Blizzard Arcade Collection

As a birthday gift from Blizzard to itself, Blizzard Arcade Collection has been put together with some care. Sometimes good things come in smaller packages, though, and a lot of the content here is superfluous. Two of the Definitive Edition games are worse than the SNES titles also included, while Rock 'n Roll Racing's is so successful that including the SNES and Mega Drive versions has only really added clutter. The result is a need to start every version of every game a few times to work out which one is actually worth playing, which somewhat spoils the party. But, for all those imperfections, there's a lot to love: it may not be exactly what we've always wanted, but it's the thought that counts.

The Blizzard Arcade Collection isn't a perfect compilation by any means, but for the advancements that Blizzard made on some of these games without compromising the old-school visuals make it a must-own. The Museum is also a fun look back at the making of some of these old gems. Rock N Roll Racing by itself is more than worth the price of admission, but The Lost Vikings and Blackthorne are such unique time capsules of old-school Blizzard design that they're worth experiencing.

The price of admission might be somewhat high, as the games on offer are good, but not really that good, yet these remain classics in one way or another, even if there were far better alternatives, even at the time of their development. Having said that, they are definitely enjoyable; a bunch of titles that have stood the test of time. More importantly, the quality of this collection couldn't be any higher. It's basically a fantastic bundle of nostalgia, with lots of different versions of each game, plus plenty of behind-the-scenes material, excellent for those who are into the historical preservation side of the industry.

"Forgotten classics receive nice updates."

A fantastic example of how a collection of games should be done. Only 3 games available does hold this back a little.

Blackthorne is by far the deepest narrative-driven game of the three titles in the collection. It offers some rich world-building, unique settings and some challenging, innovative combat. Rough animations and movement, however, take some getting used to, especially for people who didn't grow up on the titles. If your willing to stick with it Blackthorne is a great platformer that offers a unique take on combat. Priced at USD $19.99 as part of a three-game collection, you really can't go wrong adding it to yours.

Blizzard Arcade Collection is a rad compilation of three niche titles that now will have a home on modern consoles, and that is awesome.

The Blizzard Arcade Collection is a very valid work from different points of view especially for the work done by the developers who haven’t limited themselves to simply re-proposing the basic versions of the games but who have added several possibilities with the final versions but also with a lot of accompanying contents to show users the history and life of the company from the 90s to today. In short, this collection is a very good work if you want to recover the history of videogames and go deeper into titles that characterize it.

It may not contain any arcade games but Blizzard Arcade Collection provides a collection of 3 solid old-school gems with plenty of ways to enjoy them. That being said, it still only includes 3 games so its value will be parallel to how much nostalgia you have for these titles.

Although it's light on actual games for the price, the Blizzard Arcade Collection shows off an intense amount of love for the included games. While the creation of the definitive editions of these games is welcome and the result does a great job of matching it up with modern standards, the inclusion of the different console editions is a great forward-thinking move for game preservation. The inclusion of lots of supplementary material is excellent for those who are interested in the history of these titles, and the games stand the test of time rather well. It also helps that the titles remain fun even today. Whether you're discovering these games for the first time or want to play them again, this is a compilation that's worth checking out.