Though most of the games included are certified classics, Midway Arcade Treasures features emulation so poor that many of these gems from days gone by are no longer playable, or at the very least, not any fun.
It's a shame really, as many of these games are deserving of much better – the disc includes such arcade milestones as Spy Hunter, Rampage, Robotron, Smash TV, Paperboy, Toobin, Joust, and Marble Madness, to name but a few. All told, there are 24 games included in this package, and most of them are, as stated above, classics that stand the test of time. The game also includes interviews with developers for several of the ports, which makes for a nice bit of viewing for those who really want to learn about modern gaming's primitive roots.
Unfortunately, many of these games aren't as much fun as they were in arcades, mostly due to sloppy emulation. While it is generally understood that you won't get the same kind of experience you did in the arcades, (most of these games had some kind of unconventional control method) many of the ports found here are simply unresponsive and/or prone to slowdown.
In particular, Rampage and Smash TV come to mind immediately as the worst of the bunch, with Paperboy a close second. What is ironic about this, is the fact that these games have been successfully ported to other systems in the past, with more than passable controls. Sadly, these games just don't get the loving attention to detail they deserve, and most are overly frustrating to play as a result.
While the actual audio/visual emulation seems to be well done for the most part, the sloppy controls on many of these ports detract greatly from what is actually a very respectable compilation of arcade history's greatest hits. Midway Arcade Treasures is recommended only for those who have no other way of playing these classics, and that includes breaking out the dusty old NES or Atari ports.
-George
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