Blizzard Arcade Collection

Genre: Compilation / Top-Down Racing / Puzzle-Platformer / Action-Platformer

Players: 1-4 Competitive (Local), 2-3 Co-Op (Local)

Game Company Bad Behavior Profile Page: Activision Blizzard

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Review:

Blizzard Arcade Collection, released on multiple platforms in 2021, including Nintendo Switch, is a Compilation of five games (originally only three, but two more were added via free download shortly after the game launched) from Blizzard’s early days of making console games, with most of these games released before Blizzard was better known for franchises like Warcraft and Diablo. These games vary by genre, and pretty much all of these games originally launched on the Super Nintendo (with some also being released on other platforms like the Sega Genesis).

Here is what I thought of the games in this collection:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Grade
RPM Racing	Top-Down Racing	1-2 Competitive (Local Split-Screen)	C-
tl;dr By today’s standards, RPM Racing has pretty basic gameplay, and ugly, plain-looking graphics. What’s worse, the relatively large size of the racers and small size of the screen makes it difficult to anticipate turns, and the game’s insistence on remaining in split-screen even in single-player mode ensures that this is even worse than it needs to be. Not a horrible Racing game, but one that has aged very poorly.
Lost Vikings	Puzzle-Platformer	1-3 Co-Op (Local)	B-
tl;dr This Puzzle-Platformer has players swapping between three different characters to solve puzzles and get past obstacles. It’s a solid entry in the genre with a lot of personality. Unfortunately, the multiplayer Co-Op play isn’t very good – the limited screen size and lack of split-screen means that the additional players need to stick near the first player. However, the single-player experience here is good, if a little slow-paced.
Rock ‘N’ Roll Racing	Top-Down Racing	1-4 Competitive (Local Split-Screen)	B
tl;dr This Top-Down Racing game has aged some since its original release, but it still explodes with personality and great classic rock tunes, and its campaign mode still provides wonderful progression as you spend winnings to power up your vehicle. It does take some getting used to the controls, but once you do, you’ll find this to be a blast to play. What’s more, the improvements made to the “Definitive Edition” of this game truly make this the best this game has ever been (read more on this below).
BlackThorne	Puzzle-Platformer / Action-Platformer	1	C-
tl;dr This Platformer attempts to copy the formula laid down by the original Prince of Persia, and the result is a game that has a great presentation but terrible controls and doesn’t do a good job of making it clear just what the player is supposed to be doing.
Lost Vikings 2	Puzzle-Platformer	1-2 Co-Op (Local)	B
tl;dr This Puzzle-Platformer improves on the first game with faster character movement and an expanded moveset for each of the three characters. The Co-Op gameplay is still broken by the lack of split-screen, though.

In short, the stars of this collection are the Lost Viking games and Rock ‘N’ Roll Racing. Lost Vikings 2 has probably aged the best of the bunch, but all three of these games have a lot of personality and are still worth playing today. Unfortunately, RPM Racing is too clunky and lacking in that personality, and Blackthorne has stiff controls and just isn’t very user-friendly. Still, three out of five games here being worthwhile is pretty good, overall.

A number of improvements have been made to the games in this collection, as well. Blackthorne includes both the SNES and 32-bit versions of the game, as well as a Definitive Edition that adds an auto-map feature and additional language support. Lost Vikings and Rock ‘N’ Roll Racing include both Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis versions of the game, as well as a new “Definitive Edition” that combines the best features of both versions, with the Definitive Edition of Rock ‘N’ Roll racing including “CD Audio” with the actual classic rock songs the original game only had chiptune covers of (an optional “Streamer Mode” cuts this licensed music for those wanting to avoid a copyright strike while streaming the game online), as well as improved visuals and widescreen view, making this unquestionably the best version of the game. Rock ‘N’ Roll Racing also has a new 4-Player Split-Screen version.

All games in this package also include save states, RPM Racing adds a rewind feature, and the games all offer multiple display options as well. The people who put together this package really seem to have put a good amount of effort into ensuring that all of the games here are truly being presented at their best, and with a comprehensive feature set.

In addition to the improvements to the games I already mentioned, this package also includes a wealth of supplemental material, including promotional art, box art, concept art, behind-the-scenes photos, and nearly an hour of video interviews with staff regarding the making of these games. There is also a music select to listen to the tunes for The Lost Vikings and Blackthorne (sadly, not for Rock ‘N’ Roll Racing though – that would have been a fantastic inclusion).

Given the extensive list of bonus content, the high quality of over half of the games here, and the number of improvements made to those games, $20 is a great deal for Blizzard Arcade Collection. If you’re a fan of Puzzle-Platformers or Top-Down Racing games, or curious to see classic games from Blizzard’s early days, Blizzard Arcade Collection is a Compilation well worth checking out.

tl;dr – Blizzard Arcade Collection is a Compilation of five of Blizzard’s early console games. A few of the games here have aged poorly, but Lost Vikings 1 & 2 are still great Puzzle-Platformers, and Rock ‘N’ Roll Racing is still a superb Top-Down Racing game. What’s more, the improvements made to multiple games in this Compilation ensure that these truly are the definitive versions of these games, and there’s plenty of great bonus content here as well. For the price tag of $20, this is an absolute steal, well worth a look for fans of classic games, or those curious to see games from Blizzard’s early days.

Grade: B

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