Elevator Action and The Fairyland Story remain as fun and addictive as ever (even if you can buy them separately already). Qix may well get a second lease of life because of this collection as well and remains an underrated puzzler where you must try and fill in blocks of colour before the baddie floating around in the middle of the screen catches you. Chack ‘N’ Pop is the last game on the collection and again proves to be a fun single screen platform/maze distraction.

Unfortunately, this is a collection burdened by what isn’t here. If you want Space Invaders, you’ll need to go and buy that collection separately. Darius? The same and there’s no sign of iconic games such as Phoenix, The New Zealand Story or Bubble Bobble. Even games already on the Switch from the correct time period are missing such as The Legend of Kage. Considering most of these games made it onto a bumper collection on the PS2 (https://www.retro101.co.uk/2012/10/taito-legends-review-ps2.html), it really is baffling.

Overall, this is a highly disappointing effort. When so much care and attention is put into the individual releases of the games this just seems completely misjudged. So many other companies have now set the standard for what to expect for this kind of price that ten bare bones games just aren’t enough anymore. Yes, there are some high points here, but the fact Taito has so many other collections and retro releases available just makes this seem like a cynical attempt to push some titles together they didn’t really have a lot of faith in.

Overall 5/10

G-Darius HD Review (Switch)

We reviewed the excellent Dariusburst: Another Chronicle EX+ recently which proved to be a stunning and very welcome addition to the wealth of side scrolling shooters out there. Now Switch gamers can take a look at something from a little further back in the long running franchise with this arcade version of G-Darius.

The most notable thing to begin with is that this game isn’t meant to be running on dual monitors like it’s more recent entry in the series so you don’t get the small screen size which proved a controversial choice for Dariusburst. The visuals are rough around the edges though, taking on the polygon heavy style of the era. There is an HD port here but in reality it barely looks any different. So, unless you are a fan of the look of the 32-bit age then this may be too much for you to bear – which is a shame as beneath the look of the thing there is one hell of a blaster here.

The core Darius mechanics are still in place with the colour orb power up system working much the same as always. The key gimmick is that players can trap enemies with a kind of electric lasso and draw them back to their ship. Depending on the enemy captured these then add things to your ship such as extra blasters or a shield. This technique can also be used to counter the boss’s energy discharges leading to big scores. It’s a simple system but one that adds options to the players arsenal while encouraging experimentation and flexibility.

General level design is of a consistently high quality and each area is varied and packed full of things to blast. At a point in each level you also get the chance to choose two different routes through the game as well meaning replay value is massively increased as it’ll take  a while to see all the different variations on offer. The bosses are of course insanely awesome as always but then this is a Darius game so what else would you expect?

Another thing of note is that the slowdown from the original game is still present here. This is somewhat controversial as on one hand you might have expected this to be removed (especially in the HD version of the game), but on the other hand this was tried in other recent versions of the game and it could certainly be argued that they suffered massively in terms of how they played because of it.

Overall, it’s always good to see classic games like this make their way to new systems and new audiences. On the other hand we can certainly see how people not familiar with the game the first time round might not get into it. It’s certainly one for fans of the series and the original as this is very much the game you remember but we wouldn’t recommend it as the place to start for those looking to get into side scrolling shooters. Especially not when Dariusburst is sitting right next to it on the eshop with its crazy array of options modes and general flash.

 

Overall 7/10

Space Invaders Invincible Collection Review (Switch)

Following on from the recent Space Invaders collection that featured three titles, ININ games has decided to now release the Invincible Collection digitally. Previously the compilation was only available physically via Strictly Limited Games and hopefully this means more of the deluxe versions of their games heading to the download services in the future.

Space Invaders needs little introduction being one of the icons of the gaming world. But what many people may not be aware of is just how many games there have been in franchise and the fact that new releases are still twisting the formulae to this very day. A large number of these games are here, though there are some glaring omissions that really dent the appeal of the collection in the long term.

There are three major omissions which stop the collection really being able to label itself complete. First of all the most recent Space Invaders Extreme 2 is absent, though it was exclusively a DS game so there could be a solid argument for its omission. Return of the Invaders from 1985 is also missing, this isn’t a deal breaker but it seems an odd one as it leaves a considerable time stamp gap in the collection. The real hit though comes with the omission of Space Invaders 95. Previously included on the Taito Legends 2 collection it’s an awesome and crazy take on the Space Invaders game and it’s really a big miss from this collection. If this had been included then collection would be essential.

What is here are eleven games for you to get your alien blasting thrills with. In terms of going right back to the start of the series you get the black and white and colour versions of the original Space Invaders and Space Invaders Part 2 which adds a few things such as reinforcements and the mixing up of attack patterns. They are good for quick goes every now and then and the core Space Invaders gameplay stills holds up but it’s unlikely you’ll be spending hours of your time on them. Space Invaders DX follows much the same vein as these early offerings - but with the choice of a multiplayer and parody version of the game based on the SNES release.

Also included are Lunar Rescue and Space Cyclone which are two games which used the Space Invaders board. Both are fast paced, old school, arcade games and it’s really nice to have them included. Lunar rescue has you landing a spaceship on a planets service while avoiding enemies and then blasting off back up the screen to deliver your rescued person to a space station. Space Cyclone is an arcade rarity and requires players to blast insect like robots riding across the screen on clouds. Then every now and then a UFO turns up and blasts you with lightning. It’s a tough but fun game and both are welcome inclusions.

Space Invaders 91 and the Majestic Twelve version of the game are the first big steps forward for the franchise. Here the stage backgrounds and ship design vary from planet to planet and the enemies are far more diverse in terms of design and attack patterns. There’s even a bonus game where you have to defend cows from swooping UFO invaders. This is one of the main reasons to own the collection and will likely see you returning often to better your scores and move on to the next area.

The undoubted highlight of the games though is the wonderful Space Invaders Extreme. This moves the franchise into the modern era of shooters with stages to progress through, bosses and a wide range of enemies to blast. A Tron-esque techno vibe hangs over the design and music which takes its pixel heritage and presents it in a vibrant and fresh way. It’s a joyous game and one everyone should spare some time to play.

Rounding out the package are Space Invaders Gigamax and Arkanoid vs Space Invaders. Gigamax is a multiplayer focused offering which sets up to four tanks against a veritable horde of invaders across a huge screen. There are also massive bosses to overcome and teamwork is vital to progression. It’s a great fun game but one that really struggles in single player. Arkanoid vs Space Invaders is a conversion from a mobile game that’s only playable on handheld mode. It’s a gimmick game at best and won’t hold your attention for long.

Overall, The Invincible Collection does just about enough to warrant a place in your collection. It’s obviously great for fans of Space Invaders but falls down both as a historical collection and vital purchase for everyone due to the rather baffling omission of a few key titles. Throw Space Invaders 95 in here and it becomes impossible to ignore. As it is it’s a solid revival but in reality only two or three of the games present are likely to have you coming back for anything like long term fun.

Overall 7/10

DariusBurst: Another Chronicle EX+ Review (Switch)

The side scrolling shoot’em up has had a mini revival on the Switch recently with R-Type Final 2 and Cotton Reboot making their way onto the system in recent months. While both those games were welcome additions neither of them were the stand out titles we were hoping for. DariusBurst however is something different entirely.

It’s difficult to keep up with the endless revisions of the games but the Switch version contains the original game, the EX version of it (which is more difficult), Chronicle Mode which adds missions and objectives as you blast around different planets and Event Mode which contains missions from the arcade game as well as some new stuff. However, the mode it hasn’t got is Chronicle Saviours which is where the problems start.

Saviours was designed to work with handheld systems and unfortunately this isn’t. The original multi-screen display is simply crammed onto the screen with huge borders at the top and bottom. It makes the action very very small and there are no configuration options to change it. Unless you are playing on a large TV screen it makes the chaotic action pretty much impossible to deal with. It also means any text or instructions relating to ship load outs or how things work are also almost impossible to see meaning this can be a harsh game for newcomers as without some kind of guide you’ll have no idea about some of the options available.

For instance, being able to remove the burst laser and place it around the screen. We had no idea about this until we started looking into the game in more detail and it’s one of the key dynamics of the game. You can even use it to kind of dual with the bosses when they release their energy blasts. With the text this small the game really needed some kind of basic training option to show players how this all works.

On a big enough screen though this is incredible stuff. The visuals, the music and action all come together to provide one of the best and most intense blasting experiences we’ve played in recent times. The fish based enemies swirl around the screen in hypnotic manner and the vast array of bosses are both creative and challenging.

All the different modes also add a serious amount of content to get through and it’s likely to keep you playing for a significant amount of time. The stages are also strong enough to mean replaying them never becomes a problem and the quest for ever higher scores will keep you continually pushing forward. The wide array of ships available also helps to keep things fresh as most of them handle significantly differently and provide firepower to soothe the soul of even the most hard core of blasting fans.  

Overall, DariusBurst: Another Chronicle EX+ is a difficult game to nail down. It is a truly stunning shooter but it’s not been optimised and presented in a way that makes it the perfect match for the Switch. We did enjoy playing it in handheld mode but chances of chasing scores or making it through the tougher stages are minuscule when you can’t really see what is going on. We also can’t overlook the fact that the mode of the game optimised for handheld screens hasn’t been included despite the fact it’s in other versions of the game. That said, there are few games out there that provide such a blasting experience. With that in mind it’s hard not to recommend it to fans of the genre as the visuals, music and action are up there with the best in the genre.

Overall 8/10

Nintendo Switch Retro Roundup 2: SNES Re-Releases

While the Switch has SNES games arriving via its online service it has also seen a number of physical releases that first found favour with audiences on Nintendo’s 16 bit machine. Here we will round up some of the most interesting.

Collection of Mana

Collecting three early games from the Mana series together, this collection offers good value for money. The Gameboy game being included is nice from a completion point of view but it is Secret and Trials of Mana that steal the show. Aside from a quick save option little has been changed within the games themselves (these aren’t the remade versions of either game), but both are strong enough action RPG’s to still hold up well and both quests are epic adventures to undertake. It also represents the first time that Trials has been localised for the West. Both games are very pricey to buy on the SNES so it is great to have them so accessible for the Switch audience.

Putty Squad

The most bare bones of the re-releases, Putty Squad hasn’t fared well in its transition to the Switch. The visuals have been updated but the colour palette and graphical style make levels seems cluttered and chaotic (and not in a good way). The platforming itself is ok but it just isn’t as good as the original release and it contains a number of sloppy issues. One such major issue is that while the game now auto saves as you go along it doesn’t restore lives or energy. This means if you have just scraped through the previous level you are likely to just get stuck in a loop of dying over and over again on the next. While we would recommend it as an essential find in its original form, Switch owners can miss this without worrying.

Wild Guns: Reloaded

Konami’s action shooter is a very welcome sight on the Switch. The original now goes for stupid money so giving the game another lease of life is very welcome. Again, not much has been changed and unless you are going to make it through the game on the higher difficulty settings you may never see any of the new levels which have been added. The steampunk/western mixed style still looks great and if you are looking for some classic shooting action then Wild Guns unique ‘shooting gallery’ style is well worth looking at.

The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors

Yet another very pricey SNES release given a second lease of life on the Switch, Ninja Saviours: Return of the Warriors has been remade to look as good as you remember it to be. Subtle graphical overhaul aside the side scrolling brawler has had little else changed apart from the addition of two extra characters which are unlocked by completing the game on different difficulties. Luckily, the game itself still holds up well and the single plane of movement helps it stand out from the other brawlers out there. Each character plays quite differently and once you understand how all the systems work it is a rewarding and fun game to dive back into.

Flashback

We have a detailed review of Flashback here - https://www.retro101.co.uk/2019/06/flashback-review-switch.html

Taito Legends Review (PS2)

Ah, the joys of the Arcade: sticky floors; shifty big kids ready to take your change; and (of course) the games. Oh the games we fondly remember shovelling piles of silver into those classics of yesteryear only to find out that the joystick or fire button didnt work properly, or the gun attached to the Operation Wolf cabinet was too sweaty to grip. Thank goodness that Taito, purveyors of some of the finest arcade games ever produced, have finally joined the retro bandwagon and released a compilation of their finest.

First off are the light-gun games Operation Wolf, Operation Thunderbolt, Space Gun and Battle Shark (which originally required the use of a periscope). Although these are not compatible with a PS2 light gun it does little to diminish the appeal as once the sensitivity of the on screen cursor has been dropped a few points it is highly effective. Operation Wolf survives the best of the four, still proving to be great fun. Battle Shark and Space Gun are a little dull and despite still being quite enjoyable, the forward scrolling levels of Operation Thunderbolt are very repetitive with the sheer amount of things you have to shoot meaning it is near impossible to avoid taking damage.

Many people will be pleased to see the inclusion of a number of Taitos classic platform games. Bubble Bobble shows that it has lost none of its charm as players guide their little dinosaur around a screen and try to capture enemies in bubbles. The levels get progressively more difficult so careful planning is needed on later stages. Our heroes can upgrade their bubbles to have a number of different effects by collecting power-ups, something that becomes vital in later stages and during boss battles. Great in two player and still a highly enjoyable solo game, Bubble Bobble is simply one of those titles you need to own in some shape or form and a game that seems to always feel fresh.

Another Taito classic, Rainbow Islands is the follow up to Bubble Bobble. Instead of using bubbles to trap monsters players must now make their way to the top of a tower by shooting out rainbows to walk across. More fiendish platform action awaits, as with all good games what initially seems fairly simple reveals hidden complexities needed to down bosses and monsters quickly for extra points. Just as timeless as its forbearer, Rainbow Islands is another classic everyone should experience.

The New Zealand Story completes what many would see as the classic platform contingent on this compilation. Here our heroic Kiwi must rescue his friends from the evil Walrus who has kidnapped them. Some ingenious level design and wonderfully clever bosses await players who under take the task. It is quite difficult in places but is undoubtedly one of the best games on the compilation and it can prove tricky to find home versions, with it now so easily available it would be a crime for everyone not to take advantage of the opportunity to play it.

Let us pause for a second as we digest the retro goodness we have already uncovered. Unfortunately there are a few games on the disc that few of us would care if we ever played again. The worst culprits are Great Swordsman (an awful fencing game) and Gladiator, one of the worst scrolling fighters in history. Thankfully these two titles are the only truly awful games to be included.

Ninja Kids is a fairly amusing scrolling fighter but after the initial charming exterior has worn off there is little here that will see you returning. Thunderfox suffers much the same fate with its mix of side scrolling fighting and shooting action becoming very stale after even a short burst of play.Tube It, Plotting and Electric Yo-Yo are fairly ordinary puzzle games and though allowing the player to create wonderful smashes Continental Circus feels terrible clunky in this day and age. Unless you remember any of these titles from your youth there seems little chance of them having much staying power.

As you may expect Space invaders gets its share of attention among the games included. Three titles in total- Space Invaders, Space Invaders part 2 and Return of the Invaders. While admittedly the original Space Invaders is a little slow going now it still manages to contain a fair amount of charm and it's easily playable in small bursts. Part 2 runs a little faster and adds some colour to the game. Return of the Invaders sees the black backdrop of the original replaced with a space aged theme and the bunkers used to protect the player altered to only break in one place. The whole thing is a lot more colourful and the invaders change formation as well as some having shields and others swooping down at you, this makes the game far more varied than before and a fair amount more challenging.

Volified and Super Qix are fairly similar in that the games require you to draw lines across a board in order to claim land. Volified has the added dimension of having an alien landscape backdrop but little else separates them. The titles are a nice addition and good to play for small amounts of time, though it is a little pointless that both were included.

Elevator Action, while not as highly sought after as it's sequel is still a highly enjoyable platform shooter. Starting at the top of a building our hero must make his way down to the car pack at the bottom. In order to get down you must plot a route with the stairs and elevators, careful planning can be needed as the levels enemies (who enter via doors along the walls of the building) use the elevators and stairs as well and all it takes it one bullet to dispatch you.

Phoenix is possibly one of the worst games sonically in the history of gaming. The bleeps and more bleeps are enough to drive you insane. That would be the case of course if it was not one of the best games on the compilation. It sounds horrible and the graphics are basic but the gameplay is solid gold. First of all you must take out a couple of waves of swooping space invader-style birds, then some larger birds that sway from side to side before dive bombing you. The final level has you against a flying saucer with the player needing to shoot a hole in the bottom of the ship in order to hit the pilot. Simplistic it may be but it is highly addictive and can eat up large amounts of time as you try to beat your high score.

Sticking with the shooter theme, both Exzisus and Tokio are worthy entries in the side scrolling and vertical scrolling shoot'em up genre. Exzisus is the far more quirky of the two as you control a space man trying to avoid the relentless waves of aliens and meteor storms. Tokio has you flying a small bi-plane over the streets of a large city. There is little in the way of power ups except for special enemy planes that can be shot down and stored. These can then be fired creating varying degrees of explosions depending on the amount that have been collected. Both games are responsive and fun and show a good amount of invention and imagination.

Jungle Hunt and Zoo Keeper are two titles that can be easily dismissed for looking basic, but again like much else on the compilation to do so is to overlook a couple of gems. Zoo Keeper has the player running around a square wall rebuilding it wherever he treads. You need to keep rebuilding the wall as the animals inside the square constantly bash against it in their attempt to get out. If you stay alive until the timer runs out then it is on to the next level. Every few levels the game switches to a side on view where you must reach the top of the screen by jumping on platforms in order to save your girlfriend. Jungle Hunt is a multi-stage adventure game. The game involves swinging on vines, swimming from crocodiles and negotiating a very dangerous cave in order to rescue your loved one. Controls are basic but do the job well and help make the game a lot more fun that it really ought to be.

Rastan will be one of the games that most gamers will have at least heard of if not played. Along with the more high profile titles it was converted to a number of home computer and console systems. The title has stood the test of time with the well drawn sprites and backdrops bringing alive a strange lands of beasts and monsters. The gameplay is fairly simplistic but what the game does it does well and having a few weapons to choose from to bash the living daylights out of monsters adds some variety. It can be incredibly unfair at times but then it was designed to eat up your ten pence pieces, that aside it is still a much loved game and rightly so.

Colony 7 is Missile Command taken to the next level. Here you have two gun turrets protecting a space station. The space station has a thin shield over it and alien ships swoop around shooting down making holes in the shield trying to destroy the buildings below. The player controls the cursor of the gun turrets as you try to destroy the ships. It may be a simple premise but it translates into a highly addictive and very fluid game.

Our last game on the compilation is the rather oddball Plump Pop. The game involves a cute creature being thrown around screen via a trampoline trying to clear it of (among other things) balloons, alien space ships, bones and bubbles. Every third stage you get a bonus game where you have to catch fruit and then a boss battle. The game can move at a ridiculously fast speed at times and because of this can prove to be very tricky. Once you get the hang of it though it proves to be a highly entertaining inclusion and a highly original one at that.

Overall the first collection of games from Taito proves to be a resounding success. There are only two truly bad titles on here and that just goes to show how much quality the company have produced over the years. The next instalment looks to be even more jam packed, but for now this release is completely unmissable and at the low price should be owned by everyone.

8/10