Random Game O' the Day: Williams Arcade Classics

[digitalpress]

The DP Random Compilation Generator (tm) has chosen - of all things, the Game.com version - of Williams Arcade Classics. Since only 14 people actually own a Game.com and only 5 of them are willing to admit they've played it, we'll open the gates and discuss ALL versions of this compliation.

So. What did you think of the compilation? What games still "work well"? What games play better using a modern joypad control, if any? Which version of the game did the best job at the emulation? Did you ever actually play the Game.com version? Discuss the game with us here, write your own mini-review.

DP Guide sez:

Williams Arcade Classics (Game.com, by Tiger) $1/R1
Contains 5 classic arcade games: Joust, Defender, Robotron, Defender II (Stargate), and Sinistar Supports multiple-system linking. EASTER EGGS: Start a game of Robotron, enter the options screen and click on "lives" 50 times to activate God Mode. BOX DESCRIPTION: ''Five of the greatest arcade hits of all time - now available in one portable collection: Joust, Defender, Robotron, Defender II (Stargate), Sinistar! Classic game play, radical fun. -Full versions of the biggest hits in coin-op history! -Animations and sound effects from the originals -Staying power to the max: these classic launched an industry!'' Released 1997. #71-722.

Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits (Genesis, by Midway) $5/R3
Features 5 of the 6 titles that were included on the PSX and Saturn versions: Stargate, Defender, Robotron: 2084, Sinistar and Joust. Bubbles was dropped from this version. Miscellaneous/Compilation.

Arcade's Greatest Hits: Williams (PlayStation, by Midway) $12/R3
a.k.a. Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits
Developed by Williams. Available in "long box" packaging. Released 4/10/96.

Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits (Saturn, by Midway) $8/R3
Compilation disc containing Williams coin-op classics Bubbles, Defender, Defender II, Joust, Robotron: 2084 and Sinistar. Miscellaneous/Compilation. Released 1996. #T-9703H.

Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits (SNES, by Williams) $6/R2
Compilation disc containing Williams coin-op classics Bubbles, Defender, Defender II, Joust, Robotron: 2084 and Sinistar. Features Defender I and II, Sinistar, Joust, and Robotron 2084. Miscellaneous/Compilation. Released 1996. #SNS-AW8E-USA.

[christianscott27]

as the resident game.com fanboy i'll give my two cents.

everything is so-so except sinistar which is really cool.

i love joust but this version is barely better than tigers keychain version

robotron could be fun but theres that control issue

defender/stargate just doesnt work on a small grainy screen

the opening of the game with the arcade is cool and the sound clips are very good, one of the g.c's stregnths.

if you're gonna own a game.com this is one of the titles to have. although i really like the SNES version of this game pack best.

[bargora]

I think I've mentioned it before, but if you're playing the Playstation version and using a MadCatz Dual Force controller, you can use the sticks to play Robotron, as long as the analog light is off. Very cool. But still, I'm only a dabbler. My high score on Robotron is less than 200k. Great compilation.

[davidbrit2]

Gee, I didn't realize there were only 5 of us. Heh.

And stay away from the GBA release. All four games are quite poorly implemented. The control in Sinistar is honestly so bad, I don't know how it made it through play testing. You seriously can't play it. Robotron is the best one of the four games on the cartridge, but even then, the control isn't what it should be.

[SoulBlazer]

I THOUGHT there was a GBA release also....thanks for letting me know I was'nt dreaming.

[ubersaurus]

Odd...I don't remember Bubbles being on my copy of the SNES one.



It was on Dreamcast too...compilation really got around.

[digitalpress]

I THOUGHT there was a GBA release also....thanks for letting me know I was'nt dreaming.

Oops, sorry if I misled you. For future reference whenever you see "DP Guide", know that the Guide database covers inactive systems only (with the exception of the anomaly PlayStation, whose grave we've been standing near for 2 years now, but it won't go quietly).

[ManekiNeko]

Here are my opinions of the versions I've played:

SATURN: A brilliant collection, with six Williams games so close to the originals that you can actually change settings in the BIOS (it's loads of fun to input your own message that appears on the title screen!). Robotron is possibly the weakest link in the collection, because the colors in the warp between rounds are washed out and the six button control is a little awkward. It's still immensely playable, however, and the rest of the games are even better. It's a must have for anyone with a Saturn.

DREAMCAST: This isn't *quite* as good as the Saturn version... the graphics don't seem as crisp and there aren't as many configuration options. Nevertheless, it's a solid collection and worth purchasing if you don't already own the Saturn version.

GENESIS: Hmm. I don't know went wrong here... in many ways, the five games offered here are excellent translations. Overall, though, this collection just doesn't compare to the Dreamcast and Saturn versions. Robotron is plagued with horrific slowdown, and all the games are much too difficult. They're actually tougher than they were in the arcades, especially Robotron which OVERWHELMS you with enemies and Sinistar which barely gives you time to blink before you're swallowed whole by the game's evil space cruiser. On the plus side, they really do look like their arcade counterparts, and thankfully, Sinistar doesn't suffer from the awful voice synthesis that you'd expect from your average Genesis game (although his voice IS more high pitched, sounding more like Vincent Price than James Earl Jones).

GAME BOY ADVANCE: This game's the big loser of the bunch. Everything that could have gone wrong with this collection did. Sinistar is nearly unplayable thanks to horrific control and a tiny viewscreen, and the rest of the games are only slightly better. The effects in Robotron look awful... they're very choppy, which surprises me because the original game is nearly twenty years old. We're not talking about texture mapped polygons here... the Game Boy Advance could have easily handled a few serpentine laser blasts. The other two games are awful, too... in fact, the whole collection is complete rubbish. I expected better from Midway.

JR

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

I have the PS1 version - love it, love it, love it. With my big twin arcade joystick, Robotron is now sheer bliss (damn near unplayable if you're trying to do it with the double D-pads on the standard PS1 controller), and with my Blaze Pro Shock joystick even Sinistar plays well. This is still one of my favorite compilation games.

[ManekiNeko]

Is it safe to assume that it's the same as the Saturn version, Phos?

JR

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

I haven't seen any options for mucking about with the BIOS, so I'm not sure.

[NE146]

One of the BEST (and one of the original) retro compilations around. Don't forget there was a pc version as well released just around the days when Mame was a baby. :P

The original PS1 version is top notch. The emulation is spot on, and Robotron plays pretty well with the diamond button configuration for the right joystick (ditto for the Dreamcast version). But the kicker is the great text write-ups for each game and the excellent video interviews with Eugene Jarvis and that other guy (who's name escapes me at the moment ) . I forget offhand whether the pc version had these interviews as well.. I think it might have. The games are great, but that little "background" history touch gives it just the right setting.

Anyone ever notice that if you play Robotron on the SNES and Genesis versions, that it looks arcade like, but the playfield has SHRUNK?? It's real subtle, but you can tell there's definitely a lot less real estate in both those versions.

Arcade SNES


The only complaint I'd have with most of the versions is with Sinistar because of course one of the big deals with the arcade game was the 49 position optical Joystick. So it's just kind of sucky that we're limited to 8 directions in most of the ports Oh well.. it aint major.

What can I say about the atrocious GBA version that hasn't been said already. It really does suck! Yknow the sad thing is the old GBC Defender/Joust plays a much better version of these games than the GBA classics version. Go figure. If you find one, check it out.. I mean, it aint arcade perfect, but the gameplay is smooth and it's an overall great port. It works even better on the GBA screen since it gets stretched out and more closely resembles the aspect ratio of the arcade game

[The Unknown Gamer]

When I first spotted WAC Playstation version I snapped it up fast.
I love them all especially Sinistar

[SoulBlazer]

Is that why you left out the Dreamcast version also, DP?

No worries. I think, BTW, that we're going to continue to see new PS1 games in the States at least for another year.....it's becoming a good system for 'bargin' games to pop up on.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Eugene Jarvis and that other guy (who's name escapes me at the moment)

Larry DeMar, I think.

[grayejectbutton]

I have Arade's Greatest Hits for the SNES. But...I have a confession and then a plea for help...I don't know how to play Sinistar. Will somebody please tell me? I don't have the instruction manual for the cart and I never played it in the arcades, so I have no clue how to play it. None of the "enemies" seem to be able to hit my ship, except this one enemy that comes along later and shoots. And it tells me to "mine crystals" or something, yet I can't find any obvious way to do this. Help!

[Raccoon Lad]

shoot the rocks, collect the dots "crystals" Collected crystals are converted into Sini-bombs that can be used to destroy Sinistar.

[kainemaxwell]

Ps1 version is top notch as is DC, gotta remember that. how's the DC version play with the controller anyhow?

Also I dunno if i can mention it here but anyone play the top-notch PC version of this, with all the extras like video files, marquee shots and the like? Did any of that come with the Saturn, DC or PS1 editions?

[grayejectbutton]

shoot the rocks, collect the dots "crystals" Collected crystals are converted into Sini-bombs that can be used to destroy Sinistar.

Thanks, but...well...what IS Sinistar?? The big bad guy at the end or something? A mother ship? A planet? Plus, what are those ships doing? They just fly around and don't seem to do much of anything.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

The red drones do their own crystal mining and use the crystals to build Sinistar. They can't hurt you.

The grey gunships actively seek you out, especially if you're killing a lot of the drones.

Sinistar is not the boss at the end. Sinistar IS the end is it's completed and begins homing in on you and you don't have enough bombs. He can most certainly hurt you. RUN, COWARD! RUN! RUN! RUN!!!