Does the third time work like magic? It’s a question worth pondering when considering Taito Milestones 3. The previous two entries in the series had their fair share of ups and downs in terms of reception. And honestly, I’d be surprised if this new collection doesn’t follow suit. Although it packs in ten arcade games, it’s tough to imagine every title striking a chord with you. Speaking from the perspective of someone who spent a good part of the mid-80s and early ’90s in arcades, I found only a handful worth multiple replays.
I didn’t exactly anticipate these games to be brimming with depth; let’s be real, most offerings here fall under the beat ’em up category, including the entire Rastan Saga trilogy. If you’re lucky to have someone alongside you who enjoys these types of games, the collection’s value can shoot up significantly. Some games even support up to four players, like Dead Connection and Runark. Sadly, that’s not quite my wife’s taste. Thankfully, she’s fond of Bubble Bobble and its sequel, Rainbow Islands. Watching Bub and Bob—whether as dinosaurs or humans—is always a blast.
But there’s something to think about here. It makes you ponder: “As much as we love Bubble Bobble, how many versions do we truly need?” A lot of the titles here, except for a few like Thunder Fox, have been released time and again, either solo or in various bundles. As a result, you’re looking at a compilation largely made up of games you can snag individually under the Arcade Archives label. If some of these titles have already found their way into your library, this collection might make you pause.
Now, imagine this: instead of shelling out forty bucks for a collection, what if there was a deal where you could handpick ten Taito Arcade Archive games for the same price? That would probably fly off the virtual shelves as people curate their favorites. Yet, here we have Taito Milestones 3. To be fair, many games in this selection wowed me with their vibrant graphics and intricate details I hadn’t expected. The music, too, left quite an impression—tunes I would’ve missed amidst the noisy arcade din of my youth. They surprised me with innovative designs, unexpected in games that were originally out to gobble up quarters: take Cadash, for example, it gets bonus points for its unique arcade RPG elements. Yet, at the end of the day, it boils down to gameplay. And that’s where my feelings are mixed, similar to how Kirk felt when reviewing Taito Milestones and its successor.
Most of the games in this package catch my interest. They’re enjoyable to watch, no doubt about that. However, the original goal of these arcade games wasn’t to attract wanderers or those who’d spend a single coin before moving on. No, the aim was to entice players to empty their wallets or blow through their grandma’s pocket money in no time. If you’re buying this compilation to play on your Switch at home, you’d want your game log to show more than just “Played a little while.” That’s not really my approach, but it might be yours.
If these Taito milestone collections are to continue, a slightly reduced price coupled with a few more exclusives could be the golden ticket. Throwing in some extra historical content, like seen in other similar collections, could boost its appeal too. But let me stress this, if you already own the star attractions of this third installment as individual Arcade Archive games, it might not be tailored for you. Consider carefully before handing over your $39.99 for Taito Milestones 3, unless nostalgia is calling your name.
