Hidden Gems #30 Midway Arcade Treasures I & II
Today's episode I will be looking at the great, the okay, to god awful arcade games by Midway who were always a #2 to Namco. The third collection I'm not going to bother with considering the majority is racing games, while they look cool, Not sure if i'd touch this one again its like Shrek the Third.Volume I
The first are mostly the iconic set of arcade games from the early 80's to maybe near the end of that decade. I'm simply going alphabetical order.
720: This is a skateboarding game and one that I fought was good back then, but the controls seems atrocious. You're suppose to either go around various parks or some stage you move down ramps. If you don't skate you literally die as the game implies fall to your death of bees over and over that's all I can take from this.
Blaster: Now here's a game that's very good as long as you don't suffer a seizure. The controls are very responsive and its slightly more easier than the next two games that are very similar to this.
Defender: At the time this was Midway's answer to Namco's Pac-Man. Both incredibly challenging, but more were into Pac-Man than Defender and I can kinda see why. Nobody what port of the game I play it is absolutely difficult to not save what the enemy is try to cap, but also keeping your ship alive. The difference between this and now let's throw out Galaga at least over time I got better that, but still never get the hump of literally Defender.
Defender II: The first is hard, but the second is as well only difference here is that you get time wrap, and volcanoes. Its a plus to at least have a chance here in a way, and also this game was also called Stargate which to this day I was always when me and my father would play something, and then he'd say ''Defender or Stargate?'' At the time I wasn't that was the sequels alternative name.
Bubbles: The goal is pretty much cleaning sinks without getting popped by giant spiders, wash rags, and among others random things which is okay, but extremely trippy.
Gauntlet: This looks like a game I need to enjoy with someone playing with, and going its very dull I mean its iconic dialogue, but I could never dig Gauntlet for some reason.
Joust: This one is a classic at first I forgot what to do, but after the second try I was doing good even if the flying obstacle was a little difficult, but not too bad. The levels you progress however change that perspective... good game.
Joust 2: Way more difficult than the first game, while its freaking cool to transform into a Pegasus... it ends up biting me back when I fall into the lava the one con to that awesomeness, but the second is alright.
Klax: A simplistic version of Tetris with a Cathy sound in the mix, its pretty simple. but gets tough when its gets faster going definitely a hidden gem that needs more attention.
Marble Madness: Oh man is Marble Madness great I mean the simple ball control, and put in that sound for the levels its brilliant for its time.This is one I usually play right away next to some others i'll get to where it has the addiction, and that my friends is magnificent sounds that still get to me to this day.
Paperboy: Oh heck yeah the arcade version of Paperboy the one that has a difficulty setting put in place unlike the NES one. The sound is way more dynamic than that as well. Yep... at least the enemies coming at you aren't so absurd either. In fact its a lot more durable windows here then in that other version which to me is way too easy for something that play almost like silent Paperboy while this has the sound quality, and yeah the controls are different, but still good enough to pass by.
Rampage: Hey did you know there making a movie outta this game next year? Anyways the original game consisted of destruction of eating humans, knocking down buildings, and whamming shooting helicopters. Its very repetitive, and gets old fast, much better than its sequel a decade later which ... wow what happened there.
Rampart: This game I felt is incredibly dull to me, I mean yeah its simple and easy to pickup the type of game it is I don't know when I think Midway this does not come up immediately.
Roadblasters: This is very interesting concept where you drive and shoot on coming vehicles, very addicting its worth a try.
Robotron 2084: Man Robotron is way too good for its time the controls are very great I mean its pretty much using a Stick to shoot, in the actual arcade that would be using sticks instead of one slightly more tough, but mot that big of a deal everyone's whose played it knows its a classic.
Root Beer Tapper: Now we enter a game that is probably the easiest of the bunch. Tapper is basically serving customers beers in quick fashion. As long as you get it you do realize how easy it is when not overshooting yourself.
Satan's Hallow: While the game plays nice, and is somewhat rare I'm not sure really what to say about this other than it is very religion heavy, and in the most obvious way shown by the whole presence.
Sinistar: Cult classic that gave us a brutally hard antagonist with iconic one line dialogue. Back than Sinistar looked impressive for 1982.
Smash TV: One of my all time favorite arcade games I played so many of Smash TV back in the day, and its a perfect to have a friend especially when becomes way too difficult.
Splat: This is the strangest game of the bunch shooting food at the CPU which seems to be the goal, and I'm not interested in anything this throws at me.
Spy Hunter: Not big into the whole idea, but it looks good at least even if unsure what I was doing the time.
Super Sprint: This and Championship which is in the next volume are very similar hard to operate by its sheer struggling controls seem way too hypersensitive for there own good.
Toobin': This game is both dull, and strange how controls which frankly leads into last game of the volume that takes the cake.
Vindicators: Holy crap Am glad this did not return in Origins. The controls are too put out, and complicated I mean... strange I had to go in some weird in order to stay with fuel made the game harder than needed to be, and I was frustrated with by the end thank god that's over.
Mostly great titles rarely any bad ones on this disc well earned only drag is not digging the Egyptian setting.
7.5 out of 10
Volume II
Two was more Late 80's and early 90's era of Midway, and many would say there breakout phenomenon came in the form of Mortal Kombat. If you couldn't guess majority of this has some pretty violent vintage games by midway.
A.P.B: This game bored me to death from the start just by look lost faith immediately next.
Arch Rivals: Oh here we go now I play some basketball games in my life and this one of them. It played virtually with no rules who doesn't love that it was trying to be like the NBA in anyway even though one of two guys almost looks way too much like MJ, but who knows this game very fun I say play this over all the other sport games.
Championship Sprint: Like with Sprint the same exact reason summed up previously being similar play style.
Cyberball 2072: For a football game this one bored the hell outta me with the whole future concept. Hey no penalties here though.
Gauntlet II: Pretty much plays the same exact game as the first.
Hard Drivin': Well one thing this did right is yes its hard to control otherwise this is a game that needed more test for crash dummies.
Kozmik Krooz'r: First thoughts what is this? Next thing you know its nothing special it plays incredibly boring for a directional shooter.
Mortal Kombat II and III: Its no secret I love Mortal Kombat, and II is my all time favorite I just that really took off in its popularity of the 90's. I gotta be honest here the 3rd game is alright, but I totally prefer Ultimate Mortal Kombat because you have a ton of other fighters who end up not being in the original version.
NARC: Talk Midway on drug wars I mean can't believe a game like this exists just wow.
Primal Rage: Ugh... It's okay I mean tried this Dinosaur and well it was a one shotter that some others and thought it to be dumb, this is I chose to be neutral considering it gas flaws, but I've played far worse fighting games than this.
Rampage World Tour: Wow does this look god awful I mean it looks incredibly disorienting for being the last I guess arcade game of the bunch was that simply just flat bad.
Spy Hunter II: Wow this looks like step down I mean this is bad but graphically and gameplay wise.
Timber: This one really stunned me completely, I mean the whole I just oh boy, but yet it plays, and you different things aside from being the typical lumberjack a rare gem that is worthy that since most of the collection incredibly disappointing.
Total Carnage: The sequel to Smash TV, and one that has cool new death animation when touching a land mine you player floats up in the air and falls back down in defeat coming back for more.
Wacko: The idea is to match up. Corresponding colors in the pattern they are its okay, not bad nor great.
Wizard of Wor: A very simplistic version of Pac-Man only you can shoot nearby enemy monsters coming to take you down.
Xenophobe: This game is downright bizarre shoot objects backs it might find for those that like it simply put in the neutral column.
Xybots: Who could believe something like Xybots was ahead of its time almost like a pre-cursor to the now known third person shooter genre. Gameplay is great for something Midway that odd for their department to do a game of that genre very early on no less.
I felt that Vol. I had a much better cast of arcade games than two slightly more, however I intentionally skipped one, and do you wanna know why because it deserves a big thrashing like never before.
6 out of 10