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More and more films are getting the dusting off treatment these days. You may well have noticed that Apocalypse Now is coming out on DVD, treated to a nice new soundtrack and shiny picture, Robocop has been given the director’s cut treatment and many other films and TV series of yesteryear are appearing on both DVD and video, some of them as huge compilations in the case of the old kids favorites.
Games aren’t really that far behind either, the Robocop game is in the works to coincide with the DVD release and remakes are being made all the time, but perhaps the games companies are being a bit too ambitious creating new games around old licences? When the 8-bit and even the 16-bit consoles were out, the arcade machines of the time were still far more powerful than the computers and consoles of the time. Colours were crisper and more varied and the custom graphics boards on the arcade cabinet could move the graphics around and a fair old rate. This just couldn’t be achieved on the home technology and cuts had to be made in one or more areas, often making a game that came just short of the arcade experience.
If games companies thought a bit more about their past, they would realise that compilations used to sell thousands. The Spectrum and C64 had many compendiums of top games just a year after their original release. The big guns at the time, Ocean and Imagine for example, had themed compilation packs with movie tie-ins, sports titles and general action hi-octane gameplay all squashed into one nice hefty box. Those were the days when you could walk in to Boots or WHSmiths and pick up a nicely priced pack of older releases without having to build up your back-catalogue one at a time.
So with all these arcade cabinets still doing the rounds in arcades up and down the country and many more that were never used for home consoles at all, why not produce a more up-to-date compilation pack of arcade games. It should be easy to use the same code from the motherboards on the arcade cabinet, preventing the need for tons of coding, and then perhaps enhancing them further with even better sound and graphics. The likes of X-Men, The Simpsons and many more would be welcome on the Playstation 2 and other new consoles if packaged together, and we could go back even further to see the Metal Slug series and other SNK delights that first appeared on the woefully passed over Neo-Geo. The technology is there now and those arcade games are still very much playable today. Capcom started the ball rolling on the PSX with their nice little early games compilation (pick it up if you don’t already have these games emulated, just to see how good the original Capcom games really were), so there is no excuse for other companies to follow suit.
Who knows, if these are successful then many newer games companies might jump on the bandwagon and provide compilations from the Saturn and PSX, especially since Sega has already provided a nice collection of its Saturn games on the PC (see the free gifts section of the Special Reserve club for more on this). Yes, there should be many more new games, but let us not forget those gems of yesteryear that could be shined up and given a new pair of trousers so they can come out and meet the current consoles.
Games aren’t really that far behind either, the Robocop game is in the works to coincide with the DVD release and remakes are being made all the time, but perhaps the games companies are being a bit too ambitious creating new games around old licences? When the 8-bit and even the 16-bit consoles were out, the arcade machines of the time were still far more powerful than the computers and consoles of the time. Colours were crisper and more varied and the custom graphics boards on the arcade cabinet could move the graphics around and a fair old rate. This just couldn’t be achieved on the home technology and cuts had to be made in one or more areas, often making a game that came just short of the arcade experience.
If games companies thought a bit more about their past, they would realise that compilations used to sell thousands. The Spectrum and C64 had many compendiums of top games just a year after their original release. The big guns at the time, Ocean and Imagine for example, had themed compilation packs with movie tie-ins, sports titles and general action hi-octane gameplay all squashed into one nice hefty box. Those were the days when you could walk in to Boots or WHSmiths and pick up a nicely priced pack of older releases without having to build up your back-catalogue one at a time.
So with all these arcade cabinets still doing the rounds in arcades up and down the country and many more that were never used for home consoles at all, why not produce a more up-to-date compilation pack of arcade games. It should be easy to use the same code from the motherboards on the arcade cabinet, preventing the need for tons of coding, and then perhaps enhancing them further with even better sound and graphics. The likes of X-Men, The Simpsons and many more would be welcome on the Playstation 2 and other new consoles if packaged together, and we could go back even further to see the Metal Slug series and other SNK delights that first appeared on the woefully passed over Neo-Geo. The technology is there now and those arcade games are still very much playable today. Capcom started the ball rolling on the PSX with their nice little early games compilation (pick it up if you don’t already have these games emulated, just to see how good the original Capcom games really were), so there is no excuse for other companies to follow suit.
Who knows, if these are successful then many newer games companies might jump on the bandwagon and provide compilations from the Saturn and PSX, especially since Sega has already provided a nice collection of its Saturn games on the PC (see the free gifts section of the Special Reserve club for more on this). Yes, there should be many more new games, but let us not forget those gems of yesteryear that could be shined up and given a new pair of trousers so they can come out and meet the current consoles.
On the Acorn Electron they had the Superior Collection. A collection of 7 games or so, previously released singularly for the system, now all together in one collection. These were great for getting some older games at a reasonable price. Something similar for todays consoles would certainly be welcome.
Themed arcade ones would be cool, like those 4 player games like Turtles and The Simpsons together, a few racers together, and a few Beat em-ups. That would rule.
But then again, whilst Capcom can make easy money porting Resident Evil games to Gamecube separately, I doubt we'll see them stick such games on a compilation in a hurry.
Apparently though, Animal Forest + has a bunch of NES games on it. You just wander into a house, and if there's an NES, you can play the games on it. Surely they could use the same idea to have old arcade games? Didn't Shenmue have full versions of Hang On and Space Harrier in it?
Themed arcade ones would be cool, like those 4 player games like Turtles and The Simpsons together, a few racers together, and a few Beat em-ups. That would rule.
But then again, whilst Capcom can make easy money porting Resident Evil games to Gamecube separately, I doubt we'll see them stick such games on a compilation in a hurry.
Apparently though, Animal Forest + has a bunch of NES games on it. You just wander into a house, and if there's an NES, you can play the games on it. Surely they could use the same idea to have old arcade games? Didn't Shenmue have full versions of Hang On and Space Harrier in it?
I agree, MAME is certainly worth getting if you can find the roms. It would be nice to feel that this was being done by the originators of the arcades though, or at least someone in the industry. Having old Arcades on a new console means that we get the best controllers and all the old games on a proper games machine though.
Good idea. Anyone who can't wait for SNK to take notice should download a copy of MAME and the NeoGeo bios. Then you can try and find some of those fantastic roms. I'm, ahem, 'unsure' of the legality of doing this, but the fact is that no one is currently making or losing any money through this. So put on your rose-tinted specs and get looking!
Brilliant post pb, and I think that bringing older Arcade games to the next generation would be a great idea!
If they were to do this, then I don't think they should change/update them too much, it could mean the games loose their originality!
And here's another thought....
You said that back in the 8 and 16 bit days, the arcade machines were far more powerfull in comparisson.
Now, they are really no match in power to the latest consoles - especially the X-box!
Do you think we'll ever see arcade machines update to over-power the latest flock of games consoles???
If they were to do this, then I don't think they should change/update them too much, it could mean the games loose their originality!
And here's another thought....
You said that back in the 8 and 16 bit days, the arcade machines were far more powerfull in comparisson.
Now, they are really no match in power to the latest consoles - especially the X-box!
Do you think we'll ever see arcade machines update to over-power the latest flock of games consoles???
I think that producers would rather make more money selling games individually. What I wouldn't be surprised to see is old SNES and Mega Drive games becoming available in compilations
excellent post :)
excellent post :)
Nice idea and one that could take off in a big way. You always seem to come up with great ideas for topics.
I am actually suprised that this hasn't taken off already as I am sure there are many many gamers out there who would love it.
I am actually suprised that this hasn't taken off already as I am sure there are many many gamers out there who would love it.
More and more films are getting the dusting off treatment these days. You may well have noticed that Apocalypse Now is coming out on DVD, treated to a nice new soundtrack and shiny picture, Robocop has been given the director’s cut treatment and many other films and TV series of yesteryear are appearing on both DVD and video, some of them as huge compilations in the case of the old kids favorites.
Games aren’t really that far behind either, the Robocop game is in the works to coincide with the DVD release and remakes are being made all the time, but perhaps the games companies are being a bit too ambitious creating new games around old licences? When the 8-bit and even the 16-bit consoles were out, the arcade machines of the time were still far more powerful than the computers and consoles of the time. Colours were crisper and more varied and the custom graphics boards on the arcade cabinet could move the graphics around and a fair old rate. This just couldn’t be achieved on the home technology and cuts had to be made in one or more areas, often making a game that came just short of the arcade experience.
If games companies thought a bit more about their past, they would realise that compilations used to sell thousands. The Spectrum and C64 had many compendiums of top games just a year after their original release. The big guns at the time, Ocean and Imagine for example, had themed compilation packs with movie tie-ins, sports titles and general action hi-octane gameplay all squashed into one nice hefty box. Those were the days when you could walk in to Boots or WHSmiths and pick up a nicely priced pack of older releases without having to build up your back-catalogue one at a time.
So with all these arcade cabinets still doing the rounds in arcades up and down the country and many more that were never used for home consoles at all, why not produce a more up-to-date compilation pack of arcade games. It should be easy to use the same code from the motherboards on the arcade cabinet, preventing the need for tons of coding, and then perhaps enhancing them further with even better sound and graphics. The likes of X-Men, The Simpsons and many more would be welcome on the Playstation 2 and other new consoles if packaged together, and we could go back even further to see the Metal Slug series and other SNK delights that first appeared on the woefully passed over Neo-Geo. The technology is there now and those arcade games are still very much playable today. Capcom started the ball rolling on the PSX with their nice little early games compilation (pick it up if you don’t already have these games emulated, just to see how good the original Capcom games really were), so there is no excuse for other companies to follow suit.
Who knows, if these are successful then many newer games companies might jump on the bandwagon and provide compilations from the Saturn and PSX, especially since Sega has already provided a nice collection of its Saturn games on the PC (see the free gifts section of the Special Reserve club for more on this). Yes, there should be many more new games, but let us not forget those gems of yesteryear that could be shined up and given a new pair of trousers so they can come out and meet the current consoles.
Games aren’t really that far behind either, the Robocop game is in the works to coincide with the DVD release and remakes are being made all the time, but perhaps the games companies are being a bit too ambitious creating new games around old licences? When the 8-bit and even the 16-bit consoles were out, the arcade machines of the time were still far more powerful than the computers and consoles of the time. Colours were crisper and more varied and the custom graphics boards on the arcade cabinet could move the graphics around and a fair old rate. This just couldn’t be achieved on the home technology and cuts had to be made in one or more areas, often making a game that came just short of the arcade experience.
If games companies thought a bit more about their past, they would realise that compilations used to sell thousands. The Spectrum and C64 had many compendiums of top games just a year after their original release. The big guns at the time, Ocean and Imagine for example, had themed compilation packs with movie tie-ins, sports titles and general action hi-octane gameplay all squashed into one nice hefty box. Those were the days when you could walk in to Boots or WHSmiths and pick up a nicely priced pack of older releases without having to build up your back-catalogue one at a time.
So with all these arcade cabinets still doing the rounds in arcades up and down the country and many more that were never used for home consoles at all, why not produce a more up-to-date compilation pack of arcade games. It should be easy to use the same code from the motherboards on the arcade cabinet, preventing the need for tons of coding, and then perhaps enhancing them further with even better sound and graphics. The likes of X-Men, The Simpsons and many more would be welcome on the Playstation 2 and other new consoles if packaged together, and we could go back even further to see the Metal Slug series and other SNK delights that first appeared on the woefully passed over Neo-Geo. The technology is there now and those arcade games are still very much playable today. Capcom started the ball rolling on the PSX with their nice little early games compilation (pick it up if you don’t already have these games emulated, just to see how good the original Capcom games really were), so there is no excuse for other companies to follow suit.
Who knows, if these are successful then many newer games companies might jump on the bandwagon and provide compilations from the Saturn and PSX, especially since Sega has already provided a nice collection of its Saturn games on the PC (see the free gifts section of the Special Reserve club for more on this). Yes, there should be many more new games, but let us not forget those gems of yesteryear that could be shined up and given a new pair of trousers so they can come out and meet the current consoles.