While certain Data East classics can be entertaining, a lackluster interface and excessive loading times often spoil the party.

Game Summary

Popzara Rating

Even with its relatively low asking price, its difficult to recommend Data East Arcade Classics to anyone outside of the most dedicated arcade junkies, and even they may come away slightly disappointed. While inclusions like Bad Dudes and Burger Time are true classics, but a lackluster interface and excessive loading make for a disjointed overall experience. The Wii is famous for housing numerous arcade classics via its download services, and given the mix-matched nature of most titles here, perhaps they would have been better taking that route instead. The hardcore might want to take a stroll, but most will probably think twice before venturing down this second-rate memory lane. Release Date: 02/19/2010 ESRB Rating: T Publisher: Majesco

Written by Herman Exum

Sometimes it’s easy for people to forget some of the classics, with so many good instances of nostalgia in healthy amounts there is plenty of quantity along with quality. Taking the retro back roads into the defunct workhouse of Data East Corporation is a combination of fond memories and enjoyment, thanks to Majesco and current asset-holder G1M2 with  Data East Arcade Classics, which corals 15 emulated arcade titles from the developer's arcade heyday onto one disc for the Nintendo Wii.  While you can't fault the developers for putting together a tasty slice of nostalgia, hardcore fans will probably find the retro-love spread a little too thin.

Indeed, there are a handful of perfectly-emulated coin-op games that include both action and puzzlers, like the hilarious Caveman Ninja (i.e. Joe & Mac), the classic Burger Time, and the timeless favorite Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja. Games like these are the reason you spent your allowance at your local arcade without a care in the world, while others like Crude Buster (i.e. Two Crude Dudes) and Heavy Barrel are recognizable and still entertaining for old-time sake, and they certainly don't skip on being quarter-gobbling unfair and completely unbalanced.  Yet, we forgive them, because only the mightiest gamer (and the ability to add endless credits) can win the day and post their initials for all to see.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t translate into the majority of titles, where other less-than notable entries like Street Hoop and Peter Pepper’s Ice Cream Factory (the sequel to Burger Time) are probably best left forgotten.  Such things are common when you're trying to pack as many games into one collection, although it might have been better to focus more on actual gems, rather than fill up empty space with unnecessary padding.

Here's what games are included in the package, in alphabetical order:

Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja
Burger Time
Burnin' Rubber
Caveman Ninja
Crude Buster
Express Raider
Heavy Barrel
Lock ‘n' Chase
Magical Drop III
Peter Pepper's Ice Cream Factory
Secret Agent
Side Pocket
Street Hoop
Super Real Darwin
Wizard Fire

Most play fine, regardless of whatever control set-up you prefer (Wii Remote, Classic, Gamecube Controller), and players can map their controls as they see fit.  There's one exception, as in order to play Heavy Barrel properly you'll have to use the Classic Controller, which does its best to approximate the original game's unique rotating controller using analog sticks.  Still, if its absolute authenticity that you're searching for, I'd even go as far to recommend a true arcade-style controller for maximum button slamming fun.

The meticulous attention (or lack thereof) to detail is apparent from the first pixel, as the collection stays true to their original 4:3 display presentations, which means black bars sandwiching the left and right columns on 16:9 widescreen displays.  While not a deal breaker, its certainly disappointing that this black space wasn't put to better use, especially as many of the original games' colorful marquees and bezels can be unlocked through multiple plays.  At least the game supports 480p output, although this can result in the occasional visual hiccup.

But its not just the games themselves that are stuck in the past, as that mentality stretches to the interface, which is also stuck in the digital stone-age.  Just about every aspect of the entire presentation is lacking, from the torturous initial boot-up and between-game loading times, to the sloppy presentation itself.  This also extends to how the game handles save-data, or rather, doesn't handle it.  While the game does save your achievement progress, it doesn't record your higher scores or custom button mapping...unless you specifically save before closing out each session.  Given the lackluster menu system and extreme load times, the experience is far from ideal.

Even with its relatively low asking price, its difficult to recommend Data East Arcade Classics to anyone outside of the most dedicated arcade junkies, and even they may come away slightly disappointed.  While inclusions like Bad Dudes and Burger Time are true classics, but a lackluster interface and excessive loading make for a disjointed overall experience.  The Wii is famous for housing numerous arcade classics via its download services, and given the mix-matched nature of most titles here, perhaps they would have been better taking that route instead.  The hardcore might want to take a stroll, but most will probably think twice before venturing down this second-rate memory lane.