Everytime a new Taito collection comes out, I’m more and more surprised by the many arcade games I had never heard about until playing them in these re-releases. And for the most part, it’s good to get to know them better, because they tend to be nice representations of each of their particular points in gaming history. That also goes for Taito Milestones 3, which comes out on the 10th.
After a decidedly okay entry in Taito Milestones 2, one that boiled down to side-scrolling and vertical shooters, the third one brings more thematic variety, as well as different styles of gameplay – some succeed at still being quite playable today, while others not so much.
None of that, however, takes away the importance of releases like this in terms of preservation and enlightenment of otherwise forgotten games. Taito Milestones 3 is as barebones in terms of presentation and features as the volumes that came before it, with the only real standout option being the ability to apply a sizable list of screen filters. There’s not even a save state toggle; you can only record a single one if you need to quit out of the game and back to the main menu.
That’s a shame, really, because I really enjoyed the list of games in this one overall. The highlights are, obviously, Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands, far and away the most known and popular of the games here, which dispense any kind of description, safe to say they are adorably simple, but fun.
Still, I would go to bat about the first Rastan Saga, the clear inspiration for one of my favorite indie games, Volgarr The Viking, but not so for its sequel, a clunkier game that tried to make up for that by having HUGE, awkwardly moving sprites. Warrior Blade, also known as the third Rastan game, takes the series to a beat ‘em up format, allowing you to pick from three heroes and a playfield that spanned an impressive dual-screen display for two players to take down hordes of enemies at once.
Cadash is the weird one of the bunch. It’s an action side-scrolling platformer with RPG elements, something rare in an arcade game from that time. You can pick from a handful of archetypes and explore its – by 1989 standards – intricate world while earning XP and gathering items under a strict time limit. It also features co-op and is a good time all throughout.
It wouldn’t be an early 1990s compilation without a run ‘n gun, and Thunder Fox is there to fit that bill. As part of an anti-terrorist group, your mission is to do away with all sorts of baddies as you slowly stagger across the screen. Yeah, it’s no Contra, sadly. Runark, on the other hand, has you assuming the role of heroes torn straight out of pop culture to rid the forests of evil poachers by using a bunch of assorted weapons like guns, rocket launchers, and your FISTS. It’s silly, violent, but most importantly, a good time.
I have to say that I’ve got a soft spot for Dead Connection. It’s set in the 1950s and you play as one of four detectives tasked with showing the Mafia what’s what by shooting the ever living crap out of its cronies in a series of levels with 8-way directional aiming. It plays very well and gets chaotic in later stages, when enemies litter the screen and your little guy is fighting for his life. Never heard about this one until now and I’m glad I got to play it.
Closing out the list is Champion Wrestler from 1989. It’s exactly what you imagine, a wrestling game with a roster of fictional buff dudes who are ready to throw each other around at the sound of the gong. It’s ridiculously simple to play, with only two attack buttons, you have to slowly burn away the enemy’s stamina before going in for the pin. Two fighters can team up for 2v2 matches, or go against one another in this.
Taito Milestones 3 manages to top the previous entry with a wide range of arcade games. They’re not all memorable, but the standouts are some of the strongest that the company, now part of Square Enix, has thought out including in one of these so far. Now, if only they could add bonus material and a better presentation…
