Like the original release before it, Taito Milestones 2 is a collection of oddball titles from the company’s past, featuring a number of games that were previously released under Hamster’s Arcade Archives offerings. That may bum a few of you that already bought a couple of these games individually. However, there are some interesting options that make this package worth buying.
First off, it actually has a couple of games that haven’t been released yet. Darius II (in all its triple screen splendor) is seeing quite the debut here, along with the ridiculously cheesy Dino Rex brawler (Primal Rage it ain’t) and the humorous beat-em-up Solitary Fighter, which may have you saying “BOGON!” more than you might think.
Other than that, there’s a wide variety of titles here, including the highly enjoyable platformer Liquid Kids and the classic ninja adventure The Legend of Kage, among others. And it’s all done reasonably well, even if it does lack the historic punch of, say, Digital Eclipse’s offerings.
Nevertheless, for $40, you get ten solid offerings from Taito’s past – and for any classic gaming connoisseur, that pays for itself in spades.
What’s In the Package?
The compilation features ten titles. You’ve got the classic platformer The New Zealand Story; the top-down shooter Gun Frontier; the side-scrolling shoot-em-up Metal Black; the Pocky & Rocky prequel Kiki Kaikai; the beat-em-up Solitary Fighter; the humorous platformer Liquid Kids; the unique firefighting adventure Ben Bero Beh, the weird dino brawler Dino Rex, the ninja game The Legend of Kage; and the arcade shmup Darius II.
Now, some of you are probably expecting more popular titles like, say, Operation Wolf or Growl. Granted, there’s a Taito Milestones 3 on the way, so the possibility is definitely there. For now, though, there’s a surprising amount of variety here. Platformers, shmups, fighting games, you know it.
And they’re all emulated incredibly well. Hamster went back to the original arcade coding here, and it shows, without missing a beat. On top of that, there are options aplenty, including online leaderboards, as well as the ability to tweak lives, visual presentation and much more.
Alas, there’s no historical aspect. You can’t really dig into the history of each game, and it’s not nearly as detailed as the just-released The Making of Karateka, which shows just how a classic should be appreciated. But it handles the games exceptionally well, and for us impatient players, that’s enough.
So What’s the Best and What’s the Worst?
Without a doubt, Dino Rex is the worst. It’s a poor man’s Primal Rage with terrible controls and slipshod animation. That said, it’s still a, ahem, curious beast if you and a friend don’t mind having a few laughs. Solitary Fighter fares much better in terms of fisticuffs.
But this is a shmup paradise, with the likes of Metal Black, Gun Frontier and Darius II to keep you busy. All three games are a lot of fun.
The platformers are great, too. The New Zealand Story is definitely a highlight, and Liquid Kids will likely grow on you. The Legend of Kage is outstanding after all this time; and we’re fans of Kiki Kaikai as well, despite its strange name.
That leaves Ben Bero Beh, which plays very differently than you might expect. But it’s highly enjoyable, especially if you’re looking to go off the beaten path with Taito’s favorites.
Overall, it’s a solid collection. Some more recognizable favorites would’ve been good (how about Space Gun?), but this isn’t bad at all.
This Arcade’s Open All Night
While Taito Milestones 2 lacks the punch of a true classic compilation, what’s here is more than suitable for the price. You get ten great Taito games in one package, all emulated nicely with a handful of extras. And while some games are better than others, you’ll still spend a good while digging into its archives and finding some unexpected joy. We can’t even begin to tell you how much Liquid Kids has grown on us.
It certainly leaves us hope that the third collection will be even better – even without that precious piece of BOGON!
GAMERHUB RATING: 4 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
(Thanks to ININ Games for the review code. The game is available digitally now, and you can pre-order the physical edition from Strictly Limited Games here!)
