Any compilation of old arcade games is depending on one of two things to propel sales: nostalgia or value. Capcom’s recent release of Capcom Classics Collection for the Xbox and PS2 combined both of these and made the $19.99 price a ridiculous bargain. It included some heavy hitters from Capcom’s venerable arcade lineup including Commando, 1942, Ghosts N Goblins, Mercs, Final Fight, and three different versions of Street Fighter II, just to name a few.
For the PSP, Capcom decided to do two strange things. First, they removed most of the heavy hitters and replaced them with titles that certainly had me scratching my head trying to recall ever seeing them before, much less playing them at all. Second, they raised the price on the collection. So, if you want to take your Capcom gaming fix on the road with you, you’ll pay twice as much and you’ll get a bunch of games you’ve probably never seen or played before.
What is included with Capcom Classics Collection Remixed? The package includes the fantastic Strider, Final Fight, Black Tiger, and 1941. It also includes some arcade versions of some games that achieved their classic status on the NES or the Sega Master System rather than the arcade, like Bionic Commando and Forgotten Worlds. Other games are just filler material like the dated trivia game, Quiz & Dragons. Also included, in lieu of the Street Fighter II games, is the original Street Fighter. It’s definitely not in the same league as its sequels.
One cool thing about the collection is that it gives you a lot of flexibility in the display configurations. For example, for the vertical shooters like 1941 and Varth, you can turn the PSP longways and preserve the original screen ratio of the game. (Or you can play it holding the PSP normally, with a much smaller visible playing area.)
The PSP’s wireless multiplayer functionality enables you to search for opponents who may be close-by and allows them to jump into games quickly and easily just like they might if they were standing next to you in the arcade.
What’s not cool is the control in some of the games. Block Block, a lame Arkanoid clone, is rendered unplayable by the lack of a paddle type controller. Neither the d-pad or the analog stick really allow a game to last more than a few minutes due to their poor response. And some games, like Avengers and Speed Rumbler, well, they’re just terrible.
Some people may get more mileage out of this collection than others. Had it included some of the games included in the Xbox and PS2 version, like one version of Street Fighter II and Commando, I’d have been much happier with it.
6 out of 10.
