OK, if classical status was one area of contention, then the other was the issue of portability. A lot of the games there were in the least, decent, took a bit too long to play sometimes and since there was no save state, you were left to just halt your progress and try again later. However, as was found in the recent Taito Legends Powered-Up just because the games cater for the portability, doesn’t necessarily mean that the compilation will be made better as a result.
This collection actually contains pretty much the same games that appeared on Capcom Classics for PS2 and Xbox last year. Where as Capcom Classics Collection Remixed actually brought in some “new” games, this time around there are only three that haven’t appeared in compilations before. Effectively, if you already own either the PS2 or Xbox game, there really isn’t much here to make purchasing the same set of game again all that necessary.
This one is definitely better than the last one
As with the earlier compilation, the actual “classic” status of a few of these titles is contentious. It feels as though the genres have been narrowed down a little bit, possibly to cater for portability:
- 1942
- 1943
- Commando
- Exed Exes
- Ghosts N Goblins
- Ghouls N Ghosts
- Gunsmoke
- Mercs
- Pirate Ship Higemaru
- Sonson
- Street Fighter 2
- Street Fighter 2 Champion
- Street Fighter 2 Hyper
- Super Ghouls N Ghosts
- Vulgus
- Eco Fighters
- King Of Dragons
- Knights of the Round
A good portion of the games in the compilation are old top-down shooters. While 1942 and 1943 are the only shooters where you’re flying around, the others have you playing across the ground. There are also a couple of little older game that are simpler and suited to playing on the go. You could play these games on the console versions but if you ever really wanted to play them on the go, now is your opportunity to do so.
Three games have been added to this collection. These are Eco Fighters, King of Dragons and Knights of the Round. Each of these three are good titles that add some welcome variety to the collection. This is simply because there aren’t any other games within the collection that are similar to them. They also happen to be some of the more recent and more functional of the games available.
Made in 1942
In terms of emulation, the job is solid but not quite as good as it probably should be. The primary culprit once again happens to be Street Fighter II. The main concern is that the sound track has not been converted well and that there are noticeably long load times between fights. As fans would likely know, not many conversions of the original SFII have been done well. Furthermore, load times between menus and most games aren’t exactly as efficient as they probably could be. In terms of the controls, the PSP does a solid job of recreating the older games. However, a lot of players are likely to find that the PSP d-pad isn’t ideal for diagonal movements. This means that you’ll likely end up using the analog nub a lot. If anything, players have a lot of different options when it comes to customising their controls for the games.
At the end of each game that you play, you will earn points and these points can be redeemed as coins. Once you finish playing that game, you coins and stats are collected and you can take your coins to a “slot machine”. Where as in the previous game you had to achieve goals within each game to unlock secrets, the secrets can now be unlocked by winning them. You pick which one you want to play for and essentially gamble until you unlock the game’s soundtrack or artwork. Furthermore, some games now have the option of saving at certain points. This helps for when you need to stop playing, as you now know that you can come back to some points later.
Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded retains one of the most beneficial aspects from the previous collection. That is, you only need one UMD in order to participate in multiplayer action. The majority of games have some sort of multiplayer, while each game that does have multiplayer, can be pretty much used to jump in and out of the action. It’s almost as close as you’ll get to popping a coin into the arcade machine and jumping in for your turn.
One of the better games
While it has been mentioned that the “classic” status for many of these games is contentious, another issue that creeps up a little bit is the lack of depth. While it is good that portability is being considered, we’d prefer a save-state over shallow or lacking games. There was a similar issue in Taito Legends Powered-Up. That, and the variety does come off as questionable. Regardless of quality, Capcom Classics Collection Remixed actually had a better variety of games available.
Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded happens to have a much more slick, modern style of presentation. Gone are the scraps and notebooks, as they have been replaced in favour of white stylish menus. As mentioned, the emulation for the game has been done solidly and in terms of graphics, the games are well on par. Sound-wise, there have been a couple of games that have received a remix treatment while other have retained their classic tracks. Some games work well, while others like Street Fighter II not as well as it could be.
Unfortunately, Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded is unable to surpass its predecessor from earlier in the year. Then there’s also the issue that you’re essentially playing the same set of games that came out on consoles last year. If you already own Capcom Classics, there is virtually no reason for you to own this game unless you really want to play on the go or for collectors purposes. However, if you haven’t already owned a previous compilation, this purchase is much more viable for you. Despite some inconsistencies, the compilation is actually one of the better ones that are available. If you’ve ever wanted three versions of Street Fighter II, this is the game/collection for you.
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