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All true classics will never die.
Publisher: Capcom/THQ Australia
Wed, 14 December 2005
by: Australian Ninja
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Capcom rocks my world. How many awesome games have they made over the years? Capcom Classics Collection (CCC) is one of the most fantastic ass kickingly brilliant retro collections you could possibly buy. Look, there are two retro collections that rock hard and are worth the bling bling. Capcom Classics and Sonic Mega Collection
. I have the joy of owning both and I say that they kick the combined asses of the Atari, Activision, Midway and Williams retro collections.
And don't get me started on those try hard collections that have Chris Generico no name generic carbon copies of other popular games. Like Frogger, Centipede, Table Tennis / Pong etc. You know the ones; they have a cheap cover price and dodgy art graphics on the cover. They could be fun but they are mostly shit. Those collections are not fit to wear my week old dirty socks.
To be clear, there is good stuff on those other "brand" name retro collections I mentioned earlier. I know "River Raid" [by Activision] was dope as hell back in the day on the Atari 2600. Midway's "Smash TV" was a bit of fun (The SNES version is one of my all time favourite games actually- Sammy). I'm not a player hater with a mad on for any console or company. Every company has some good shit and bad some shit.
Most of the various Retro collections around you would play each game for like five minutes then move on to the next game, getting only novelty value and very little depth of gameplay.
 | | Are you man enough to fight with me? |
Capcom: they mostly have the good stuff, retro games that is. Especially during the late 80s up until about 1988. They ruled the arcades with their brilliant games, fancy 2-D graphics and compulsively addictive gameplay. So listen up fool, because I'm talking about games. Capcom games. When I'm talking about good Capcom games you better listen. I pity the fool who don't play good Capcom games. CAPCOM!
For those who want to know the basics of what to expect from the collection then read the next couple of paragraphs. If you purely want to know what games are on the disc, then skip ahead to the end part of my review.
Okay, so there is Street Fighter II you heard of that one fool? Good, then you probably heard of Street Fighter II Champion Edition. And you really smart suckers might even know about Street Fighter II Hyper Edition. Those games are the king of the bling. The king of cool, that you would play after school. (Have you been smoking some of that funny stuff Ninja?- Sammy)
Or perhaps you just skipped school all together so you could play them. I know I did.
Then there are the other cool games; Ghosts 'n Goblins, 1943, Mercs, Commando, Forgotten Worlds - lots of shooting and lots of dying. Don't forget for all you playas that came from the mean streets there is Final Fight. You can be the gay mustachio wrestler Haggar, you can be the gay blonde guy Cody or the possibly gay martial artist guy named "Guy". He showed up later in Street Fighter Zero [Alpha], yeah they named the game after him and everything. He 'aint no hero, he's a zero! Stupid guy named Guy. Go home fool, nobody likes you.
Then there's a crapload of other games. By crapload I mean a lot of cool games, some you'll want to play others you will not bother with at all. Son Son, I'm looking in your direction. All up there is 22 games all released from 1984 - 1992. So you don't get no Cadillac's and Dinosaurs or Aliens VS Predator. They came later in the 90s. Here's hoping Capcom have the wisdom to release those gems in a volume three collection.
Okay so there's a heap of games which I'll cover in detail at the end of the review. But what else is there? The extras, the options you ask? Well, firstly there is an "information" page about every game. Yes, you get the release date and historical significance of the games. Know what Capcom's first ever game was? Neither did I, but it's on this collection and you can work it out for yourself when you play. Then there is the history, art, game tips, and music categories. Each MUST be unlocked before you can view them. Fortunately each category will tell you exactly how to unlock everything. For example, choosing every character once in SF2 Champion unlocks that art gallery. But only for that game. Beating the game without losing a round unlocks another category and on and on. Nice incentive to see the jaw-droppingly gorgeous Capcom art galleries. As usual they look pleasing to the eye and you'll even play the crappier games just to have a go at getting those extra art galleries.
Value for money? Well, for $50 you get 22 games on the one disc. Now, the three Street Fighter games alone are worth the denero. Add in the other games, at least some of which you will like and you have yourself a bargain.
If you don't like Street Fighter then there is little incentive to buy this collection though.
The good news is that every game without exception is arcade perfect. No slow-down, minimal loading times - none during most games except between levels. The Street Fighter's load between rounds but it's only about four seconds so you will barely even notice it. Every game is a faithful recreation, through emulation, of the arcade original. All the sound effects and music are exactly the same, and many games can have two players. Either alternating [Ghosts 'n Goblins] or Simultaneous [Forgotten Worlds, SFII.]
As options, there is a button configuration and rapid fire option that makes all the difference in games like Commando and Mercs. Having a configuration for a two-to-three button game may seem pointless on today's controllers but makes a real difference to some, especially the shooters. Being able to hold down the shoulder button with rapid fire in Forgotten Worlds is brilliant. I've practically worn my thumb and fingers raw at times with those old arcade button mashers. I'm talking real pain and swelling. So you kids these days don't know how good you got it, with your auto-fire and unlimited continues.
 | | Swear words you have never used before will come pouring out of your mouth while playing this game |
Every game has unlimited continues, which is good as some games are insanely hard. The full options for EVERY game include; button configuration, remixed music, difficulty level, adjust sound/music level, screen stretch/shrink. The screen option is my favourite as you can enlarge the picture to match your individual TV screen. The remixed music is a nice feature. Playing Street Fighter with remixed tinny music is just cool.
Can you tell I really, really like Street Fighter? In fact, before getting this game for review I was planning on buying this collection myself. I mean the games rock; I'm not lost in nostalgia. Seeing the graphics and level design in "Forgotten Worlds" blew my mind. To think how old that game is and how fantastic it looks and plays. It's almost like a game made by Treasure, it's so unique and different to other shooters.
The presentation of Capcom Classics is pretty swank, the main menu screen with the games randomly loads different artwork each time you access it. The in game pause menu looks like a piece of paper sticky taped to the screen. Weird but nice. The main menu layout looks like a scrapbook, the kind you keep good memories in. Those little touches to the presentation, as well as the actual unlockable extras are what elevate this retro collection. It goes from being merely a collection of emulated games to being a truly "classic" collection with all the trimmings. A collection to be treasured, savoured and perfect for rainy day gaming... old skool! Chika-chika-wah.
And anyone who wants to step up for a round or two of Street Fighter on Saturday, then stop by my place! Don't forget the 20c pieces. "Give me some twennies for Street Fighter" we'd say back in my day to the crusty arcade employee with pimples a'hoy. Back then you could play a game for up to a half hour on one credit. You could buy three Fireballs for a dollar and Dragon Dragon Punch's were half off on Fridays. Course folks were tougher back in those days. You'd stack your coins on the screen if you wanted a turn and sometimes kids would take them. But if you didn't want trouble you'd ignore the bullies and wait your turn. If you had $10 you could stay all day long at the arcade. If you had $20 you family would never seen you at home again. What good times. Now kids have the mall and the Internet to distract them. Bah, who needs them when you could hang all day long at the arcade learning tips from the older kids and occasionally finding a lost coin and scoring a free game. Yes, things were different back in my day.
Without further ado, here is [listed] every bloody game on the collection. I've grouped each game according to the genre it falls in, so I've put shooters with shooters, fighters with fighters. So you can see the relationship between them, plus my comments and individual ratings:
*1942: Vertical scrolling shooter with a WW2 plane. Very influential, we wouldn't have the likes of Twin Cobra or Raiden without 1942's influence. The grand daddy of modern vertically scrolling shooters. Worth playing now? Well the sounds are headache inducing and it's not very fun, so no.
6/11 Buttons
First Released:1984.
*1943: Now we're talking, same game but with updated graphics and thankfully better sound. Lots of fun, cool powerups. Go nuts.
8/11 Buttons
First Released:1987
*1943 Kai: Same as 1943 with minor differences. Worse sound for some reason.
7/11 Buttons
First Released:1988
*Vulgus: Another vertical shooter this time with a space ship. Yes well, the name pretty much sums it up. Playable but not particularly fun, NES quality 8-bit graphics looks nice.
7/11 Buttons
First Released:1984
*Exed Eyes: Fun shooter with NES Xevious like graphics, very smooth. Sound is okay but overall unremarkable game.
7/11 Buttons
First Released:1985
*Legendary Wings: Average vertical ship shooter with nice graphics. Weird platforming bits when your ship/Harvey Birdman is swallowed by a giant mouth. The platforming bits are stupid and boring, otherwise an okay game.
6/11 Buttons
First Released:1987
*Section Z: Side scrolling shooter like R-Type. Average game, innovative for it's time with the ability to turn around to shoot left or right. Same turning function later evolved and perfected in "Forgotten Worlds."
7/11 Buttons
First Released:1985
 | | Attack of the lizard men |
*Forgotten Worlds: Side scrolling shooter, control a flying person instead of a ship. 360 degree rotational fire-outs, can use the "+" controller or analogue stick to control. Brilliant game, incredible design, lush SNES quality perfect 2-D visuals. Good sound effects, insanely hard game and bosses. At times it becomes a vertical or diagonal scroller. Unlimited continues mean you can play through to the finish. Supports two simultaneous players. Weapons and life bar are upgradeable through the in-level shops. Cut scenes between levels have cool pictures and tinny Speech. When dying, you keep your power-ups and many different R-Type powerups are available. Spectacular game, best on collection next to Street Fighter II and Final Fight.
11/11 Buttons
First Released:1988
*Ghosts 'n Goblins: Side scrolling platformer. Cool timeless sound effects and music those still sound good today. Comparable to the quality of music in original Super Mario Brothers. Hard game. Notable enemy is "Firebrand" a red Gargoyle who would later go on to star in his own game "Gargoyles Quest" for Nintendo Gameboy and SNES. Ghosts 'n Goblins is still damn hard, while being very fun and playable even today. Unlimited continues [as does every game.]
9/11 Buttons
First Released:1985
*Ghouls 'n Ghosts: Updated game / sequel to Ghosts 'n Goblins. New features include Megadrive quality graphics [looks nice], new weapons, ability to wear extra armour, can fire up and down as well as sideways Excellent music far higher quality than most other games here, though not as iconic or memorable as Ghosts 'n Goblins.
9/11 Buttons
First Released:1988
*Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts: This is the same game but on steroids. It's actually a SNES game. Think of it as a remix of the old game. I don't think this was ever an arcade game, but I could be wrong. Well it's notorious for being INSANELY hard and it is. I had a friend who was really really good at finishing impossibly hard games [think Wizards and Warriors on the NES] and even he could not finish it, even using the Action Replay he was unable to finish it. You've been warned.
Fantastic SNES music and graphics. Plenty of Mode 7 effects, scaling, rotating etc. The only game in the collection that is not an arcade port.
10/11 Buttons
First Released:1991
*Trojan: Side scrolling beat em up. Similar to Kung-Fu, Vigilante and Robocop but you have a sword and shield. Notable for its smooth graphics and three button control. Jump, sword slash and shield buttons. Has a healthbar instead of the old one hit death. Very playable today, but not terribly exciting.
8/11 Buttons
First Released:1986
*Commando: Vertical scrolling game, run up the screen with a guy shooting lots of soldiers like Ikari Warriors. Even has grenades. Very playable, one of my old favourites I would play years ago, still fun today. Smooth graphics and very nice music/fx.
8/11 Buttons
First Released:1985
*Gunsmoke: Same basic game as Commando, but with power-ups and a western theme. Ability to shoot in multiple directions at same time with three different buttons. Shoot vertical, diagonal and split diagonal. Quality music and FX, cool game.
7/11 Buttons
First Released: 1985
*Bionic Commando: Side scrolling platformer with shooting and grappling hook. No relation to "Commando." Very nice looking game, funky beats but you will get a headache from the tinny 8-bit style sound. Brilliant for it's time, very playable, and insanely hard.
8/11 Buttons
First Released:1985
*Mercs: The spiritual successor to "Commando." Awesome game. Lush SNES quality graphics and sound. Tons of cool explosions, lovely grenade explosion animation. Vertical scroller but also winds sideways, diagonal, all around like snakes and ladders. Fun bosses. Instant classic. Looks amazing compared to older games. Notable for its Halo like jeep you can steal from enemies and ride around shooting enemies in until it goes boom.
9/11 Buttons
First Released:1990
*Son Son: Side scrolling shooter with platforming elements. Looks and sounds okay, but it's 8-bit and will hurt your eyes and ears. Kind of boring after five minutes of play. Quality game but I won't bother playing it anymore.
5/11 Buttons
First Released:1984
*Pirate Ship Higemaru: One screen puzzle action game. Defeat the enemies in this 8-bit game on a Bomberman style grid. Kind of fun, kind of will make you go blind due to its colour scheme. Fun but forgettable. I don't recommend playing other than out of interest in video game history.
Bloody good fun for it's time. You'd go nuts if you had this on a home console in the 80s.
6/11 Buttons
First Released:1984
*Street Fighter II: The father of modern 2-D fighters. One on one fighting game. This game is the bee's knees, it's the shiz-nit, its all that and more. Awesome awesome game. Perfect graphics and gameplay. Arcade perfect in every way, except brief minor load between rounds. I don't think Guile's Handcuffs or Super Freeze are in this version, but I never knew how to do them - my guess is that they were taken out of this console version like there were in the SFII WW PS1 version. Has a practice mode added. Has the blood and vomit, yes there is vomit look close and you'll see it. Ken and Ryu have the exact same moves; later versions see edits to those moves. Ken has the red fireball glitch. Remixed music option is sweet though still tinny. It moves in slow-motion, but that's normal and not a bad thing. Plays brilliantly, looks awesome and you'd be mad not to play this one.
11/11 Buttons
First Released:1991
*Street Fighter II Champion Edition: Same game as Streeties II but now with the option to play as the four boss characters. Some new moves / variations of moves added. Ryu's Hurricane Kick now hits only once instead of multiple times. Zangief has some new throws added. Ken's Dragon Punch now hits two times up close. Previously both Ken and Ryu had one hit Dragon Punch. With Ken, standing Fierce Punch + Fierce Dragon Punch Combo is possible. Allows for massive health damage and easy dizzy of opponent, making Ken the better character. Two colour schemes now for every character. Great fun but still very slow speed.
11/11 Buttons
First Released:1992
*Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting: Same game again but now with added new moves, game runs at crazy fast speed, and is INSANELY cheap and hard.
Great game. Slightly improved graphics. Still as fun and playable as ever.
Features ugly green M.Bison. UGH!
11/11 Buttons
First Released:1992
Be sure to look through each game's options in the main menu screen. Once you load a game you can not change its difficulty from within the game. I mention that as it took me two days to find the difficulty option for Street Fighter 2.
I really like this collection and if you like older games, then get out there and play it!
by: Australian Ninja
Email the Author
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So good you'll put on your best denim jeans, dirty T-shirt and pretend you are in a smoky video-game arcade with a crowd of onlookers. Woo_Hoo! | |
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