Capcom's Second Time Around
Pros (Games worth playing): 1941: Counter Attack: This has to be the best of the bunch in the series, because it was more up to date with the shooters of the 90's like "Raiden". Like it's predecessor sequel 1943 it surpassed it, you have more weapons, the pasing is a lot faster making the levels not feel too long, defenantly harder by haveing more creative opsticales and opposition, most of all the envorment actually changed more we got to see for once more than just ocean and sky but millitary bases, cannions, and more. The enviorment in the game worked with us or even against us depending on the pacing.
Black Tiger: This was a cult game that got a little lost in the loop of time but thankfully is back thanks to our decade. This platformer is a lot of fun to play but hard to get though. The unique thing about the game is it allows you to take your time (although not too much time with that ticking clock) to think things though since the levels are long but never dull to figure out how to get though point A and B safely or even which is the proper dirrection to go. There is that RPG element where you actually have to exercise ecconomics in order to upgrade your weapons, armor, or any other useful item.
Block Block: An Arcanoid like game where there are multiple creative courses to get though. It's just as hard, fast, and crazily creative in levels as Arcanoid. What most interesting is the use of the elements of pinball which I though were the best levels in the game. Although I'll admit the game like it's predecessor might lose a little steam if you play it too long. So, I recomend to play only a few levels of the game at a time.
Captain Commando: A beat em up that was a sleeper cult gem. I'll admit the game like most beat em ups is rather short so you might get though it quickly but I don't mind since it's a game you can play again and again. What made this game unique was it's characters who like any comic book hero had unique abilities and their own style of fighting which sort of solved that problem of all character stuck with the same style. This gave them both strengths and weeknesses. And also for once you got to use guns, oversized surikens, and other crazy weapons my favorates are the machine gun and rocket launcher. But also it's use of violence where you saw some gore from how you character offs opposition like seeing Ginzo the Ninja slice people in half litterally, fun.
Eco Fighters: Colorful and engaging shooter with an ecological message. What's unique about the shooter is you have the ability to rotate your gun turret in different directions which solves that generic problem of shooting in one dirrection all the time.
The King of Dragons: I thought this was a good game but it wasn't really a great game, it could have been better. The good news about the game is the RPG element of being able to upgrade your characters as you progress more in the game, but unfortunately despite how many levels there are in the game you get though the game a bit too quick due level leagth being way too short by beat em up standards this was a problem because some of the levels weren't different enough from one another which made things feel predictable because it seem like you been down this road before. So, this game was a little average by my standards but still it's fun and it's worth playing though, but for me I could only play though it once.
Knights of the Round: Another beat em up this one based on the King Arthur story, where you have unique characters but what's interesting about it is the fact it involves swordplay where you can actually block sometimes and launch a swift combo, upgrading your characters, and is for once the right length for a beat em up.
Last Duel: It's a typical shooter but a fun one. While the overhead space ship shooting is fun all the same. What most unique about the game is the overhead driving shooting which I thought was the best thing about the game. The track sort of reminded me of the ones from the video game "F-Zero". You were able to vary speed, jump and fire. Magic Sword: An action platformer with RPG elements like have a second guy to act as your partner to double your power.
Mega Twins: Cute but fun action platformer remonicent of Sega's "Wonder Boy" series.
Side Arms Hiber Dine: It's sort of a mix of Gradus and Forgotten Worlds. Whats interesting about it is the fact you are able to shoot both left and right. And can pick and power up your different abilities, and when you utilize them you morph into different shapes like a transformer is great to watch.
Strider: No doubt one of the best games ever in the collection as well as video game history. It's a flawless and authentic version of the game, graphics, multi envorments, fast action, hard difficulty you just have to play it to believe why it's still great.
Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo: Another street fighter game worth it for those hardcore fans.
Three Wonders: It's pritty much three games in one all of them fun to play.
Tiger Road: An action platformer which is unique for those multi envorments, tasks within them, fast pace, and how hard it is.
Varth: A forgoten gem Raiden like shooter which is really good there are lots of level which are short but hard and fun because of the crazy action going on. Sound effects, ability to upgrade on weapons, and fast pace making the game fun.
Cons (or guilt pleasures depending how you feel, so play at your own risk): Street Fighter: Hard to believe this is the one that started it all, I honestly didn't think this was such a bad game but it wasn't as much fun as it's sequels which makes this game rather average, it makes sense why this game was forgoten overtime and the sequels overlaped it's existance. For one thing you don't get to select your fighters you only work with Ryu and Ken which sort of diminishes the fun a little (although it might not matter much since most of the fighters aren't excactly unique enough on ability except mainly on nationality) Another is the choppy controls and the inability to block at certain times which gave the baddies a little too much advantage. Like a lot of people I prefer the sequels over this game. The
Speed Rumbler: It's kind of like that game from Konami "Jackal" only difference is "Jackal" was a little more fun than this game. I don't think it's bad but it's not entirely good. This game had control scheme that was a little loopy because you didn't really have an reverse function for you car, it detered the fun because it gave the enemy too much advantage because it's hard to avoid many of their bullets.
Avengers: An overhead fighter I guiltily still find the game fun, but I agree it's rather tame (or lame for most people) by today's standards. One think I didn't like was the bad guys had a little too much advantage you were grabbed to easily and it's was too difficult to shake them off, that diminished the fun a little. Another disadvantage was the punch function which wasn't very strong and kinda useless most of the time, so use the kick function thoughout the game.
Quiz and Dragons: This was a game where they tried combining fantasy with Trivia Pursuit. this was just a bad compination that didn't work, this might have worked as a board game but as a video game not so much. Most of the questions are a little too hard and the game just isn't engaging, in fact it's kinda boring.
This game truely reminds gamers like me how much fun most of these video game really are, and hopefully they will keep the good memories rolling with a third volume. I had fun playing most of these classics at the arcade and I still do now.