Official Website

Platform: PSP

Genre: Retro Arcade Collection

Number of Players: 1 - 4

How can you have a video game console of any sort without having some retro games available for it? You can’t, it’s that simple. The PSP has already seen classic game collections released by such notable companies as Namco and Midway, but Capcom isn’t going to be left out. In the days when arcades were still a cool place to visit and home video games hadn’t yet taken over, Capcom was releasing games that at times, were almost impossible to get close to and were incredibly addictive to play.

Although Capcom has already released a collection of arcade games on the home consoles, they are making a return appearance on the PSP, with some extra features of course. Capcom Classics Collection Remixed brings retro gaming fans 20 of the companies long remembered, and perhaps even forgotten, titles from years past.

One thing that a number of long time gamers remember Capcom for is there shooting games, and back in the 80’s and 90’s, they released some of the greatest shooters ever to grace arcades, both in the vertical and horizontal style, and those aren’t left out of this collection. The action grows intense with games such as 1941 (probably one of the best known and most played shooters in history), Forgotten Worlds, Last Duel (a game consisting of both driving and flying), Legendary Wings (putting players in control of a dragon), Section Z, Side Arms (another great game), and The Speed Rumbler (driving and shooting together as one.)

If shooters aren’t your thing however, and for a number of gamers, Capcom brings to mind on thing; fighting games, the Street Fighter series actually. Some of the best loved fighting games are included here starting with none other than Street Fighter itself. However, this is STREET FIGHTER, no II, X, Hyper, or anything else added to the end, so this may not be what most fans are used to playing. It is quite a bit different from the most recognized version and instead of special moves; you’ll simply find straight ahead fighting. There are more fighting games that this however. Final Fight, Avengers (not based on the Marvel comic book), Captain Commando, Varth, and Magic Sword (more of a side scrolling action game, but it’s still fighting) are all included here.

Some gamers want nothing more than straight ahead action games, and those haven’t been forgotten either. There are titles here that I’ve never even heard of and trust me; I’ve played A LOT of games (even before doing reviews.) Mega Twins, Black Tiger (a game I spent a number of quarters on), Three Wonders, Strider, and Bionic Commando (another fan favorite) are all included on the list of action games. Capcom has even included some titles that don’t necessarily fit into the norm, and you’ll find Block Block (a Breakout style of game) and Quiz & Dragon (a trivia game) round out the collection.

The games are presented as you originally saw them in the arcades, so there aren’t any graphic enhancements, but Capcom has added a few tweaks. You can of course change the control setup and even add the ability for rapid fire in some instance. You can also chance the screen format, and this can be quite different depending upon the game (and I still despise the vertical fit format, something that has been used on a few other games.) You will also find goals to meet in each of the games, three for each, that will unlock artwork, music, and tips, and the bonus section of each game will also give you the history of these arcade classics.

You can play the game with up to four players as well, depending on what is allowed for each of the games. Many only will let you play with two players, but there are games that will allow three and even four different retro fanatics to participate, so playing alone doesn’t always have to be on the agenda.

The Capcom Classics Collection is one of those retro collections that I have absolutely no issues with. There are games that I spent a lot of money on in the arcades, there are games that I never had the chance to play, and those that I have never seen, and I think that no matter how long you’ve been playing video games for, there is going to be something included with this release to bring back some very fond memories and create some new ones. There are no quarters necessary for replay here, only the ones you’ll be paying up front, and in the long run, it’s money well spent.

 

-mike-