Compilations of classic video games are all the rage this console generation. Some of the greatest hits (in terms of playability and profitability) and returned to the public eye lately, with characters such as Link, Mega Man, and Sonic the Hedgehog appearing in repackaged renditions of the original games that made them stars. Publisher Midway has jumped on the classic compilation bandwagon and has recently released twenty arcade titles from their catalog (plus a few Atari titles that have been acquired over the years) for the Nintendo GameCube. Some of the games in the collection, such as Mortal Kombat II, need no introduction. Others such as Arch Rivals and Total Carnage are somewhat more obscure in the grand scheme of things and are most likely fresh territory for gamers who were weaned on the Nintendo 64 generation of hardware. This collection brings back some of the arcade titles that swallowed many quarters over the years. This collection is our history. This collection is Midway Arcade Treasures 2.

Features

• Twenty classic arcade games brought faithfully to the Nintendo GameCube at a budget price
  
• Includes games for one, two, three, or four players
  
• Save your high scores to the memory card
  
• Watch bonus behind-the-scenes and promotional videos
  

Insert Coin
Midway Arcade Treasures 2 brings twenty arcade games spanning the years 1981 through 1997 to the GameCube in their original formats. The original arcade machine code is emulated, meaning that these games are the exact originals from the arcade (give or take a detail; more on that later). Some of the games in the collection have been ported for home systems time after time over the years, while others are making their appearances at home for the first time. Only two games in Treasures 2 are exclusively single-player games - A.P.B. and Hard Drivin’ – making this collection very multiplayer-friendly. This collection includes the following games:

• A.P.B. (1987, 1 player): a driving game where you, the police officer, drive through the city streets and arrest criminals.
  
• Arch Rivals (1989, 2 players): two-on-two basketball where punching and tripping are not only allowed, they’re encouraged!
  
• Championship Sprint (1986, 2 players): race through a series of R.C. Pro-Am-type tracks, dodging hazards and grabbing items.
  
• Cyberball 2072 (1989, 2 players): in the future teams of robots play football with an exploding pigskin.
  
• Gauntlet 2 (1986, 4 players): the sequel/expansion to the original maze-based Gauntlet; Blue Wizard needs food badly!
  
• Hard Drivin' (1989, 1 player): a rather simplistic driving simulator with emphasis on stunts and speed
  
• Kozmik Krooz'r (1982, 2 players): standard octo-directional space shooter
  
• Mortal Kombat II (1993, 2 players): the sequel to the original record-breaking, spine-yanking fighting game
  
• Mortal Kombat 3 (1995, 2 players): the third game in the Mortal Kombat series (note that the upgrade, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, is not included here, nor is the original Mortal Kombat despite being announced initially)
  
• NARC (1988, 2 players): Contraesque side-scrolling shooter through the gritty streets
  
• Pit Fighter (1990, 3 players): featuring realistic digitized characters, this underground fighting game is reminiscent of Mortal Kombat without the gore
  
• Primal Rage (1994, 2 players): Mortal Kombat with claymation dinosaurs
  
• Rampage World Tour (1997, 3 players): the rendered sequel to the original Rampage, now featuring world famous landmarks and cities.
  
• Spy Hunter 2 (1987, 2 players): split-screen driving/shooting sequel to the original classic
  
• Timber (1984, 2 players): cut down the trees, dodge angry bears, and fill your lumber quota before time runs out; use the camera stick for authentic ax action.
  
• Total Carnage (1991, 2 players): the pseudo-sequel to the infamous Smash T.V.; help our heros blast their way into the enemy base and save the American way of life
  
• Wacko (1983, 2 players): combination shooter/memory match game featuring the hero from Kozmik Krooz’r.
  
• Wizard of Wor (1981, 2 players): maze-based Pac-Man type shooter; blast the enemies and navigate the maze
  
• Xenophobe (1987, 3 players): tri-split-screen sci-fi alien elimination game; blast all the aliens and save the space station(s) before the horde takes over
  
• Xybots (1987, 2 players): 3D maze-based shooter featuring monsters and enemy robots
  

Mortal Kombat II

Controls vary from game to game, but fortunately while each game loads a screen is displayed that indicates which buttons perform which function. Some games, such as the two Mortal Kombat entries, use every button on the controller, while others (such as Wizard of Wor) only use one button. Total Carnage and other games that originally involved double-joystick action use the camera stick for the second joystick. Overall the games transfer quite nicely to the GameCube’s controller. Controls can be reconfigured and those custom configurations can be saved to the memory card. Some games include some customizable settings such as difficultly level and availability of continues. All of the games are set to “free play” mode, although one must “insert a coin” by pressing the Start button when prompted. The Z button always opens up the game’s configuration menu in which button functions can be set, screen size can be changed, and other such abilities. It’s possible to exit from a game at any time, although game progress is not saved, only current scores. Gamers who had hoped to finally conquer Rampage World Tour after all these years will just have to play through the entire game in one sitting.