December 10th 2024.
When it comes to classic arcade games, Taito has always been a favorite of ours. While they may not have been as well-known as other companies like Sega and Capcom, their small portfolio of games, including iconic titles like Space Invaders, Bubble Bobble, and Rainbow Islands, were some of the best in their respective genres. In fact, many of these games were groundbreaking and helped shape the industry.
Although Taito may have faded from the public eye after being acquired by Square Enix in 2005, they have recently been making a comeback with the revival of past franchises such as Darius, The Ninja Saviors, and Bubble Bobble. And in 2022, they released the Taito Egret II mini arcade console, which conveniently brings together many of their beloved titles in one place.
Of course, a mini-console that costs £165 may not do much for Taito's mainstream recognition, but unfortunately there hasn't been a comprehensive retro collection available as an alternative. While some of their games can be found individually on the Switch, through the Arcade Archives label, it still lacks the high-profile attention that these classics deserve. That's why we were excited when Taito Milestones 3 was released, as it contains some of our all-time favorite games.
In the past, we didn't review the previous collections because they were a random mix of well-known and obscure titles. For example, the first collection included Qix and The Ninja Warriors, while the second had The NewZealand Story and Darius 2, but not the first Darius. We're not sure if this was due to licensing issues or just a random selection, but the quality and popularity of the games varied greatly.
Thankfully, Taito Milestones 3 is a notable improvement, so we're giving it a full review. However, we're going to save the best for last and start with the franchise that has the most entries in this collection: Rastan Saga. The original game, released in 1987, is a well-regarded side-scrolling hack 'n' slash that was ported to almost all 8-bit home systems of the time, except surprisingly the NES.
In our opinion, the first game is still the best in the trilogy. It's clear that it drew inspiration from the Arnold Schwarzenegger Conan movies, and it features some optional weapons, alternative routes, and impressive sound and visuals for its time. While it can be difficult, it's not as unfair as other arcade games of its time, and the unlimited credits in the home version make it surprisingly enjoyable.
The 1989 sequel, Rastan Saga 2, may be more technically advanced, but its more cartoonish graphics and poor animation take away from the charm of the original. The level design is also noticeably worse, making it the only truly bad game in the collection. However, it does introduce a two-player co-op mode, which carries over to the pseudo-sequel Warrior Blade: Rastan Saga Episode 3.
One of the joys of a good retro compilation is discovering games that you've never heard of before. And in this collection, we were surprised to find Rastan Saga 3, which has no gameplay connection to the first two games. Instead, it's a simple scrolling beat 'em-up, similar to games like Streets of Rage.
In terms of gameplay, it's pretty mindless, with each of the three characters having barely more than one attack. However, there is an incorporeal wizard that follows you around and attacks enemies at will. And the game also features a few mini-games where you ride on a horse or a dragon, showcasing the excellent graphics of the game.
Another game that we had never heard of before was Dead Connection, released in the same year as Rastan Saga 3. It seems to be a parody of The Untouchables movies, with each level taking place on a single screen. You control a trench coat-wearing detective and must gun down anyone in your way.
The sprites in this game are quite small, and the only controls are to shoot in the direction you're facing and perform a dramatic dodge roll. Surprisingly, the game plays well, thanks to intelligent auto-aim and an emphasis on using the environment to your advantage. It reminded us of games like Power Stone, where the sandbox-style gameplay encourages creativity and strategic thinking.
Moving on to other games in the collection, we're quite familiar with 1991's scrolling beat 'em-up Runark, which was also included on the Egret II console, as was the complex 1989 action-role playing game Cadash. This game features multiple player characters, magic, stats and leveling up, and even hidden areas and alternative routes reminiscent of Metroidvania-style games.
Unfortunately, the combat in Cadash is clunky and not as fun as the rest of the game. But the terrible translation adds a level of entertainment, with multiple allies congratulating you on "How well you came." Another game in the collection that we enjoyed was the 1989 wrestling game Champion Wrestler, which, true to Taito's style, has an impressive amount of moves for its two-button controls. It even features a cameo from Rastan himself.
And last but not least, we have Thunder Fox, released in 1990. This game does a great job of emulating interactive action movies from the 80s, with a variety of scrolling beat 'em-up sections and brief vehicle-based interludes. There are also some elements borrowed from other games, like Green Beret, but it still manages to stand out on its own.
Overall, Taito Milestones 3 is a solid collection of classic arcade games, with a good mix of well-known titles and hidden gems. While some games may not have aged well, they still hold a special place in our hearts, and it's great to have them all in one place. Taito may not be as well-known as other companies, but their contributions to the gaming industry are undeniable, and this collection is a great way to experience some of their best work.
There's nothing quite like the nostalgia of classic arcade games, and Taito has always been a top contender in the world of coin-op entertainment. While they may not have been as popular as companies like Sega and Capcom, their lineup of games was nothing short of impressive. From iconic titles like Space Invaders and Bubble Bobble, to lesser known gems such as Qix and Darius, Taito has left their mark on the gaming industry.
After being acquired by Square Enix in 2005, Taito took a backseat in the public eye. However, in 2019 they began to make a comeback with revivals of past franchises like Darius, The Ninja Saviors, and Bubble Bobble. This momentum seemed to slow down in recent years, but in 2022 they released the Taito Egret II mini arcade console, which brought together some of their most beloved titles in one place.
Of course, a mini-console priced at £165 isn't going to bring Taito back into the mainstream spotlight. And unfortunately, there hasn't been an all-in-one retro collection to serve as an alternative. While many of their games can be found separately on the Switch, under the Arcade Archives label, this isn't exactly a high-profile option. The Milestone collections are simply bundles of existing and unreleased Arcade Archives titles, offering no additional content. But for us, the fact that this volume includes some of our all-time favorite games is reason enough to give it a try.
We didn't review the previous collections due to their random mix of iconic and virtually unknown titles. The first collection featured games like Qix and The Ninja Warriors, while Taito Milestones 2 included The NewZealand Story and Darius 2, but not Darius 1. We're not sure if this was due to licensing issues or simply throwing darts at a dart board, but the end result was inconsistent in terms of quality and recognition.
Luckily, Taito Milestones 3 shows a significant improvement, which is why we're giving it a full review. We'll save the best for last and start with the franchise that has the most entries in this collection: Rastan Saga. The original game, released in 1987, is a well-regarded side-scrolling hack 'n' slash that was ported to almost every 8-bit home system except the NES. It's probably the best of the trilogy, with more depth than most arcade games, offering optional weapons, alternative routes, and impressive sound and visuals for its time. While it can be difficult, it's not as unfair as other games of its time, thanks to useful checkpoints and unlimited credits in home versions.
The 1989 sequel, Rastan Saga 2, is technically more advanced but loses some of the charm of the original with its more cartoonish visuals and poor animation. The level design is also notably worse, making it the only truly bad game in the collection. However, it does introduce a two-player co-op mode, which is also featured in the pseudo sequel Warrior Blade: Rastan Saga Episode 3.
One of the joys of a good retro compilation is discovering games that you've never heard of before. And in this case, we had no idea that there was a Rastan Saga 3. However, it has no gameplay connection to the first two games, as it's a simple scrolling beat 'em-up similar to games like Streets Of Rage. The combat may be mindless, with each character having barely more than one attack, but the game makes up for it with amazing graphics and a unique feature: an incorporeal wizard that follows you around and attacks enemies at his leisure. There are also mini-games where you can ride a horse or fly on a dragon, showcasing the game's impressive visuals.
Another game that we had never heard of is Dead Connection, released in the same year. It's vastly different from Rastan Saga, as it seems to be a parody of The Untouchables movies. Each level takes place on a single screen, where you control a trench coat-wearing detective and gun down enemies with a partner. The sprites are tiny, and the controls are limited to shooting in the direction you're facing and a dramatic dodge roll. Despite our expectations, the game is surprisingly enjoyable, with intelligent auto-aim and destructible scenery that adds to the chaotic fun.
Moving on to games that we're more familiar with, the 1991 scrolling beat 'em-up Runark was also featured on the Egret II, as was the complex 1989 action role-playing game Cadash. This one must've been a nightmare for arcade operators, as it's a full-fledged RPG with multiple characters, stats and leveling up, shops to buy weapons and items, hidden areas, alternative routes, and even backtracking in a Metroidvania style. While it's not particularly difficult, the clunky combat holds it back from being as enjoyable as the simpler Rastan Saga. However, the terrible translation adds a touch of humor to the game.
Next up is the 1989 wrestling game Champion Wrestler, which is surprisingly good and features an impressive number of moves with just two buttons. It also includes a cameo from Rastan himself, which is a fun nod to the franchise. And finally, there's Thunder Fox, a 1990 game that attempts to be an interactive 80s action movie. It features a variety of scrolling beat 'em-up sections and brief vehicle-based interludes, borrowing ideas from games like Rolling Thunder, Shinobi, and Green Beret.
All in all, Taito Milestones 3 is a solid collection that offers a mix of well-known classics and hidden gems. While it may not be a perfect representation of Taito's legacy, it's a great way to relive the nostalgia of arcade gaming and discover some new favorites.
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