Retro Arena: Arcade Classics Pt4

[Leon Retro]

Street Fighter 2 - 1991
Captain Commando - 1991
Vendetta - 1991
The Simpsons - 1991
Starblade - 1991
Sunset Riders - 1991
WrestleFest - 1991
Joe & Mac - 1991
Rad Mobile - 1991
Tumblepop - 1991
Spider-Man - 1991
Thrash Rally - 1991
Turtles in Time - 1991
Rail Chase - 1991
Robo Army - 1991
Super Baseball 2020 - 1991
R-Type Leo - 1992
Virtua Racing - 1992
X-Men - 1992
Mortal Kombat - 1992
Art of Fighting - 1992
Truxton 2 - 1992
Soccer Brawl - 1992
Fatal Fury 2 - 1992
Last Resort - 1992
Baseball Stars 2 - 1992
Golden Axe: The Revenge - 1992
Lethal Enforcers - 1992

Choose 5 classic arcade games that you like the most.

[Neon Ignition]

-Street Fighter II
-The Simpsons Arcade
-Sunset Riders
-Virtua Racing
-Baseball Stars 2


I found this one quite easy even though there are a lot of games I'm find of on this list. The main deciding factor is that I spent so much time on each of the above. SF2 requires little detailing, when it first appeared Virtua Racing was a moment to remember, Sunset Riders was a game I put a lot of time into when I eventually got the MD version, Simpsons was a go to on every arcade visit and Baseball Stars 2 was great fun - I think the only baseball game I've ever enjoyed

[Team Andromeda]

1) Soccer Brawl - After Sensi most prob the most perfect football game around and the game that made me want a Neo Geo system in the home

2) Golden Axe: The Revenge - Even better than the 1st game with amazing graphics and 3 player. SEGA we mad not to have brought this to the Saturn.

3) Last Resort - Such a brilliant shooter, also the music was incredible !!!!

[Colin]

I suppose it'll be textbook that almost everyone will go for SFII. However, when the choices given are so wide I personally need to judge it on which games I would still play and enjoy. If I'm being honest, I don't really care about SF2, or any of the series titles to be outside of playing the PCE version just because it's so impressive for the hardware.

So, for me I could probably do four -

R-Type Leo
Truxton 2
Soccer Brawl
Last Resort


Two class arcade shooters, even if I always struggle on Truxton 2, and two games I absolutely love from the early days of the Neo. So yeah, three shooters, but you know what I'm saying.

[DeathAdder]

Streetfighter 2 and Captain Commando for me. Have played many of the others, but nowhere near as much as I've played those two.

Sadly, although I love the original, I've never had the chance to play Golden Axe The Revenge.

[beecee]

This is when i think the arcades (for me) was getting good, my local had most of those listed at the time, with many a Saturday afternoon spent in it.

my four would be.
Mortal Kombat - 1992
Fatal Fury 2 - 1992
Joe & Mac - 1991
X-Men - 1992

just outside would be
Street Fighter 2 - 1991
Starblade - 1991
Sunset Riders - 1991
Turtles in Time - 1991

[CMcK]

This is my era of coin-ops. I had job by then and there was two leisure centers in my town at the time. One that had loads of good shmups and the other had all the fancy cabs like Rad Mobile, T2, 4 player Turtles, Air Bike Cop etc.

Starblade - Had the huge sit down version of this locally and it was 50p a credit unlike most other cabs which were still 20p a go. But this was the kind of game you went to arcades to play as home systems couldn’t produce such a spectacle. Ok it was a bit smoke and mirrors but as a quick hit it was great fun. It cost me about £4 to get the end but it was worth it. The booming sound system in the cab was loud.

Tumblepop - I’ve had a soft spot for single screen platformers since Chuckie Egg and this gem replaced Rod Land in my local arcade. The vacuuming your enemies was obviously ripped from Ghostbusters / Kirby but was well executed and the game was great fun especially in two player mode. Shame it was never ported to home consoles.

R-Type Leo - I first played this in an airport lounge on one of the Balerics and didn’t get to play it again until a few years later when it popped up locally. I was hooked. While Leo doesn’t quite feel like a genuine R-Type sequel it is still a rock solid shmup.

Virtua Racing - Wow! This was the future of gaming. Smooth, fast and crisp polygons making stuff like Hard Drivin look dated and 3d on home systems like Geoff Crammonds F1 look feeble by comparison. Did anyone else have mates changing your viewpoint back and forth mid race trying to put you off?

Truxton 2 - Truxton was a popular cab locally so it was not a surprise when the sequel showed up. Another cracking shmup that I wished had received a Megadrive port.

[Leon Retro]

SF2 requires little detailing,

Yeah, everyone knows the ins and outs of SF2. I'll just say that it's still a game I play now and then and enjoy immensely.

when it first appeared Virtua Racing was a moment to remember

Yeah, an unforgettable moment. Away from the impressive graphics, it felt really smooth and satisfying to play.

and Baseball Stars 2 was great fun - I think the only baseball game I've ever enjoyed

It's also the only baseball game I've played a lot and have a soft spot for. The excellent graphics and overall vibrant vibe make it such a fun experience.

1) Soccer Brawl - After Sensi most prob the most perfect football game around and the game that made me want a Neo Geo system in the home

It made me want a Neo Geo so I could play it with friends away from the arcades. Such a great looking game with fun gameplay. It's one of my 'go to' Neo Geo titles.

2) Golden Axe: The Revenge - Even better than the 1st game with amazing graphics and 3 player. SEGA we mad not to have brought this to the Saturn.

Yeah, it's crazy that Sega didn't port it. I guess they thought 'The Duel' was enough, but I think lots of people would have bought Revenge.

Two class arcade shooters, even if I always struggle on Truxton 2, and two games I absolutely love from the early days of the Neo. So yeah, three shooters, but you know what I'm saying.

Yeah, I've got the impression you might have a passion for shooters.

Truxton 2 is certainly a tough game to get to grips with. I really love the graphics and music.

Sadly, although I love the original, I've never had the chance to play Golden Axe The Revenge.

You should try and play it using MAME, as it's a really nice game.

This is when i think the arcades (for me) was getting good, my local had most of those listed at the time, with many a Saturday afternoon spent in it.

my four would be.
Mortal Kombat - 1992
Fatal Fury 2 - 1992
Joe & Mac - 1991
X-Men - 1992

Yeah, it was a really good time for arcades. You had great games like Street Fighter 2, loads of impressive scrolling beat 'em ups, and the introduction of 3D games that actually played well. Virtua Racing really was amazing at the time.

Starblade - Had the huge sit down version of this locally and it was 50p a credit unlike most other cabs which were still 20p a go. But this was the kind of game you went to arcades to play as home systems couldn’t produce such a spectacle. Ok it was a bit smoke and mirrors but as a quick hit it was great fun. It cost me about £4 to get the end but it was worth it. The booming sound system in the cab was loud.

£4 isn't bad to complete the game. I remember thinking 50p was crazy money. My memory of Starblade is thinking it looked amaziing but the gameplay didn't grab me enough to take my money away from other games that appealed to me more. Although, I did buy Starblade for the 3DO and enjoyed playing through it.

Tumblepop - Shame it was never ported to home consoles.

Yeah, a really nice game that would have been welcomed in the home.

R-Type Leo - I first played this in an airport lounge on one of the Balerics and didn’t get to play it again until a few years later when it popped up locally. I was hooked. While Leo doesn’t quite feel like a genuine R-Type sequel it is still a rock solid shmup.

I remember shoot 'em up fans like Julian Rignall singing its praises. A really nice addition to the series that's a lot of fun to play through.

Virtua Racing - Wow! This was the future of gaming. Smooth, fast and crisp polygons making stuff like Hard Drivin look dated and 3d on home systems like Geoff Crammonds F1 look feeble by comparison.

Yeah, Sega really made previous 3D racers look slow and clunky in comparison. The smooth, fast racing action kept me coming back for more and more.

Truxton 2 - Truxton was a popular cab locally so it was not a surprise when the sequel showed up. Another cracking shmup that I wished had received a Megadrive port.

I remember seeing the FM Towns Marty version and wishing I owned the machine just for that.

[CMcK]

£4 was enough for 3 pints then! That was a lot of money for a twenty minute arcade game. I was really pleased when the 3DO version came out. It even had enhanced visuals. And is better than the PlayStation port.

I wonder why Leo was not included on the R-Types compilation?

[Leon Retro]

£4 was enough for 3 pints then! That was a lot of money for a twenty minute arcade game.

Yeah, if I think back, £4 was quite a bit to spend on an arcade game.

I was really pleased when the 3DO version came out. It even had enhanced visuals. And is better than the PlayStation port.

The 3DO version offers an 'enhanced' texture mapped version of the game. I thought it was quite cool back then. I might give it a go the next time I have my 3DO set up.

I wonder why Leo was not included on the R-Types compilation?

Maybe Irem felt it wasn't as well known and highly regarded as other games in the series. But I certainly would have been more than happy with its inclusion on the compilation. Such a shame.

[Leon Retro]

These are my choices:

1. Soccer Brawl(I'm a big fan of arcade style, over the top football games, and this is one of my faves.)
2. Vendetta(A fun beat 'em up that has really nice graphics and is full of creativity)
3. Virtua Racing(There's something beautiful and uplifting about this racer that keeps me coming back for more.)
4. R-Type Leo(A great looking shooter that's always a pleasure to play through.)
5. Street Fighter 2(Still a beautiful looking fighter that's fun to play through despite there being far more complex entries in the genre.)

Honourable mentions must go to Sunset Riders, Tumblepop, Thrash Rally, Truxton 2, and Baseball Stars 2. All favourites of mine. I also think most of the other games listed are good to very good.

[ZipZap]

This period is where the love of arcade games I had in the mid-late 80s and (very) early 90s nosedived.


It was partly because I was getting older and had other interests, but even today I'm finding it hard to be too enthusiastic about anything from this list.


There are a lot of scrolling beat 'em ups, which was never a genre I was especially interested in, and even SF2 never really excited me.


Tumblepop is nowhere near as good as Bubble Bobble, Rad Mobile is far from one of Sega's best and R-Type Leo is ok, but is a bit too easy, and without the force, just doesn't feel like R-Type.


The one game I did enjoy was Virtua Racing. At the time its use of 3D was impressive, and obviously it turned out to be the start of a new era. The only problem is, Daytona USA seemed to appear within a few months and took another big step forward, so Virtua Racing quickly stopped being my go to game.


Despite sounding a little negative, arcades did begin to win me over again as the decade went on!

[Leon Retro]

This period is where the love of arcade games I had in the mid-late 80s and (very) early 90s nosedived.

For me, it was a great time for arcade gaming, only second to the next period 93-96. I loved how beat 'em ups, fighters, shooters, and racing games went to another level of impressiveness. It was nice too see all the refinement over the years resulting in really polished games that still stand the test of time perfectly.

but even today I'm finding it hard to be too enthusiastic about anything from this list.

I think what is regarded as the 'Golden Age' of arcade gaming really divides opinion. I know a lot of people consider it to be 79-82. I guess nostalgia plays a big part,.

There are a lot of scrolling beat 'em ups, which was never a genre I was especially interested in, and even SF2 never really excited me.

Not a good time for people who aren't interested in beat 'em ups.

I remember thinking SF2 was astonishing back then. It was such a huge thing across the world.

The one game I did enjoy was Virtua Racing. At the time its use of 3D was impressive, and obviously it turned out to be the start of a new era. The only problem is, Daytona USA seemed to appear within a few months and took another big step forward, so Virtua Racing quickly stopped being my go to game.

I always went back to Virtua Racing, long after Daytona appeared. One reason I prefer Virtua Racing is because I'm good at it, but I've never been great at playing Daytona. Daytona is a great game though, so I'd definitely buy a 2-player unit if I was rich.

[Team Andromeda]

For me, it was a great time for arcade gaming, only second to the next period 93-96. I loved how beat 'em ups, fighters, shooters, and racing games went to another level of impressiveness. It was nice too see all the refinement over the years resulting in really polished games that still stand the test of time perfectly.

90's was the best for me it was so great when you had the likes of Revenge of Death Adder, Daytona USA, Virtual Cop HOTD 1 and II, Jurassic Park:Lost World, GunBlade NY, F335, Get Bass, X Men: COTA, Metal Sug, Neo Turf Masters, Souky, Die Hard Arcade, G-Loc 360, Football Champ, Soccer Brawl, Decathlete and God knows how many more classics game

[Atticus]

Street Fighter II and Turtles In Time - these two were kings of the seaside arcade for me. Spent a fortune of the SFII machine in Seaton Carew.

Virtua Racing - this one takes me back to the days of Hollywood Bowl at Teesside Park, right at the boom of Sega and Namco's big hitters. 4-Player Virtua Racing was brilliant fun and I still love the way it looks today.

Baseball Stars II - along with Point Blank, this is the perfect pub arcade game.

R-Type Leo - I used to have the PCB of this game. It's a crime it never made it to a home console.