REVIEW: Blizzard Arcade Collection is a nostalgic trip

During BlizzCon of that year, the Blizzard revealed several news for its fans, including a collection of its classic games to celebrate the company's 30 years. THE Blizzard Arcade Collection (Blizzard Arcade Collection, in Portuguese) brings together the games The Lost Vikings, Rock N' Roll Racing e Blackthorne, which move from the 16-bit consoles on which they were originally released to current generation video games.

O showmetech received a digital copy of Blizzard Arcade Collection protocols for Nintendo Switch and, after reliving these amazing classics for a few days, we bring you a full analysis of how these three games still represent fun experiences for any gamer who enjoys video games at their best.

Cars, explosions and lots of Rock n' Roll

The first title we tested from this collection is Rock N' Roll Racing. With the 3D perspective being adopted in most of the games industry today – with only a few studios indie rescuing the 2D look of decades ago – it is very interesting to experience a game with an isometric view, especially in the racing genre.

Originally released in 1993, this is an unconventional racing game where speed and chaos rule the tracks. Add to that 16-bit versions of classic bands Black Sabbath e Deep Purple and you have a kind of Mario Kart heavy metal version with various items to detonate your enemies, such as laser cannons and traps to place around the track.

The game has 7 different drivers to choose from, as well as different models of cars with upgrades that you can exchange for credits obtained by winning each race. You'll be able to compete in 5 different worlds with unique visuals, and each of these planets has tracks with special circuits that will test your precision behind the wheel.

A Blizzard Arcade Collection offers 4 versions of the game: the definitive one, which supports widescreen, new specials and CD-quality music; that of 4 players; and both versions originally released for the Super Nintendo e Sega genesis.

A Nordic trio to kick ass

Anyone looking for a game puzzle very charismatic and fun will surely love it The Lost Vikings. In the game, you take control of three vikings with different abilities that need to use their cunning and strength to reach the end of the level.

The group of characters is formed by Erik, a viking who can run and jump, Olaf, which can use its shield to block projectiles and, finally, baleog, who attacks enemies with his sword and crossbow. Even for a game of a certain age, many of the puzzle are quite creative and there are new obstacles and traps to keep the player engaged in the search for the best strategy to reach the end of the level.

the only problem with The Lost Vikings is that the game is not so reasonable for the player when you make a lot of mistakes and one of your team members dies. When this happens, you are returned to the beginning of the level, as all three vikings need to make it to the end together to move on to the next stage.

A Blizzard Arcade Collection offers 3 versions of the game: the definitive one, which combines the best of the two original versions of the games with support for multiple languages, the version originally released for the Super Nintendo and an updated version with 5 additional levels and a 3 player mode.

Adventures from another world

Do you remember the classic game Prince of Persia and his almost cinematic style? Blackthorne is a game with a very similar look and gameplay, since you have to face several enemies and overcome obstacles with platform mechanics. However, even with quirky graphics (even for the time it was released) and an interesting general atmosphere, the slowness of its mechanics may alienate many players.

For example, if you want to climb stairs you need to make sure your gun is holstered and walk slowly as you climb. While the unique style of Blackthorne was praised at the time of its release, playing this game for the first time in 2021 is not a very pleasant experience.

Fortunately, one of the best features of Blackthorne its rich history. The game's plot is so complex that it doesn't lag behind great science fiction and fantasy classics like Star Wars ou Duna (explaining it in this article in a satisfactory way would be almost impossible). If you're willing to ignore the game's dated gameplay and invest in the plot, you're sure to have a good time.

A Blizzard Arcade Collection offers 3 versions of the game: the definitive one, which features automapping with support for multiple languages, the version originally released for the Super Nintendo and an updated 32-bit version with pre-rendered graphics and four new levels.

A collection for a high price

In addition to the three remastered games, the collection of Blizzard Arcade Collection It also brings a lot of extra content for fans to check out. From the main menu, for example, you can browse the original box art and manuals, there are long behind-the-scenes interviews, and there's even a player with the original songs of each title (except for tracks protected by copyright in the Rock N' Roll Racing). 

Details like these help this collection feel like a true love letter to fans. Thus, Blizzard offers a much better product than the collection of Super Mario 3D All Stars, for example, with plenty of extra content to honor the games and the team of developers who dedicated themselves to taking them from paper to television screens. Also, as mentioned, all the original versions of each title are available, so if you want to experience the games as they were released, prepare for a trip back in time.

However, the biggest criticism of Blizzard Arcade Collection it's your price. The collection is available for PS4 e Xbox One, Nintendo Switch e PC by R$79,00. That figure seems pretty salty for three games that are nearly 30 years old. In addition, fans of the original titles may even be more interested in investing this amount to revisit these classics and check out the extra content, but new players will hardly be interested in the collection. 

Even so, the Blizzard Arcade Collection still shows the best of the acclaimed studio behind the universe of warcraft, devil e Overwatch had to offer in its early years. The trio of games is varied and the various extra content such as interviews, backstage and original music make the collection a well-deserved tribute to these classic games from decades ago. All this should warm the hearts of longtime fans and, who knows, win over new players who want to know the beginnings of Blizzard.