What Is Your Opinion On Arcade Archives?

[Magmavision2000]

I personally like Arcade Archives, as a matter of fact, a majority of my Switch library is Arcade Archives Games. Although I haven't seen anyone talk about it. Do I just have a different opinion or are they just not significant enough to warrant a discussion?

[roots.genoa]

I've got a few of them and as much or maybe more on my wish list - but they're not on sale very often. I like them but there are almost too many options for my taste... ^^ However the save/load system is confusing to me and you can't rewind, even though it's usually not a big deal for arcade games with unlimited credits.

[digdugnate]

they look cool, but i'm not sure they are $8 cool.

[Magmavision2000]

3 hours ago, digdugnate said:

they look cool, but i'm not sure they are $8 cool.

Ehh... I'd say some like the NEO-GEO games and the rarer games are worth the 7.99 price tag. 

[airsoftmodels]

even though i have access to all of them using retropie, i like to buy them on my switch or on my 2DS.  if you can get almost ten for the price of one AAA title, i think its a great deal.

[Tanooki]

Honestly I think the price is right, depending on the game, and the interest in it, so it's a personal issue.

 

Price NOT factored in.  They're really fantastic.  The amount of choices, tweaks, dip switches and other options each one allows including some having alternate modes too is just great.  It's far better than what the VC ever offered for all the bitching about that drying out and replaced with the freebies that drip into those NES/SNES options.  The ACA is fantastic, but you really have to like the game, and if you're a Neo-Geo fan it's astounding for you given how many.  Yet they've also given us things we never would have got like the canceled Sky Skipper Nintendo arcade game that never made it.  I feel a little privileged that a local or traveling local made the only wannabe authentic game/board set for that title and has carried it around the last couple years to the Louisville Arcade Expo as it's oddly fun.  I don't have a lot of them, and honestly I just have 3 because I don't need to re-buy my Neo Geo arcade games, so my experiences are limited to Mario Bros, Vs Super Mario Bros and Punch-Out and I highly recommend those.

[Daj]

Well I regrettably picked up Night Slashers on sale can at least confirm that the "Johnny Turbo's Arcade" line is basically trash, with no access to dip switches, no choice of region, and the combination of 1) no button config and 2) an imo terrible button layout (B-jump, A-attack, Y-special). They don't even get the easy, low-effort stuff right, let alone put any extra effort into it. So everything I've come to expect from a Data East re-release, I guess... shame on me for giving them even another two bucks.

 

Now M2's Sega Ages stuff: that's everything you could ask for, plus a couple of things I'd have never thought of.

[Flojomojo]

I like the collections. I've bought more than a few Arcade Archives standalones, though. What is there to say about them? They're old, they're fun, they're well emulated. 

 

@Magmavision2000 if you want to read more about this kind of thing, Shaun Musgrave is the guy to follow. He writes about these kinds of things on Touch Arcade and his blog, Post Game Content regularly, and even more if you give a buck to his Patreon. He's one of the smartest game writers working today, in my opinion. 

 

https://twitter.com/ShaunMusgrave

 

[dj_convoy]

They're a bit overpriced but great deals when they go on sale. Love that they often give you options to play the Japanese versions or caravan versions for some of the shumps.

[airsoftmodels]

when i read this post i was really thinking of ACA Neo Geo games.  I have bought them on my PS4, and while not available on the 3DS, they are available on the Switch (Lite)

if we remember that these games made thousands of dollars of profit in the arcades, and for those lucky enough to own a Neo Geo console in the 1990s, the cartridges were $200 each.

i would say they are 100% worth $8.  However, there are about 100 fighting games for the Neo Geo, with very similar mechanics.  i have decided that the earliest Neo Geo games are the best.

so i would buy art of fighting I, fatal fury I, KOF '95, and World Heroes 2, and not worry about the sequels and prequels. i don't need 5 different metal slugs for example.

[Tanooki]

There's about 150 games that are on the MVS format, 50 of them are fighters, so yeah there's like a 1/3 of the library right there.  Problem is a bunch of fighter fanboys for years have worked on their own interests to make the Neo-Geo only seem that way.  Take a peek at the ACA you'll be surprised how many games the Switch received and many of them are not fighters in comparison.  There's around 110 games for ACA Neo Geo on Switch and the genre diversity is fantastic.  Shooters, run and gun, brawlers, sports, platformers, maze/action, puzzles, and yes fighters (which is over just a 1/3 of them.)

Edited March 20, 2020 by Tanooki

[Azathoth]

12 hours ago, Daj said:

Well I regrettably picked up Night Slashers on sale can at least confirm that the "Johnny Turbo's Arcade" line is basically trash

I wholeheartedly agree. Not even having a barebones basic option like remapping buttons is pathetic, especially when their choices are stupid to start with. Fighter's History exemplifies everything wrong with their releases; the button mapping is atrocious and the difficulty is set to wipe the floor with you. Their release of Bad Dudes doesn't even let you do the power punch, which is a pretty large game breaking glitch.

 

I really like the Arcade Archives series. I've never been a fan of score attack games until the past few years, and the addition of the two simple online leaderboards to every release really go a long way. I also like how they're a bit more comprehensive in that they include all versions of a game (which blows the pitiful Konami arcade collection out of the water).

 

The only complaint I have would be that I have some real love/hate relationships with their price structure. Having a flat price across the board is nice in some instances, a heavy hitter like Donkey Kong isn't inflated. Flipside is there's a lot of stinkers that I don't see anyone in their right mind paying more than $1-2 for, and these same ones are never on sale. 

 

I paid $8 for City Connection, and I really like it, but even as a big fan of it I can see why people would scoff at that price. $8 for some of these really old, really obscure, totally not-fun games just isn't going to fly in a marketplace with lots of newer, cheaper alternatives.

[roots.genoa]

Another problem with the Johnny Turbo's Arcade line: some games offer TATE mode, but it's the wrong direction to use with Flip Grip. T_T

[Atariboy]

Sunset Riders recently got announced for an Arcade Archives release. That one really pleases me after falling in love with the game in recent years. 

[Daj]

12 hours ago, Atariboy said:

Sunset Riders recently got announced for an Arcade Archives release. That one really pleases me after falling in love with the game in recent years. 

Perhaps Mystic Warriors will finally get its day in the sun.

[Steven Pendleton]

I've been wondering about Arcade Archives and also ACA Neo Geo for some time now. I might consider going through and getting some of the Arcade Archives games, but I'm honestly more interested in the ACA Neo Geo games since I think the majority of the MVS library is available now. Still, I think the pricing probably means that people will pass unless they REALLY want one of the Arcade Archives games. I've been considering buying VS. Castlevania since I've gotten a little bit too good at regular Castlevania recently. I can regularly make it to the screen immediately before Dracula without dying at all now (keep in mind I only played this game/series for the first time 13 months ago), so I'd like something a little more challenging, but I'm not sure if it's worth it for the money or not.

 

And before someone mentions it as an alternative, I don't have any desire to beat Haunted Castle ever again! Once is more than enough!

Edited March 21, 2020 by Steven Pendleton

[Tanooki]

Neo Geo is about 40-50 games short of the entire MVS library which is really quite impressive given the Switch is what 3 years old now?

[Steven Pendleton]

On 3/23/2020 at 12:13 PM, Tanooki said:

Neo Geo is about 40-50 games short of the entire MVS library which is really quite impressive given the Switch is what 3 years old now?

Yeah, that's a really great release schedule so far. I wonder if it's possible to connect a Neo Geo AES controller to the Switch somehow and use it as a Neo Geo MVS. RetroPad32 comes to mind, but I don't know if that would work or not. I don't have one of those or a Neo Geo controller, so I can't test it.

[Daj]

On 3/22/2020 at 10:13 PM, Tanooki said:

Neo Geo is about 40-50 games short of the entire MVS library which is really quite impressive given the Switch is what 3 years old now?

An incredible selection... and yet still no Nightmare in the Dark

[Tanooki]

I never really got the appeal of that game (I had it.)  I found Zupapa and a few others more interesting.  Subject matter I guess.

[DavidD]

I like the idea of the releases, but can't justify spending $8 each on MOST of the titles... there have been a few sporadic sales on ACA games, but what I would like to see is bundles of titles.

 

Actually, given that the eShop can give conditional discounts, it would be nice to see something like "Buy ACA Game X1, get ACA Game X2 and ACA Game X3 at a __% discount!"

[+Hydro Thunder]

Honestly the AA series are one of my favorite things about the Switch and a huge reason I love it as much as I do.

I currently have Renegade, Moon Patrol, Front Line, Elevator Action, Moon Cresta, Donkey Kong, Mat Mania, and Crazy Climber.  Emulation is great, options are great, even had a couple of scores in the top 20 for awhile on Front Line and Mat Mania, and I'm not great at these games.

Wish list includes far too many, waiting eagerly (and have been) for a big fat sale on these.  10 yd Fight and Donkey Kong 3 are way up there on my next to get list.

I just simply think they're superb.

[Daj]

On 3/20/2020 at 3:20 AM, Azathoth said:

I wholeheartedly agree. Not even having a barebones basic option like remapping buttons is pathetic, especially when their choices are stupid to start with. Fighter's History exemplifies everything wrong with their releases; the button mapping is atrocious and the difficulty is set to wipe the floor with you. Their release of Bad Dudes doesn't even let you do the power punch, which is a pretty large game breaking glitch.

Switch OS now supports a universal button mapping, with five slots you can save/reload configs from. It's not extremely convenient but it made Night Slashers playable for me. Wouldn't touch any more Johnny Turbo crap, but it's something.

[Magmavision2000]

Tube Panic was released about a week or so ago. I highly recommend it!

 

Also, what's the oldest game they've distributed? I'm kind of in the mood for some 70s games.

Edited April 27, 2020 by Magmavision2000

[roots.genoa]

8 hours ago, Magmavision2000 said:

Also, what's the oldest game they've distributed? I'm kind of in the mood for some 70s games.

I would say Crazy Climber (1980), one of the first Arcade Archives releases (which makes sense since Hamster acquired Nichibutsu's catalogue if I'm not mistaken).

I don't remember having seen games from the 70s, and I watch them quite closely for my web site. The technology in arcade was quite different in the 70s, which may explain why games are more difficult to emulate.