Want me to review a game? Simply say it is filled full of arcade classics and my internal child will activate. I’ll be back in the Gold Mine arcade in Atlanta, Georgia, where some of the best video game memories were made. I’ll feel right at home.
That activated feeling is back! Thanks to ININ Games Taito Milestones 3, which takes a bunch of Taito arcade titles, some good, some bad, and brings them home on the Nintendo Switch. While the arcade titles in this release are more of a collection from Arcade Archives games, a series of cheap $7.99 revisits, they are emulated perfectly. If you’re looking for an Atari 50-type of experience, though, then you’re going to be severely disappointed.
Sit back, relax, clean those incredibly thick glasses so that you can see the television set, old-timer, and let’s talk about Taito Milestones 3.
Arcade Games Done Well
The arcade games featured in the Taito Milestones 3 are emulated quite well. You get accurate translations from their arcade counterparts and the same type of gameplay you would expect if you lived during this gaming time. That’s a huge positive when you’re considering why you want to buy this collection. You’ve come for the memories with tough-as-nails Taito arcade games, and Taito Milestones 3 delivers. Here are the titles included in this arcade collection:
Bubble Bobble – This is probably the headliner in the collection, as most gamers have come across this title in some way or fashion. You play as an adorable dragon, who must blow bubbles to capture and pop enemies. It’s a simple game with how it works and screams 80s video game structure very loudly.
Rainbow Islands – Not to be outdone by Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands have you play as Bubby and Bobby in human form, and you throw rainbows out at enemies as you scale upwards on an enemy-filled level. It’s a little bit more complicated and certainly more visually appealing than BB, which is a huge plus, but is it as fun? Not really, but the attempt was there to follow up and create a better version of BB. Ain’t nothing like trying something new.
Rastan Saga – Before Sega’s Golden Axe arrived in the arcade, there was Rastan Saga. You play as a beefy, Conan-like warrior (fur undies and everything) wielding a giant sword. You traverse through piles of enemies and do your best to survive. I wasted so many quarters on this game in the theater in the Atlanta Galleria as a kid. Surprisingly, the game is still a fun action experience that holds up after all this time. Granted, if you’re not used to killing the same type of enemies repeatedly, you may not enjoy this 1987 classic. If you’re an arcade-driven child, like yours truly, then it’s a barrel of fun. The game is a strong addition to the collection.
Rastan Saga II – I didn’t know they made a sequel! The sequel is a bit clunky, though much prettier, sans how the main character walks (hip issues?), and it doesn’t hold up when compared to the original. The controls feel a bit delayed when playing but it certainly screams 1988. You could see the 16-bit age was arriving and it reflects that in-game with detailed/cool enemies and interesting power-ups.
Champion Wrestler – The wrestling game that Nintendo released before this 1989 classic must have been the starting blueprint for what became Champion Wrestler. While the wrestlers look like Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure rejects, the game plays quite well. It’s a simple pick-up-and-go wrestling experience that offers easy mechanics that equal fun wrestling moves. This was a delightful addition to the collection and one that I will most certainly revisit.
Cadash – I find this game interesting. Generally, arcade games are meant for short stints and feature simple objectives without much fluff to the backend. Cadash isn’t that game. It feels more like a knock-off of The Legend of Zelda, where you invade caves and dungeons, level up your character, and go on an actual action RPG adventure. You play as 1-4 players, who are tasked with weeding out evil creatures. You can upgrade weapons, and characters, and play until you get tired. It’s a weird, yet wonderful arcade experience, as it goes against the arcade grain of wanting your money by killing you quickly. It’s a neat game.
Runark – I have no idea what to make of this game and its intentions. Design-wise, the game is treated like Capcom’s Final Fight series. You pick from four characters and go on a fist-kick action adventure. The story of the game reminds me of Indiana Jones if it had a baby with Crocodile Dundee. Tough guys who are nearly shirtless that kick the shit out of a bevy of weapon-toting morons. It’s straight-up action that features familiar characters and familiar gameplay. It’s fun but repetitive, as was the case with Final Fight.
Warrior Blade – This is the third game in the Rastan Saga, and it appears to have learned a lot from Sega’s Golden Axe with its gameplay. Graphically, the game is a gorgeous arcade action experience where you swing swords or other weaponry to take down an endless number of enemies. It features a non-linear path structure, where you can choose from multiple areas to start bashing heads. That’s a structure that Crossbow set during its stint in the early 80s. Anyway, this game is gorgeous to look at but short on level content. The levels are incredibly small in stature as they don’t last long. That said, the game is still cool and a very updated version of Rastan in nearly every way possible.
Thunder Fox – Riding Konami’s Contra coattails, Thunder Fox is a mix of that game, even down to the shirtless protagonist. It also has a hint of Rolling Thunder, as it features an endless number of enemies that you must take down with a knife or a ridiculous number of other weaponry. It’s mindless fun, but fun, nonetheless. Not my favorite in the collection but it is still a good arcade game.
Dead Connection – What an oddity in this collection! You play 20s detectives who are trying to shake down criminals. The game is unlike anything else in the collection, as the levels are wide shots that have multi-tier pieces where enemies come at you. It is a neat concept, especially as it brings four players to choose from during gameplay, and it is executed well with how the main characters aim (all over the X-Y axis) and how levels are completed. It’s still an oddity, but it’s innovative with its design.
The games featured in the Taito Milestones 3 are more action-oriented, sans Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands. You will find a good timeline of progression with the games and can see influences from other titles during the time, and some innovations for arcade experiences that should be recognized (looking at you, Cadash). I enjoyed the collection and felt like ININ did a superb job of bringing an accurate representation of the originals to the Switch.
Beyond Arcade Archives
As mentioned at the beginning, these games are a part of the Arcade Archives collection and generally go for about $7.99 each. This entire collection is $24.99 on the Nintendo Switch, so it’s a steal of a deal if you consider individual prices and what you’re delivered. The games also feature multiple ways to play them, depending on the game, and how you can adjust the view onscreen. I particularly enjoyed the ultra-wide feel of Rastan III. I wish more classic games could take that route.
Now, that said, I do wish there was a bit more context and history with each game. I think that if ININ Games adds just a drop of history, when a game was created, and why, then this collection becomes so much more. One big reason I enjoyed Atari 50 is that they added more information to the games and bridged gaps between years so you can see how Atari games progressed from A to B. I like that context and feel that any classic collection, like Taito Milestones 3, should feature that add-on. It makes the experience special and makes it less of just an emulator.
Again, for $24.99, I get why this collection only goes so far. Still, the video game history buff in me wants a bit more.
On that note, let’s wrap this review up.
Conclusion
Taito Milestones 3 from ININ Games represents Taito arcade classics well. While it’s nothing more than a collection of Arcade Archives games, it still is nice to have more bang for your buck all in one place. I wish there was more history added to each game, just giving them more context and beef, but the price doesn’t warrant that type of Atari 50 effort. It’s still a solid collection.
