Capcom/PSP (£24.99)
This collection of 20 arcade favourites from the mid-1980s onwards is something of a mixed bag. A clutch of the titles have stood the test of time surprisingly well, but most — particularly the side- or vertical-scrolling shoot-em- ups — are so far past their prime it’s laughable, and many are very similar.
This is a step back to an age when blocky, pixellated graphics ruled the arcades. One-time platform favourite Strider is in the line-up, as are the original button- bashers Street Fighter and Captain Commando. But there is some good stuff here. Quiz & Dragons was always an anomaly — a role-playing quiz game played out on a board and powered by throws of the dice. Better still is Breakout-alike Block Block, which is every bit as playable today as when it first appeared more than a decade ago.
Capcom has thrown a few extras into the compendium in a bid to increase overall playability, so extra levels and other bonuses, including concept art, can be unlocked by completing levels of most of the games.
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TIM WAPSHOTT