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Capcom Classics Collection Remixed Mini Review
Chris Leyton
26/07/2006
Capcom take us back to the 80s, a time when vertical-shooters and side-scrolling beat-em-ups ruled the world...
With a history in videogames dating back to 1984, Capcom have a richer vein of back-catalogue classics to tap into than most. So it's little surprise to find the likes of Capcom Classics Collection Remixed arriving on the PSP, coming soon after its release on the Playstation2 and following the recent compilation of Street Fighter Alpha titles on the Playstation2.
Featuring 20 different titles from 1986 to 1992, Capcom Classics Collection Remixed throws a comprehensive selection of genres that were popular at the time, including the obligatory vertical-shooter and the scrolling beat-em-up.
The inclusion of the original 'Street Fighter' is one of the main attractions behind this compilation, if only to remember just how bad it was. With stiff animation, poor collision detection and limited AI, resulting in one of the most frustrating videogame experiences possible, it's a wonder just how the Street Fighter franchise became the biggest thing on Earth during the subsequent decade! But its inclusion will please Capcom fans, purely because it's probably the only time you'll see it these days - unless of course you're visiting the antiquated arcades on the local pier or planning on unearthing those even dodgier home conversions.
It's not all bad, however, like any compilation Capcom Classics Collection Remixed is a hearty dose of the good, the bad and the ugly. 'Final Fight' remains as hard-hitting as it was back in 1989, 'Strider' as engaging and stylish as ever and 'Bionic Commando' a true test of grit, dexterity and determination.
One surprise is just how many variations of the vertical-shooter Capcom created back in the 80's. Beyond the archetypal '1941', the relatively unknown 'Avengers' takes on the same concept, but puts this into a beat-em-up to create a largely unique experience unlike anything we've seen throughout the years.
Tucked away within the compilation there's also a number of hidden treats that even Capcom fanatics may have missed out the first time around. 'Last Duel' once again is a variation on the vertical-shooter, but allows you the novel trick of swapping between a plane and a car; or the amalgamation of a vertical-shooter and scrolling beat-em-up in the 1986 title 'Legendary Wings'. Perhaps the best surprise is the inclusion of 'Mega Twins', a scrolling beat-em-up/shooter hybrid that sports a visual style that still looks fresh in the modern day. The precursor to GTA turns up in the enjoyable 1986 title 'The Speed Rumbler', challenging you to wage war in your motor and pop out on foot when its about to blow up.
Capcom Classics Collection Remixed also manages to include the downright obscure, such as the American and Fantasy themed quiz title 'Quiz & Dragons' - unless you're confident of your 1980's American pop-culture, one to avoid at all costs! As the title suggests 'Three Wonders' from 1991 contains three separate games, yes you guessed it, the trademark scrolling-shooter; a luscious platform game and a strange take on SEGA's 'Pengo' (itself a derivative of Pac-Man).
Capcom have enlisted the expertise of emulator experts Digital Eclipse to bring the games to the PSP, each of which have been ported accurately from the original arcade versions. There's plenty to keep the Capcom fanatic, with bonuses for achieving scores or certain objectives in each game and plenty of trivia to keep you happy. Because of the unlimited continues it's often more a test of perseverance then the skill required and imposed by a limited supply of 10p coins twenty-odd years ago, however, there's still a selection of games that will leave you wanting to throw the PSP out of the nearest window!
If you grew up with these games during the 80's then Capcom Classics Collection Remixed is an essential purchase, purely for nostalgic reasons but also to remember just how tough games were back then. Genuine classics (ones that haven't been farmed out too frequently before) such as Strider, Bionic Commando and Forgotten Worlds, join more established titles and some you've probably never heard of before.
Of course it's not for everybody, pass this onto somebody under the age of 18 and watch as their attention wanes after five minutes and an expression of disgust quickly appears across their face.
