I agree it's stealing, but MAME and it's associated ROMs are so widely traded that ziproy makes a really good point.
Plus, no-one (and I mean absolutely no-one) is facing litigation over ROM trading, especially in the case of old arcade emulation. There are websites dedicated to them, that trade and give away ROMs by the thousands each day.
So, agreed, ziproy's point may seem a little off base, but it is grounded by a solid argument.
And, slippery slope as it may be, it's hard to group it in the same category as pirating a, let's say, 360 title. Without emulation, many arcade titles would be lost forever. Some of these machines are impossible to find. I think that in the case of arcade ROM's (along with some legacy console ROMs), emulation is actually a good thing as it keeps games around that otherwise would be extinct.
Captain Commando would be awesome, but Knights of the Round? I'd throw money at that in a heartbeat! Loved that game, and I'd actually even like to see a modern remake with some extra elements thrown in (as long as it didn't look to sully the first game)!
When the tagline on the back of the box even fully admits to being the "most critically polarizing game of recent times", you have to know something might be amiss ;)
I happen to think this is an AMAZING GAME, but know what you're getting into. So many people come away disappointed because they for some reason expect a AAA title. It's not, it's budget through and through. And it's all the better for it.
Only thing I find incredibly sketchy with this release is the doubling in price. There's no real new content worth speaking of, and the graphical overhaul is dubious at best. Some report having major errors while playing the game (sound distortion/drops, frame hitches, massive slowdown, etc.) and although I haven't experienced anything too serious yet, many others have.
So for me, this game is a win, and I think this review nails it. Amazing gameplay (that now controls sooo much better), pitiful production values, with some odd hitches that weren't existent in the 360 release (YMMV). A solid 7 for sure. Drop out the graphics, and I swing this game more towards an 8 or even 9. It really is that good, it's just a shame most won't be able to see past the (incredibly apparent) flaws.
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