Data East Arcade Classics Review

The vintage vitalization theory is blissfully uncomplicated; it’s proposes that a retro compilation’s merit is measured by the number of its individual inclusions which have withstood the test of time. At one end of the spectrum, anthologies such as Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection or SNK Arcade Classics Volume 1 would rank high with their robust ratio of diversions which remain enjoyable nearly two decades after their original release. On the other side of things, there are collections like Temco Classic Arcade– a compendium of titles which hasn’t aged as gracefully.

Positioned between those two extremes is the recently released Data East Arcade Classics disk. About half of the fifteen games on the compilation reflect play mechanics that may seem woefully archaic to contemporary players, while the other half have resiliently resisted the ravages of time. Surprisingly, this has less to do with each individual title’s age, but rather how far each amusement’s particular genre has evolved.

For most gamers, Burgertime will be the most recognizable name of the anthology. The 1982 arcade classic tasks players with constructing several giant hamburgers, as a mob of angry foodstuffs chases the protagonist around a maze-like environment. What elevated the coin-op was its intriguing risk/reward mechanisms- players which allowed the sauntering snacks to come precariously close could complete their duties twice as fast. Fortunately, these mechanics remain intriguing twenty-eight years later; at the end of each game, I was eager to play again, in hopes of surpassing my last performance.

Nearly as charming is Burnin’ Rubber (known to Western audiences as Bump N’ Jump), where gamers shove opponents toward the fringes of the screen as they drive along a shifting roadway. Periodically, players are required to initiate a gargantuan leap to avoid breaks in the highway, adding another interesting facet to the gameplay. Although Burnin’ Rubber’s graphics are amusingly simple, the title’s unique blending of vehicular combat and driving remains remarkably gratifying and might serve as an inspiration for burgeoning developers.

Heavy Barrel and Magical Drop III represent the shooter and puzzle categories modestly. Both are entertaining, as each game offers an early rendering of the prospective genres. Heavy Barrel’s snags lay not in the recreation of its proprietary rotating joysticks, but by requiring the player to press the fire button each time a weapon is fired. After a half hour of play, my trigger finger was sore from hundreds of slightly cumbersome button presses. Magical Drop III‘s problems lay in it redundancy- most savvy gamers have likely played through dozens of similar, more sophisticated puzzlers. 

Less successful are the disk’s sporting amusements and brawlers. Both Side Pocket and Street Hoop pale in comparison to today’s simulations of pool and basketball, while Crude Buster and Wizard Fire are filled with frustrating, unavoidable strikes from on-screen protagonists. On the other hand, Caveman Ninja incorporates some subtle platforming elements, and recalling yesteryear classics like Bonk and Adventure Island.

Generally, the emulation found on the Data East Collection is proficient; games plays at the proper speed, and each title’s sound effects and musical strains are faithfully mimicked. While the collection does reward success with medals and unlockables for each game, players hoping to adjust each game’s default settings are out of luck. One element of the disk that is inexplicable is the frequent and lengthy load times; especially since some of the games on the disk are as little as 12K in size.