Tecmo Classic Arcade Review

Believe it or not, Tecmo has been in business a long time making video games; about 25 years to be exact. In this long period of time, Tecmo has been releasing quality games for both the home consoles and the arcade. With the revival of classic gaming in the compilation discs, Tecmo is taking a crack at it with their Tecmo Classic Arcade game exclusively for the Xbox. You may not remember many of these games, nor if they were made by Tecmo. Trust me, this game shows that their games have been made with quality for years.

Taking a close look at many of the games, they were quite visually advanced for the time they were conceived. Pleiads was released in 1981 and looks better than games on the Atari’s and Intellivision. Tecmo Cup is probably the real prize however. Released in 1985, it has the look of most Super Nintendo games did for most of its generation and ran circles around anything released prior to it. All of these games were truly amazing-looking, considering the times when they were released. It is remarkable that Tecmo keeps that trend today with Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive being some of the top-looking games in this current generation of consoles.

While the sound may not be as appealing, the gameplay is great for these games. It just emphasizes the fact that Tecmo’s games have been worked out to play in a fun way. Because these are arcade games, they are easier to emulate compared to old compilations from consoles. Intellivision Lives! had some fun games, but its unique controller hindered the ability to emulate the games well. Arcade games just have a joystick and a few buttons.

While there may only be 11 games on this single disc, they provide more than enough entertainment for the $20 price tag that Tecmo is asking for it. You are sure to find a lot of fun in games like Tecmo Bowl, Tecmo Cup, Bomb Jack, Rygar, and Strato Fighter, but the others will be fun to pick up and play anytime you are bored. If you enjoy compilation packs, this one is for you.