Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended Play
It’s like a whole arcade in your pants
Tags: Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended Play Categories: PSP Reviews, Reviews
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Jan 22nd, 2006
| Title | Players | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended Play (title page) | 1 - 2 | ||
| Developer | Publisher | Genre | Online |
| Arcade | Yes | ||
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Midway Arcade Treasures set the benchmark for old school arcade compilations with it wealth of titles and background information. The second volume took some of the more “controversial” titles from Midway’s past (such as Mortal Kombat II and 3, Pit Fighter, and others). The second compilation’s more “adult” games created it to have an “M” rating, and the same rating is given to Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended Play as it is itself a compilation of the first two compilations in the series.
One of the more notable inclusions in this entry is the original Mortal Kombat, as it was not included in Midway Arcade Treasures 2, but instead a bonus in the deluxe collector’s edition of Mortal Kombat: Deception.
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Let’s be clear, these games are not arcade perfect. Why? The screen orientation is a dead giveaway. The PSP’s widescreen viewing filed is much different that the square cabinet screens of years past. This doesn’t really affect how fun these games are to play, but does make playing certain games a bit more challenging (such as Spy Hunter). Some games have had their control scheme altered, some their screen orientation, some both (Toobin’ for example). Knowing full well that the PSP is not going to help replicate the arcade experience will help greatly in enjoying these games.
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The goal with Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended Play was not to recreate the arcade on a portable device, but to make these classic arcade titles available to play anywhere at any time. To a great extent, this title achieves success, as it is the perfect companion while in an airport, as many of the games, true to arcade fashion, are playable is small bursts.
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So what are the problems? Well, aside from being far from arcade perfect, there are issues with porting many of these over to the PSP. The sound isn’t great, and the graphics aren’t always great. There’s often times stuttering with the frame rate or blurring. There isn’t anything too overly horrible to prevent this from being fun.
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Aside from being technically weak, the games on offer are a somewhat random offering of 21 games from the first two compilations. I would have preferred an almost direct port of each Arcade Treasures title “as is” in their entirety. Missing from the compilation are certain titles that would have been a natural fit, such as Spy Hunter 2, or Smash TV. What is included, however, is a bit “top heavy” with a large number of notable releases, making me think that another PSP entry in the franchise may not happen.
Here’s what we do get:
720
Arch Rivals
Championship Sprint
Cyberball 2072
Defender
Gauntlet
Joust
Klax
Marble Madness
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat 3
Paperboy
Rampage
Rampart
Spy Hunter
Sinistar
Toobin’
Wizard of Wor
Xenophobe
Xybots
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Many of the titles are playable in a multiplayer configuration, which adds greatly to the appeal. Playing gauntlet in an airport with strangers can be more enjoyable that initially thought. It is that fact that helps to recreate the true spirit of the arcade, that of playing against strangers in a public place.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
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+ 21 arcade games + Wireless multiplayer on the go |
6.9 |
| What Doesn't | |
|
- Defenitely not arcade perfect - Technical issues (such as sound and framerate) that can drag down the enjoyment - Control scheme comprimises - Packed with too many of the "hit" games leaving little room for future compilations |
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| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| It's not perfect, but I defy you to find a better use for the PSP. These games are perfect, as they are playable in short bursts, which the PSP handles very well with its portability. | |
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Tags: Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended Play
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Jan 22nd, 2006 and is filed under PSP Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
