This batch of Amiga collections ranges from tightly themed driving discs to all-purpose bundles where a flight sim can sit beside a sports game. The appealing thread is the sudden gear change between games: one menu can lead from rally stages to railway timetables, or from a ninja quest to a trivia round.

10 Great Games

the ten-game spread moves from Carrier Command’s island campaign to Rick Dangerous’s traps, with Ferrari Formula One, Super Ski, Pro Tennis Tour, Pick ’n’ Pile, Night Hunter, Chicago 90, Xenon 2: Megablast, and Satan filling out the disc. Xenon 2 and Carrier Command give this otherwise grab-bag selection real weight, while the racers and puzzler keep it from becoming a shooter-only affair.

10 Megahits Vol. 2

this second Megahits volume pairs Licence to Kill and Ikari Warriors with Lombard RAC Rally, Grand Prix Master, Toobin’, Rocket Ranger, Vixen, Hotshot, Wall$treet, and Winter Olympia 88. Rocket Ranger’s pulp premise and Wall$treet’s market screens make for a particularly odd interruption between the driving and action games.

10 Megahits Vol. 3

the third Megahits disc puts APB, Defender of the Crown, Tetris, Last Ninja 2, Stunt Track Racer, Football Manager 2, Highway Patrol II, Ranx, The Three Stooges, and Trivial Pursuit: Genius Edition in one lineup. Defender of the Crown and Last Ninja 2 supply the grander Amiga atmosphere, while Tetris remains the cleanest excuse to take a break from the more elaborate games.

16 Bit Hit Machine

this four-game Hit Machine keeps its selection compact: Axel’s Magic Hammer, Skidz, Super Cars, and Switchblade. Super Cars brings the immediate top-down race, while Switchblade asks for a more deliberate trek through its action-platform stages.

2 Hot 2 Handle

this four-title action set groups Golden Axe, Ivan “Ironman” Stewart’s Super Off Road, Shadow Warriors, and Total Recall. Golden Axe’s fantasy brawling and Super Off Road’s upgrade-driven laps are the dependable pair here; Shadow Warriors gives the set its sharpest platforming edge.

4 Wheel Drive

this racing-only collection runs through Combo Racer, Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge, Team Suzuki, and Toyota Celica GT Rally. Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge is the natural centrepiece, but the switch from car racing to Team Suzuki’s two-wheel events gives the programme a welcome change of rhythm.

5th Anniversary

Rainbow Arts’ anniversary bundle gathers Danger Freak, Garrison, Graffiti Man, Jinks, Katakis, Realm of the Trolls, Rock ’n Roll, Spherical, StarTrash, and Street Cat. Katakis and StarTrash carry the shooter contingent, while Spherical’s rolling puzzle boards and Jinks’s platform challenges pull the selection in another direction entirely.

A-10 Tank Killer + Extra Missions

the A-10 package combines A-10 Tank Killer, identified here as version 1.5, with Campaign Set 2. Its missions centre on attack runs against ground targets, with briefings covering tasks such as convoy strikes, close support, and attacks on defended positions.

A-Train + Construction Set

the railway-management pairing joins A-Train with its Construction Set, so the main concerns are routes, stations, timetables, budgets, terrain, and custom scenarios. The isometric view and tile-based editor suit the subject nicely: lay a line, watch the network spread, then try a different map with a completely different bottleneck.

Accolade In Action

the Accolade quartet brings together 4th & Inches, Blue Angels: Formation Flight Simulation, Fast Break, and Grand Prix Circuit. It is a satisfyingly direct four-way split between play-calling, formation flying, basketball, and Formula racing, with Grand Prix Circuit’s circuit practice a fine counterpart to 4th & Inches’ tactical pace.

Which of these Amiga compilations would you load first for a long evening: the focused racing sets, the Rainbow Arts assortment, or one of the broad ten-game mixes?