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I'm a big fan of classic game collections and have purchased several. This collection from Konami is one of the better I've seen, both because of the selection of games and the quality of the emulations. These games, at least the ones I remember playing at the arcade, play just like the originals--to the extent that a handheld game can play like an arcade game in a cabinet, that is. The sound and graphics quality are as I remember them, and these are faithful renditions of these arcade classics.
The Games: the following games are included in this collection:
-Scramble -Horror Maze -Pooyan -Time Pilot -Roc'n Rope -Track & Field -Circus Charlie -Basketball -Road Fighter -Yie Ar Kung-Fu -Rainbow Bell -Shao-Lin's Road -Gradius -Rush N' Attack -Contra
I suspect many people are drawn to collections like these by one or two games they remember. For me the game was Contra, one of my favorite games ever. I have fond memories of Rush N' Attack and Gradius as well, and was glad to find faithful renditions of these games as well. All 3 of these games are excellently represented here, and have stood the test of time well (Rush N' Attack maybe less so than the others).
Most of the other games here are pretty good as well, and some (like Time Pilot) were surprisingly fun for someone like myself who is just discovering them for the first time. Despite a few duds (Basketball was pretty weak, for example), this collection is pretty strong and should provide some pleasant surprises for anyone buying the collection because of one or two specific games.
Cons: The screen size is the biggest limitation to this game. Even though the graphics were faithfully preserved in these ports the DS's small screen doesn't do them justice, though this is a limitation I can live with and obviously knew existed before I bought the game. Also, while I understand Konami's intent here was to port the ARCADE versions of these games, I can't help but wish I had the NES version of Contra (complete with Konami code) and the extra events from the Gameboy's version of Track and Field. Still, these are pretty minor qualms because, again, this is a collection of games exactly as they appeared in arcades.
Extras: There are some extras here. The game features a well done animated timeline of when all of these games came out, which I found very entertaining the first couple times. It starts when the game boots up but, thankfully, can be skipped if you're tired of it. The game also features a 'replay' option, allowing you to record your games and even trade them wirelessly with other gamers. There's also a jukebox type feature, which features many musical tracks from each of the games. Each game features instructions and a few tips, as well as a short introduction to the game. It also features a gallery section where you can see original leaflets from the game and also an image of the game's board. The game menus are a little strange and it takes some messing around with the menus to figure out where all this stuff is, but after a few minutes it becomes pretty straightforward.
Multiplayer: This game includes an option for both single card 2 player mode and multi card 2 player mode. Many of the games will allow you to play 2 players cooperatively with just one cartridge. It's great to see this feature included--I love being able to play 2 player Contra without having to track down another copy of the game.
Overall: This is a great collection. I'm thrilled to be able to play some of my old favorites again (and discover some great games I missed the first time around), and the fact that I can do so on my portable DS makes it that much better. 20 years ago the ability to play all these games on a handheld system for what I sometimes dropped in a day at the arcade was beyond my wildest dreams, but now Konami has made it a reality. And, I must say, I'm quite pleased with the result.Read more ›
Konami Classics: Arcade Hits features 15 of Konami's arcade games that were all over the place in the 80's, and it's a pretty solid vintage game collection in it's own right. If you've played any of these games back in their heyday, you'll notice that the emulation here is actually pretty good for all the games, which range from classics like the original Contra and Gradius, to games that were never really that good in the first place like Road Fighter, to the downright dreadful like Basketball. That alone is this collection's biggest flaw: the selection of games. Not to mention that a majority of the games don't look quite right thanks to getting squeezed down on the DS' small screen. That aside though, Time Pilot, Track & Field, Yie Ar King Fu, and Horror Maze are great games, and Contra and Gradius are worth checking this out for alone. All in all, if you're looking for a pretty decent nostalgia trip and own a DS, Konami Classics: Arcade Hits is about as good as it gets for now.
These are very accurate representations of the arcade games from the 80's. I am a big fan of Yie Ar Kung-Fu and it plays exactly like the original. Track & Field has 6 events like the original arcade as well. There are 15 games total so it has a lot to offer.
The screen can be a little small at times but that is to be expected. A couple of games I wish they had included would have been Gyruss and Amidar. Other than that it is hard to find fault with this particular release. I would recommend this to anybody that appreciates classic arcade games.
Bought this game for a friend of mine. We used to play video games in the arcades in the 70s and 80s. The draw of this game was "Tutankham" called "Horror Maze" in this version.
If you are a retro gamer, or are too young to remember these games the first time round, then buy it. A bag load of classic arcade games from one of the best developers, Konami.
