ic-games Review - Capcom Classics Collection - Reviews, Previews and Interviews for PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii

ic-games Review - Capcom Classics Collection - Reviews, Previews and Interviews for PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii ic-games Review - Home - Review, Preview and Interview for PC, Xbox,Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii

Capcom Classics Collection (PS2/Xbox)

Capcom Classics Collection

Information
Reviewer: James Collins
Developer: N/A
Publisher: Capcom
Reviewed: PS2/Xbox
Genre: Retro
UK Release: 18th Nov 2005
Article Date: 07th Nov 2005
Difficulty: Medium
Retail Price: £19.99
Price Comparison:
0

Score Breakdown

Experience:
Game Play:
Graphics:
Sound:
Overall Score: 85%

Discuss this review in the Forums

Pros

Great Collection

Contains 'real' greats

Unlockables

Bargain Priced

Cons

Not for everyone

Screenshots

7 of 94

Every man and his publisher are currently jumping on the retro bandwagon and Capcom are the latest outfit trying to get in on the action. It’s a shame they didn’t pick up the gauntlet earlier though as this collection is probably the best out of the whole bunch.

And there are many reasons why we think this collection is probably the most impressive yet. Featuring 22 games from the classic era of arcade games (1984-1992) Capcom Classic Collection doesn’t shy away from filling the disc up with known classics, so much so we haven’t come across anyone who hasn’t heard of at least one of the 22 included games.

In the 'Capcom Collections' favour, the majority of these games played well using the standard PS2 controller, a welcome thought when comparing them with the over-responsive Midway Collection. Not only that but some effort has been made to make the whole experience as enjoyable as possible. Unlike most of these retro games the bonus footage must actually be earned by completing certain tasks in the game.

The first we tried, Son Son, was actually only the second title to come from the Capcom stables but was the first to reach North America in 1984. Primarily a horizontal side scroller, one or two players could co-operate fighting enemies whilst trying to snatch extra points by eating the food occasionally found on the platforms. Son Son has actually aged well and still retains some of that high score magic, especially when played co-operative. Featuring such characters as the infamous pesky Magicians and castle soldiers it might be hard to complete (without using infinite credits) but the challenge is certainly there.

Not only was the brilliant Section Z an arcade smash but the home version actually improved on the shoot ‘em up. Long before R-Type was released, Section Z brought an abundance of new features to the arcade cabinet. Originally released in 1985 for the arcade (and later on featuring an improved version for the home version) Section Z featured a sole astronaut trying to penetrate an alien spaceship to defeat the alien brain. This boiled down to another side scroller shoot em up, but an impressive one at that, and with the responsive controls this one is as playable then as it is now. If you prefer something a little more recent though, Forgotten Worlds featured the same type of gameplay but with three years between them, Forgotten Worlds was able to feature directional fire into the mix.

For us, Pirate Ship Higemaru has received a mix reception here at IC-Games, some love the gameplay as its reminiscent of ‘bomberman’, while others cite it as one of the disappointing additions, either way since Capcom plan to release the whole of their back catalogue someone somewhere would miss this one if it wasn’t included. Marked down as a puzzle game, this 1984 title has you collecting barrels and throwing them at your enemies. It might not be the best looking game around today but the rack up the score gameplay makes this one pretty repayable.

Where would we be without the classic Mercs? The 3 player co-op brought an abundance of new ideas to the table and is responsible for shaping up the shoot ‘em up genre in a number of ways. The sequel to Commando was released in 1990 and was revolutionary at the time for allowing three friends to fight in the same war as allies. Even though the goal of the game was quite clear, save the president of the United States, the non stop action had gamers concentrating more on the action, and the correct use of the collectable weapons than anything else. Drivable vehicles, health bars and great competitive play, and it was only 1990. You’ll easily complete this one using the unlimited credits, buts it’s still a blast to play today and has more than enough replayability to make you want to complete it again – or for the first time. And to that end, this is probably one of our favourites in this outstanding collection.

And then you have the fans favourite the creepy but strangely hilarious Ghosts ‘n Goblin and the follow up Ghouls ‘n Ghosts. While Ghouls ‘n Ghosts featured four way directional play it never really improved enough on the already brilliant (and original) Ghosts ‘n Goblins. While Ghosts ‘n Goblins only featured alternative multiplayer it had a strange way of pulling the player in. Or maybe the thought of Sir Arthur fighting off demons in only his underpants was the reason. Either way the inclusion of two out of the three smash hits was certainly welcome.

To be fair, Trojan, Volgus, Fixed Eyes and Legendary Wings had slipped us by, but the massive 1942 franchise certainly did not. Featuring not only the blockbuster 1942 and 1943 this collection also features 1943 Kai, probably because the Kai edition was only released in Japan. The ‘Kai’ version was a re-released 1943 with finely tuned gameplay, enhanced graphics, and was apparently harder. Again utilising the Z80 graphics chip set, the 1942 and 1943 franchise still makes for a riveting arcade blast. Two player co-operative fans will be best served with the 1943 version (which co-incidentally also featured planes with ‘health bars’).

It may be hard to believe but Street Fighter II is now 13 years old. The franchise was not only responsible for recruiting new gamers into the arcades but was also responsible for a pretty poor film featuring Kylie Minogue. If you are a fan of Street Fighter the game however Capcom have gone out of their way to treat you. Bundled into this package you’ll not only find the standard version of Street Fighter II but the deluxe version and the Champion Edition as well. There isn’t a vast difference between them though although the Champion Edition does allow you to fight as a boss character and features better balancing.

Yes, some of these games are showing their age, to us Street Fighter II hasn’t aged that well and others have simply lost their appeal. That being said this is still the best retro collection currently available, and if you can ignore the lack of surround sound and advanced shadowing you’ll have just as much fun with these gems as you will with some of the blockbusters of today. Simply an essential purchase for retro fans; and for any young gamers that want to understand what real gameplay is.

Discuss the Capcom Classics Collection (PS2/Xbox) review in the Forums

IC-Games RSS Feed

IC-Games Reviews and Previews (c) 2002-2007

Designed by James Collins

To have your product featured contact The Editor
Found some news? contact The News Desk
PR Dept - Andrew St.Denis
Additional Coding by James Collins and Phil Douglas
Get credited, submit breaking news at The News Desk
Want to hire one of our journalists? Enquire here
Want to see your advert on site? Enquire here