Gatchamania.net - Print: Data East Arcade Classics

Gatchamania.net (http://www.gatchamania.net/index.php)
- [Entertainment] (http://www.gatchamania.net/board.php?boardid=200)
-- Video/PC Games, Models & Toys (http://www.gatchamania.net/board.php?boardid=709)
--- Data East Arcade Classics (http://www.gatchamania.net/threadid.php?threadid=2855)

Posted by AllentownDarkWater on 25-02-2010 at 19:45:

Thumb Up! Data East Arcade Classics

I've heard certain people talk about this collection on other gaming forums I've been to, and I was at Costco Wholesale earlier this week looking at the Wii games (their selection of Wii titles is usually crappy) and found it for 20 bucks! Purchased immediately. Now Data East was a sort of hit or miss company. On one end, they've made some great classics. And on another end, they've made some total stinkers. Luckily, we don't have any of the latter in this collection. These are the games in it, and I've written some brief descriptions of them too:

BurgerTime:
This one shouldn't need an introduction. This was a very popular game during the golden age of arcade games. You're a chef who walks over burgers and at the same time, avoid over-sized killer fried eggs, hot dogs and pickles, and even trap them between the buns of the burgers. Spray them with your pepper spray to stun them!

Burnin' Rubber:
You drive around and destroy the other cars by bumping into them and pushing them into the side of the road. You can also jump on them too, and you have to use that jump button to get over gaps and cliffs.

Peter Pepper's Ice Cream Factory:
Peter Pepper decides to take a break from serving burgers and serve ice cream instead. I do not know how to play this one.

Express Raider:
Kind of like Kung Fu Master in an old-west setting. It's fun, but really hard.

Side Pocket:
It's umm, a game where you shoot pool. I don't know what else to say. I don't like this one, because again, it's too hard.

SRD:Super Real Darwin:
Another frustrating one. This is a vertical scrolling shooter where you have to collect DNA samples.

Heavy Barrel:
This is one of my favorite Data East games. It's a Commando/Ikari Warriors type of game where you (and a second player if you have one) raid the enemy's secret base and during your quest, you collect parts for the secret weapon:Heavy Barrel. Lots of fun, but the controls for the version in this collection are pretty awkward. Instead of using the L & R buttons to rotate, you pick what direction you want to face in using the right thumbstick (if you use the classic controller like I do, I don't know what you press to change the direction on the WiiMote or the Gamecube controller, which you can also use)

Bad Dudes vs. Dragonninja:
The president has been kidnapped by ninjas! Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the president? As stated in the cut scene after you put your quarter(s) in and press start. The president's been kidnapped by ninjas? Oh my! Well anyway, this is another highlight in Data East' reprotoire that's very well known and, to some extent loved game, but it's been a target of alot of jokes. One particular part of the game that's become a target of these jokes is the ending *SPOILER ALERT!* where after you beat the last boss and save the president, he says "Hey dudes! Thanks for saving me! Let's go for a burger! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

Secret Agent:
A platformer reminiscent of Rolling Thunder by Namco that was obviously heavily influenced by James Bond, because at the beginning of the game, you have to pick a 3 digit code number for your character, and there are bosses inspired by many famous Bond villians like Jaws and odd Job. I only played this one twice.

Crude Buster:
I played this to death on the Genesis (where it was called Two Crude Dudes) 10 years ago, and like Heavy Barrel, it's another favorite of mine from their reportoire. The game takes place in the year 2010 (Oh no, we're living this game as we speak!), and a nuclear explosion goes off in New York City that was caused by a mad scientist that turns many of the city's inhabitants into mindless beasts under his command, and he puts together a criminal organization called Big Valley to make sure nobody will interfere with his plans. Who can stop this lunatic? CRUDE BUSTER! A group of two government agents who will stop at nothing to end his evil reign! Anyway, what's great about this game is that you can pick up almost anything (including other enemies and the other player's character) and use it as a weapon!

Caveman Ninja:
All the cavebabes have been kidnapped by a bunch of dorky evil cavemen! Now you have to save them! This game is a fun but frustrating platformer. And the cavegirls in it are great eye candy. Smile I like it.

Wizard Fire:
An overhead pseudo 3D game where you get to choose from 5 characters. I never played this game before getting the collection, and it's really fun.

Street Hoop:
It's a basketball game. It's kinda fun, but it's ridiculously hard. Alot of the background music also has these rap vocals in it too, but most of them sound like a 40-50 something year old man trying to rap, but it's enjoyable in a silly type of way.

Magical Drop III:
It's a puzzle game. I don't know much about this one. Sorry.

Overall, it's a great collection of arcade hits by a great company, and another good thing about it is that because of it, all these arcade classics can be rediscovered by a whole new generation of gamers. I was too young to remember what these games were like in their prime, and I wish I could've been old enough to see some of these games when they were in their prime. I have a few complaints about the collection though. 1.There's no dip switch settings or anything for any of the games. Well I can't find one at least. I guess you have to enter a code or do some button combination or something. Also, the music quality in some of the games, such as Crude Buster is really muddy. That's really it though. Other than that, nice collection. Would've been nice if they also included Cobra Command and Road Blaster (aka Road Avenger) as unlockable bonuses.

__________________
Banned

Posted by JohngPR on 25-02-2010 at 20:59:

Nice impressions.

Out of all of those I've played Burger Time and Bad Dudes when I was a kid. I remember in Bad Dudes at the end of every level your character would say in a horribly synthesized voice, "I'm bad!"

:p

__________________
Hang in there, Gatchaman

Posted by AllentownDarkWater on 26-02-2010 at 00:12:

quote:

Originally posted by JohngPR
Nice impressions.

Out of all of those I've played Burger Time and Bad Dudes when I was a kid. I remember in Bad Dudes at the end of every level your character would say in a horribly synthesized voice, "I'm bad!"

:p

You must've played the NES version. BTW, little trivia:In the arcade version, the president was made to look like Ronald Reagan, but in the NES version, he was changed to look like the current president of that time, George Bush Sr.

__________________
Banned