Taito Legends 2

I can understand a lot of things given enough time but I can not understand why there isn’t a review for this excellent compilation. Okay sure it’s not exactly the Criterion Collection in terms of presentation and a handful of games aren’t perfectly emulated but come the heck on this set of nearly 40 games is as cheap as a dozen microwave burritos and guaranteed to last at least twice as long.

 
The thing one must understand about Taito is that during their peak they were the pure embodiment of what makes arcade games memorable. Everything feels familiar enough like maybe there’s a particular setting or oh look a 2D shooter but these guys go the extra mile via incomprehensible storylines, excellent soundtracks, and imaginations as vivid as the lack of limits. Taito arcade games are an experience like hardly anything else and with this set you get a very nice selection.
 
Alpine Ski
You hit the slopes, dodge obstacles, collect points, and then the game ends. Yeah that’s really all there is to it.  
 
Arabian Magic
The title says it all. Take control of your favorite character from the 1,001 Arabian Nights and go on a journey filled with much hacking and/or slashing. The enemies are numerous, the sights colorful, and the traps and bosses add the right amount of variety to keep things from getting old.
All told it’s not a terribly deep game since the only way players can expect to better their score is by dying less. This is a feat in itself though as it’s quite the challenge and learning to properly control enemy hordes and figuring out the safe-spots to avoid boss attacks is quite necessary for survival. It’s a charming adventure that’s guaranteed to get at least one play-through out of anyone.
 
Balloon Bomber
Released in 1980 this game obviously isn’t much of a looker but I think it’s worth checking out. Basically bombs tied to balloons cross the screen. The player must shoot the bombs. The balloons can’t be shot because then the bomb will come down. These bombs are easily avoided but they create holes in the ground that the player can’t cross. Obviously this can lead to the player getting cornered and eventually killed. This is actually a fun little game with a creative idea. It’s a good way to burn a few minutes.
 
Bonze Adventure
The King of the Underworld has gone insane thanks to demonic forces. The player takes control of a Buddhist Monk named Bonze to set things right. This game is a side-scrolling action platformer that carries some philosophical and spiritual undertones. Everything from the enemy placement and stage layout to the bosses feels very unique like it’s a series of lessons in the ways of Buddha.
I don’t think this translates very well to an arcade game because there are a lot of times where trial and error takes place of skill. These moments become more frequent as the game progresses and the culmination is a very frustrating final boss. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be taught here but I guess I have to replay this particular fight several times over to understand what’s going on. Actually that’s more because this section is straight out of a terrible 2D shooter where you I’m a dragon with an absurdly large hitbox trying to dodge fire while the playfield works against me. This is a terrible way to end most any game since it’s completely unexpected and the fairly solid mechanics and controls just fall apart entirely.
What’s also dumb is that even if the player runs out of lives and has to continue they still retain their score. Essentially the high-score could be held by some guy who just decided to die over and over to milk particular sections. I guess this is all part of the experience and there’s some proverb that can explain it all but again this is not the kind of thing that should be in arcades.
 
Cameltry
Now this game is an absolute classic. The goal is simple as the player must lead a ball to the…goal. Think of this game as a 2D version of Super Monkey Ball and you’re on the right track. The player must lead the ball to the goal by tilting the maze itself. All manner of obstacles and rewards can be found along the way and it’s in the player’s best interest to shoot for the best times as well as the most points.
There are four levels of difficulty that are accompanied by their own sets of mazes. Knowing the right way to go is helpful but the secret to success is in learning how to manipulate the maze just right so that the ball passes as smoothly as…well I just thought of a rather inappropriate analogy so I’ll just leave it alone. In any case with practice the player will be able to defeat the most complicated and challenging mazes with little trouble and showcase some incredible skill in the process. This game is a classic that deserves a look.
 
Chack’n Pop
A lot of what makes arcade games enjoyable is their pick-up-and-play factor. Within a minute the player should be able to grasp the basics and start to enjoy the game. I’ve been playing Chack’n Pop for much longer than that and I still can’t get into it. The goal is to free caged hearts with bombs but there are eggs everywhere that hatch into those evil purple guys from Bubble Bobble. Bombs can destroy those guys too but they’re very tricky to use and the player could just as easily blow themselves up.I guess I could spend more time trying to learn how this game works but nothing about it really strikes me as entertaining and I think even if I managed to get over the learning curve it’d still be pretty bland and unexciting.
 
Cleopatra Fortune
The mark of a good game developer is their ability to develop a good falling-block puzzle game. Seems like an odd trait but consider that companies like Sega and Capcom have developed some class titles in the genre and it makes sense. Taito is no different thanks to this little number. I’m not sure a storyline is necessary but I’m guessing Cleopatra is worried about mummies getting into her fortune so she destroys them all with magic jewels and sarcophaguses.
Admittedly this game is a bit of a slow-starter. For awhile the player won’t even see any mummies and instead they’ll just be crushing regular blocks. This is important though because it is easy points and by clearing the screen of everything the player attains “Perfect” bonuses. Eventually the mummies and jewels start showing up and this is where the hook comes in.
In order to destroy a mummy they must be enclosed in a space with a jewel and/or a sarcophagus. That means regular blocks must close off the entire rest of the area and if even a little space is left that mummy isn’t going away. Needless to say this makes it very easy to ruin one’s game and thus their day.
There’s an option to jump straight to the more difficult portions of the game for practice but even for those starting fresh it’s not a terribly long game. It gets difficult quickly though with falling blocks increasing in speed as they are wont to do. It’s a tough game and kind of creepy when little Cleopatra starts playing dress-up but hey whatever it’s fun.
 
Crazy Balloon
The goal is to move a balloon to the goal while dodging spikes. To keep things from being too simple the balloon itself constantly sways back and forth, which means the player must plan their movements accordingly. It’s kind of neat but ultimately pretty one-dimensional.
This is one of those rare arcade games that support more than three letters for people who set the high-score. For example I got the high-score so now whenever the game boots up the player is greeting by a very naughty message that sits at the top of the screen constantly. If they don’t like it well they’re just going to have to beat my high-score. This is the most fun I’ve had with the game to be honest. It is kind of sad really.
 
Darius Gaiden
The third arcade entry in the series marks a bit of a departure from the older Darius games. The first two Darius games used multiple screens to create an immensely impressive wide-screen affair that was well-suited to its horizontal nature. Taito figured it was kind of un-necessary though and since it takes up so much space and is costly to maintain the change to one-screen is quite understandable. Otherwise it’s about what you’d expect from the series. Giant Alien Fish from Space have invaded and its up to a pair of extremely fragile ships to save the planet.
While I consider G. Darius the better game I think of this entry as my favorite. First off the soundtrack is such an otherworldly wonder with its Atmospheric Eastern Opera funk. This makes for a perfect match with the visuals as everything is garishly colored and the enemy designs are unique and exciting to blow up. It’s a rather simplistic game compared to most other shooters (especially more recent ones like Cave’s offerings) but all the same I love it.
The difficulty is incredibly un-even since weapon power is everything and since dying costs power one death may as well mean game over no matter how many lives are remaining. Still it’s actually a pretty easy game compared to most shooters due to the presence of shields that absorb multiple shots. I imagine most people will give this game multiple playthroughs just to see all of the endings.
 
Don Doko Don
From the makers of Bubble Bobble comes…a bad game. Yeah I may as well get this over with. Don Doko just isn’t any good. It has all of the tropes the genre is known for like cute characters, baddies that turn into goodies, and some kind of mechanic where multiple enemies can be destroyed for big points. In the end its meaningless because I don’t enjoy this game and can’t stand to play more than a few minutes of it.
The deal here is that there are these two Carpenters that like to smack enemies with hammers before tossing them away like beer cans. Problem is the hammers have no range and the Carpenters are abnormally large targets. This leads to a lot of unfair deaths and a lack of enjoyment. While there are many levels with a lot of unique designs to me they come off as convoluted and they get in the way of being able to play the game properly.
I know I should be talking about other things like the storyline or whatever but no this game isn’t even worth that much. Do yourself a favor and just keep playing Bubble Bobble, or better yet Bubble Symphony and/or Snow Bros.
 
Dungeon Magic
As you can guess from the title this is a quasi-sequel to Arabian Magic. The differences are numerous yet there are still some similarities between both games. Dungeon Magic takes place in a fantasy land where Elves in tiny outfits assist brawny do-gooders in their efforts to kill kobolds, rescue a damsel, and defeat a great evil. This is accomplished by exploring rooms that use a 3/4ths isometric perspective. It’s an odd look but it’s kind of beneficial to the game since oddly enough it’s some part RPG.
RPG elements are not a new thing to Taito fans since they are familiar with Cadash. In this game players can find treasure that awards experience points, which means level-ups. Equipment can also be found like shields that take extra hits, weapons with different elemental affinities, and food because it is badly needed. Otherwise this game isn’t much different from the average beatemup.
Unfortunately this game suffers from bad emulation. In this case it means there’s a ton of slowdown. As it is Dungeon Magic is already a pretty slow-paced game due to the way everyone moves and how they react but with the extra layer of slow-down it may as well be a turn-based RPG. Then again even if the emulation wasn’t an issue I can’t imagine why anyone would want to spend too much time with this one as it’s a rather clunky affair and once the novelty of RPG elements wears off there’s nothing else going for it.
 
Elevator Action Returns
Here we have an arcade classic. Sure a number of people are familiar with Elevator Action but me? I can’t stand it. It’s about as boring as the original Space Invaders as far as I’m concerned. Taito was taking notes because they figured that the best solution for the sequel was to add fun…oh and blood.
Actually it’s not just that. The graphics went through a significant overhaul and they’re amazing. The animation sort of reminds me of the original Prince of Persia with its momentum and the way everyone moves. Still for all its style it doesn’t compare to the actual thrills this game brings. Eco-terrorists are looking to blow up pretty much everything and the only way to stop them is by disarming bombs hidden behind red doors. To keep this job from being simple all manner of gun-toting enemies stalk the hallways looking to shoot some good guys. Elevators are also a factor to consider since they are constantly moving and can squish the unaware.
Most gamers will give this at least one playthrough just to check out the sights and the impressive usage of 2D but for me it’s worth coming back to again and again because there’s actually a neat scoring system involved. Most of the hallways have lights, shooting down the lights darkens the area. This doesn’t mean much on its own but enemies killed in the dark are worth double points. This extends to bonuses found on the same level like bombs. The blood is nice too since unlike so many games today there’s actually some sense of satisfaction to be had out of blowing everyone away. The emulation for this game isn’t perfect but considering the cost of the alternatives it’s still a fair trade. I totally recommend this one.
 
Football Champ
It’s an arcade soccer game. I don’t follow the sport and I don’t like sports videogames. Maybe this is actually a classic but I don’t know and I don’t care because I can’t get into it at all.
 
Frontline
Um…yikes? Seriously I have no idea where to begin with this one. It kind of reminds me of Commando which was a pretty good Capcom game. The player must move ever forward shooting soldiers, dodging mines, and maybe hopping into a tank to blow up some stuff. For some reason the main character makes this twinkling sound like he’s spreading fairy dust when he walks. The sound effects really don’t fit for this kind of game and shooting the bad guys is actually harder than it sounds. It’s not much harder but it’s too the point where it’s more trouble than it’s worth. One would do well to avoid this game.
 
G-Darius
This is that better Darius game I was talking about. In its most ambitious entry to date Taito takes the game in a new direction with its usage of the capture tool. Nearly every enemy can be snagged to fight on the player’s side and from there the player can take advantage of its added firepower or use it for some special attacks. The captured enemy can also act as a shield though with enough damage they will be destroyed. For those truly bad situations the player can sacrifice the enemy outright with an explosion.
In the climatic finale of the average boss-fight the boss will fire off a laser. The player can then use their captured enemy to fire a laser as well. This effect becomes quite impressive as the player’s laser increases in size to become truly devastating. To keep things interesting bosses tend to fire off other projectiles for the player to dodge. It’s quite the sight to see.
Unfortunately a lot of these cool ideas are kind of buried under a lot of depth. I usually don’t mind this sort of thing in a shooter since they’re short games and deserve to have learning curves. The problem with this is that it takes a lot of fun out of shooting giant fish. The player has to be on top of every little aspect of each stage and it almost feels like micro-management jumping from captured enemy to the next. The boss-fights also tend to go on for quite a long time if the player runs into trouble performing the laser attack.
Other things like the ugly and nonsensical endings rub me the wrong way. The soundtrack is a bit of an acquired taste as well even if I love it (the same could be said about Darius Gaiden in that respect). Still it can be a good game if one is willing to put forth the effort to learn it.
 
Gekirindan
This time we’ve got an overhead shooter and the gimmick in play is time-travel. The good guys are after a bad guy who is from the far far future. I guess he’s after rule of the universe or something though I dunno what he’s going to find on World War 2 era earth. Then again I guess it’s my fault for trying to make sense of a 2D shooter plot.
Anyway the game is simple enough. Dodge bullets, shoot enemies, collect power-ups, and score a load of points. There’s nothing that really sets this game apart from the mountains of similar titles. This is both good and bad in my book since while the lack of an identity means it’ll get lost in the shuffle at least it doesn’t stand out by making some insipid design decision that ruins the game.
 
Grid Seeker
This game is the perfect example of what I was just talking about in the last sentence. This is another vertical shooter that uses a shield mechanic for absorbing enemy bullets. There aren’t too many shooters that do this sort of thing (especially back in the day this game came out) but the execution is just so bad I wonder why they bothered.
The player’s weapons are for the most part pretty ineffective. The point was probably to emphasis bullet-absorbing which in turn means more bombs. Unfortunately bullet-collecting is tedious and since a good portion of the screen isn’t even accessible to the player (the very bottom) it just comes off as an idea that wasn’t thought out very well. I’ve tried multiple times to give this one a chance and I just hate it more with each play. It’s best that I avoid it before I start claiming that it ran over my dog or worse.
 
Growl
There are some games that even when I know they’re bad it just doesn’t bother me in the slightest. The main character may as well be Indiana Jones and he’s out to stop evil poachers by blowing them up with rocket launchers, stabbing them with swords, and knocking them down by the dozens with flying spin-kicks. The body count is glorious in this game and neither man nor woman can escape justice even if it means horrific death by train or spiked ceiling from out of nowhere.
This game is about as far from making sense as the genre will allow. Why is the final boss a being from another dimension? Why is it dressed like a clown? Why do people explode randomly? Answers are for the weak and the non-thrillseekers when it comes to Growl. All told it’s not a terribly good game. It’s shallow and the weapons are really unbalanced (learn to use the Whip and you’re a God) but so what? It’s a ridiculous amount of fun for what it is and at worst you’ve lost maybe 10 minutes of your time. Give it a look.
 
Gun & Frontier
In the year 20XX the corrupt space government has taxed an entire planet so badly that they have to live like Cowboys in the Wild West in order to survive. Believe me I wish I was making the storyline up for this game. As a bonus this game is also a vertical 2D shooter.
The visuals have that dusty faded look like an Old Western and for some reason a lot of the weapons consist of revolvers. Otherwise it’s a piece of history as seems to have been designed by someone who went on to do Battle Garegga. These similarities are most obvious in terms of how weapons and bombs are handled. It’s a nice touch for fans but for most it’s just whatever. Still I like it but that’s mostly due to the concept, otherwise YMMV.
 
Insector X
Apparently the best method of dealing with insect problems is to shrink down to their size and blow them away. This is another 2D shooter with a cutesy theme but don’t count on it to hold your attention for long. The biggest problem is that it’s one of those shooters where you’re screwed if you lose all your power-ups. Even if I can manage to look past that I’ll still probably get killed by something I couldn’t possibly have avoided like an enemy suddenly appearing from behind. There should always be a warning if an enemy is going to approach from behind in a 2D shooter.
 
Kiki Kaikai
This game stars Sayo-chan who is one of Taito’s more popular characters. You might remember her from the SNES game Pocky & Rocky. She’s a shrine maiden who has to rescue Seven Lucky Gods cause hey who doesn’t want to get lucky? Anyway this is a fairly standard multi-directional shooter with all manner of constantly re-spawning nasties with the obligatory boss at the end.
Aside from throwing cards Sayo can also swing a stick for those enemies that manage to get close. The stick is pretty necessary because Sayo has a slow walking speed and many enemies can get to her very quickly. There’s not much else I can say about this one. Maybe the future games are more interesting.
 
Kuri Kinton
Oh Lord this game is just plain awful. Again this is just another one of those games where it’s so painful I can’t even bring myself to explain what it’s about or how it plays. Okay I think there’s a hero he and he uses kung-fu to kill the bad guys and their bosses. Unfortunately the combat doesn’t work at all because there’s no feel to it. What I mean is that hits don’t connect and everything just comes off as haphazard and sloppy. This mess extends to every facet of this unpolished game and well I hate it. I really don’t want to talk about this game ever again.
 
Liquid Kids
From the outset there’s a lot to love about this game. It’s the spiritual successor to The New Zealand Story and it combines platforming with elements from titles like Bubble Bobble in that multiple enemies can be destroyed at a time for large bonuses. The level design is generally really good with some very nice touches and neat ideas.
The difficulty of this game kills it though. While the water magic the hero wields is really good for deflecting a lot of stuff it’s also his sole defense against practically everything. He’s very slow and anything kills him in a single hit. This is a terrible combination as it leads to tons of deaths. Enemies spawn from the bowels of hell and if left unchecked they will prove to be the hero’s downfall. The bosses are even worse since the hero is so slow fragile and so slow something as simple as running under a boss when it jumps can be quite the ordeal.
It’s a shame because with just a few slight changes this game could be a classic. Some sort of health meter and a faster walking speed that doesn’t require powerups would have done wonders for this game. Instead it’s merely good bordering on frustrating.
 
Lunar Rescue
This is another older title that is divided into two parts. At first the player must make landfall to rescue a survivor. While dropping down there are asteroids to dodge and at the bottom are targets worth a set number of points. After rescue is complete the player must return to their ship while destroying enemies. It’s a neat idea but the execution just feels bland. It’s also really annoying that if the player is too close to an enemy when it is destroyed the player will somehow get killed which is dumb because there’s nothing there for the player to collide with. It’s probably a minor issue but between that and the dullness of it all I quit.
 
Metal Black
The follow-up to Gun & Frontier dumps the western theme for more aliens. Usually the lone ship has to stop the alien armada but from the opening of Metal Black it’s quite clear the war is already over. Still that’s not much of an excuse to not hop into an experimental ship to lay waste to aliens so here we are.
In all honesty Metal Black to me is a truly amazing game. It actually tells a fascinating story through its environments and music. Maybe it is a hopeless endeavor and humanity deserves its doomed fate yet one can’t help but feel that a trace of hope exists. Yeah it all sounds cliché but somehow I’m completely absorbed in it. The game itself is great too as it relies on creative enemy designs and a very cool weapon/power-up system. It also employs a predecessor to the laser battles in G-Darius when it comes to the boss fights. Strangely this game gives off more of a cinematic vibe since a number of bosses are actually really easy.
Due to emulation issues the weapon system doesn’t work properly so you may want to consider another version if you find yourself loving this game as much as It’s probably not the greatest shooter but it is an experience like nothing else I think.
 
Nastar
Take a look at the title for a second. If you guessed that this game was a sequel to Rastan then pat yourself on the back and let out an audible groan. This game actually takes place before the events of the first but who cares? It’s just another Conan-clone.
The original Rastan was a pretty decent game despite some issues but this sequel is awful. It’s a side-scrolling affair with some terrible jumps and some of the worst boss-fights ever designed. To put forth an example the second boss is Medusa. Her pattern boils down to striking her and jumping out of the way. It’s easy to figure out after a couple of attempts but she takes so much damage that the player will RUN OUT OF TIME before she dies. There are weapon power-ups and even some end of level bonus that increases strength but falling into pits due to awful jumps is such a common affair that it just doesn’t work.
If you have an annoying friend, invite him or her over to play a game of Nastar with you. If you pretend you like it chances are good they’ll never want to talk you ever again. Maybe I’m wrong and the game is actually awesome as heck but I know what I like and I hate this game so eh that’s enough for me.
 
Puchi Carat
In the game-design book of “Seemed like a good idea at the time” there is a section detailing this puzzle game. Puchi Carat combines elements of break-out and Puzzle Bobble to make a frustrating and borderline unplayable mess of a game…at least to me. The thing with falling block puzzlers is that not only must a solution be available but it also must be easily accessible. With Puchi Carat not only do you have to know which blocks to hit to get the best result you also have to lead the ball to actually hit that particular spot. It’s a system that leaves just a bit too much to chance.
It doesn’t help that this game is just ghastly in terms of presentation. The combination of shrill voices, dated prerendered graphics, and annoying characters will do little more than induce some major headaches for anyone willing to give this game a look. There’s a chance you might get into it anyway but eh better you than me.
 
Puzzle Bobble 2
 I shouldn’t even bother writing anything about this one because I really don’t care for this series. It’s well-made and all but I just never got the appeal. So for the fans it’s there so go crazy but just leave me out of it.
 
Qix
Like a number of classic Taito games Qix is one of those games I never really appreciated in its original form. The basis is to draw squares while avoiding the deadly Qix. It’s a simple concept that works well enough but to me it lacks spark. It’s just a little too simple on its own and I need visuals and a lot of unique additions to keep things fresh. There have been a number of sequels though and even other developers have done their own spin on the basic game. It’s definitely intriguing though and there are a couple versions I’m a pretty big fan of. 
 
Raimais
The biggest mistake I ever made was writing this game off as a mere Pac-man clone. Okay sure that’s essentially what it is but it’s just an excellent game all around. In the future somebody’s brother must be rescued and that means driving from building to building collecting dots while avoiding enemy robots.
This game offers up a number of twists and additions on the classic formula. First off this game is FAST. The main character is capable of speeding up at any time and stages can go by very quickly. Of course this ups the chances of smashing into an obstacle but that’s to be expected. One of the other big changes is the level design. Instead of just a handful of mazes there are tons of levels each with their own layout, power-ups, and types of enemy robots to contend with. Furthermore players can select a different stage every time they complete one so if they get stuck on one stage in one playthrough they can go a different route the next time around. The enemy behavior is really neat since the robots have different patterns and understanding them goes hand-in-hand with split-second reaction. There are also bosses to fight which an odd addition to say the least.  
To me this is one of the best games available on the compilation and probably the best game of its genre. There’s just so much variety to it and yet it retains the core values that keep it held together. The exhilaration from pulling through the deadliest situation is unparalleled and the large number of stages adds tons of replay value.
 
Ray Storm
Taito just can’t seem to figure out what to call these games. There’s Layer Section, Galactic Attack, Gunbullet, Ray Whatever, and so on. This game is the second in the series and for what it’s worth it ain’t too bad. The original’s claim to fame was the fact that the player could lock on to enemies below with a laser cannon. By locking onto multiple foes at once huge numbers of points could be attained. Otherwise it was a very traditional shooter and yet still quite good. It’s kind of similar to Xevious, only quite a bit more robust.
This sequel is pretty much the same thing only in 3D and....not quite as good. Yeah this is another one of those games that I just can’t quite get into. It’s weird really because I love the first game but here nothing really seems to mesh well. I think part of it is that the lock-on seems to lock onto practically anything. I guess this was done to make the weapon feel more involved but it just doesn’t connect. It might be due to the 3D graphics which gives the game a more imprecise feeling. It also stinks because the first game had some amazing 2D effects and I would have loved to see more of the same in the sequel.
Still for fans of 2D shooters it’s not worth the trouble to kick this one out of bed. It’s still a solid entry in the genre and it’s certainly cheaper than that remake currently available on PSN/XBLA.
 
Space Invaders ‘95
I never got the appeal of the original Space Invaders. I don’t think of it as a knock against older arcade games because I still enjoy stuff like Ms. Pac-man and Asteroids but the game that put Taito on the map bores the hell out of me. It seems kind of strange since this game isn’t that far removed from the original concept but I just love Space Invaders ’95.
The biggest difference is in the presentation. This game was drawn up as a love letter to Taito fans as every character, stage, and enemy is a reference to other Taito games. It’s a very appealing look. The enemies also take on a variety of different formations and forms so that it’s not the same thing over and over again only slightly faster than before. Other changes include rewarding the player for not missing. What this means is that every bullet fired must hit something and not leave the top of the screen. Doing so leads to huge chain bonuses and creates a great balance between survival and scoring. Special attacks can also be performed and this is a nice ability because it keeps things moving and there are some scoring opportunities to be had with proper use.
For those who are familiar with the likes of Space Invaders Extreme this is one can’t be missed. For one ’95 is a solid entry in the evolution of the series and for two the cute look and fun gameplay makes it totally worth time spent playing and mastering.
 
Super Space Invaders ‘91
What is this? Madden Football? Blame Taito for the title. In this game is known as Majestic Twelve and it’s a solid effort. A lot of what I talked about regarding ’95 is present in this game though the cute look is dropped. There’s still some wackiness like having to stop invaders from capturing cows at least.
The design of this game is based a bit more around creating situations. That is there tends to be more levels that involve things besides just blasting away at invaders before they crush the player. This situational style isn’t a bad thing as it adds the game a bit of identity and other additions like power-ups and special weapons add something extra to the formula. It’s a shame that the power-ups are really awesome and if the player takes even a single hit they’re gone. I get too dependent on them so when I’m reduced to a pea shooter I’m doomed. All the same it’s a fun entry and if I’m going to play Space Invaders anything is better than the original.
 
Space Invaders DX
For those out there who still like the original there’s this edition. The DX means there’s also an arranged mode with some changes. None of this was able to keep me entertained for long.
 
Syvalion
In another chapter of that “Seemed like a good idea at the time” book we have Syvalion. Actually I’m not sure why anyone would want a multi-scrolling maze-shooter starring a cyborg-dragon but it’s Taito. Now that I think about it some parts like the cyborg-dragon sound really cool but it really deserves better than this game.
The controls are terrible, the level design is cluttered and messy, and in simple terms nothing works at all. The only redeeming quality is the storyline which is all kinds of goofy but I can’t even guarantee anyone will be willing to put up with the game for long enough just to see it through. This game is best described as a reminder of what an actual bad game is like.
 
The Fairyland Story
Sure we all know Bubble Bobble but what about Taito’s first foray into the genre? This game puts players into the role of a cute little witch who kills her foes by turning them into delicious chocolate cake and pushing them off a cliff where they can smash other enemies for big points. Despite its age this game is still quite fun and the difficulty of getting those huge kills makes the endeavor so rewarding.
 
The Legend of Kage
You ever watch those Ninja movies where everyone is jumping through the trees filling the vicinity with shuriken? This game is practically the same thing only not nearly as fun. The goal seems to be to run around killing everyone until a boss decides to show up. There are multiple stages but nothing really seems to change in terms of enemy-types or strategy.
The Legend of Kage takes maybe ten minutes to beat which is a good thing because in a tenth of the time you’ve already seen everything it has to offer. Still it served as the basis for a really good sequel on the Nintendo DS and I guess that’s worth something.
 
Violence Fight
This is a terrible game but like Growl it has its appeal. Everything from the title to the intro to the characters and plot is dripping with pure stupidity and it is just hilarious. The game itself plays like a poor man’s Pit Fighter but when you’re punching somebody so hard that DOGOON appears you just gotta laugh and high-five your best bud. One of the characters in this game is named “Lick Joe”. This is almost worth the cost of Taito Legends 2 on its own.
 
Wild Western
Last and certainly least we have this game. The goal is to stop varmints from taking the train by capping them with your trusty six-shooter. The bullets are practically invisible, there’s little rhyme or reason to how and when enemies fire, and well it sucks.
 
While the quality of the games is all over the place this is still a great collection due to some real gems like Elevator Action Returns, both Darius titles, Raimais, and Metal Black. So yeah I highly recommend it as far as arcade compilations go.By the way don’t pick up the PC version because it uses Starforce and you will hate yourself.