Taito Legends

Taito Legends
Developer(s) Taito Corporation
Empire Interactive
Atomic Planet Entertainment
Publisher(s)
Platform(s) PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC
Release date(s)
  • EU: 14 October 2005
  • NA: 25 October 2005
Genre(s) Compilation
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Taito Legends is a compilation of 29 arcade games released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC in October 2005. The Xbox version is not compatible with Xbox 360. The games were originally developed by Taito Corporation. The European release was published by Empire Interactive, who had licensed the games from Taito and developed the compilation. Although they did not get official credit for it in the American versions, Sega published the North American and South American releases.

Extra features include interviews with some of the game designers, original sales flyers, and arcade cabinet art.

Two follow-up compilations were issued; Taito Legends 2 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC and the PlayStation Portable exclusive Taito Legends Power-Up.

Games

While the Western Taito Legends consists of 29 arcade games, the Japanese Taito Memories includes only 25 arcade games per volume, omitting Jungle Hunt, Colony 7, The Electric Yo-Yo, Zoo Keeper and Tube It.[1]

Titles included in the Western and Japanese releases of the collection
Title Arcade release Taito Legends Taito Memories Alternative title
Space Invaders 1978 Yes I Vol.2
Space Invaders Part II 1979 Yes I Vol.2 Deluxe Space Invaders (USA)
Phoenix 1980 Yes II Vol.2
Colony 7 1981 Yes No
The Electric Yo-Yo 1982 Yes No
Jungle Hunt 1982 Yes No Jungle King (original) and Pirate Pete (official clone)
Zoo Keeper 1982 Yes No
Elevator Action 1983 Yes I Vol.2
Great Swordsman 1984 Yes II Vol.2
Return of the Invaders 1985 Yes II Vol.1
Bubble Bobble 1986 Yes I Vol.1
Gladiator 1986 Yes II Vol.1 Ougon no Shiro (Japan)
Tokio 1986 Yes II Vol.1 Scramble Formation (Japan)
Exzisus 1987 Yes II Vol.1
Operation Wolf 1987 Yes II Vol.2
Plump Pop 1987 Yes II Vol.2
Rastan 1987 Yes I Vol.1 Rastan Saga (Japan, Europe)
Rainbow Islands 1987 Yes II Vol.1
Super Qix 1987 Yes II Vol.1
Operation Thunderbolt 1988 Yes II Vol.1
The New Zealand Story 1988 Yes I Vol.2
Battle Shark 1989 Yes II Vol.2
Continental Circus 1989 Yes II Vol.1
Plotting 1989 Yes I Vol.1 Flipull (Japan)
Volfied 1989 Yes II Vol.2
The Ninja Kids 1990 Yes II Vol.1
Space Gun 1990 Yes II Vol.1
ThunderFox 1990 Yes II Vol.2
PuLiRuLa 1991 No I Vol.1
Tube It 1993 Yes No Cachat (Japan)

Between 2005 and 2007, in total four similar compilations had been released by Taito for the PlayStation 2 in its home market of Japan:[2]

The games on this compilation are emulations of their respective arcade originals; however, the software lacks light gun support for Operation Wolf, Operation Thunderbolt, and Space Gun. These games place a gun cursor on the screen, which the player can move around with the analog stick (console versions), or mouse (PC version).

The games that had to be altered due to licensing issues are Jungle Hunt and Rainbow Islands. Elements of Jungle Hunt had to be altered such as the design of the Tarzan like character and the signature Tarzan yell due to licensing issues with Edgar Rice Burroughs estate. Rainbow Islands had to alter its music for the re-release due to licensing.

Reception

Taito Legends received slightly positive reviews with a score of 74.06% for the Xbox version, 71.68% for the PlayStation 2 version, and 75.17% for the Windows version on GameRankings.[3] IGN praised the collection for a superb presentation, as well as the large amount of bonus material, but criticized some titles in the collection as "worthless filler".[4] Other criticisms are the lack of online leaderboards, the omission of Arkanoid and Chase H.Q., the lack of light gun support for Operation Wolf, Operation Thunderbolt, and Space Gun,[5] the lack of control configuration, and for the controls being "flipped", making it potentially uncomfortable and unnatural to many, less-adaptable players. Only the Windows version fixes the error regarding the collection's control scheme.

References

  1. ↑ Taito Memories on taito.co.jp
  2. ↑ Taito Memories on jap-sai.com
  3. ↑ http://www.gamerankings.com/ps2/929578-taito-legends/articles.html
  4. ↑ http://ps2.ign.com/articles/664/664916p2.html
  5. ↑ http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/taitolegends/review.html
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