Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Finale earns its name as a brisk, slightly oddball victory lap for five separate games. The first hour is about switching gears: Paperboy, Frank Bruno’s Boxing, Ghosts ’n Goblins, Overlander, and Space Harrier do not ease you into a shared formula, so you are constantly recalibrating to the next game’s demands. That can be refreshing when you want quick variety instead of committing to one campaign.

The collection’s weakness is that the variety never turns into momentum. Each game asks you to meet it on its own terms, and moving on after a rough spell can feel like changing the channel rather than making progress. Finale works better in short sessions, when one game’s resistance becomes an excuse to try another, than as something you expect to play straight through.

Platform choice matters more than it should in a five-game compilation. The DOS release includes Paperboy and Frank Bruno’s Boxing, while Overlander is exclusive to the Amiga and Atari ST versions. Ghosts ’n Goblins and Space Harrier are the constants, so check the lineup before buying; the game you most want to revisit may determine which edition is worth your time.

Graphics

There is no single look holding Finale together, because it is five games sharing a box rather than one newly built world. The changing casts and game settings make each switch feel distinct, but the compilation has a patchwork quality instead of a consistent visual style.

Story

Do not come to Finale looking for a story that connects its games. There is no shared hero, escalating conflict, or final chapter tying Paperboy, Frank Bruno’s Boxing, Ghosts ’n Goblins, Overlander, and Space Harrier into one narrative.

Instead, the collection borrows the immediate setup of each included game. That gives every selection a different flavor, from the grounded sporting angle suggested by Frank Bruno’s Boxing to the fantasy-horror title of Ghosts ’n Goblins and the sci-fi charge implied by Space Harrier.

That lack of a through-line is not a flaw if you want an anthology. It does mean the emotional payoff comes from revisiting or conquering individual games, not from reaching a grand finale after playing all five.

Overall Experience

Finale is a likable compilation for the gamer who enjoys bouncing among older, distinct challenges. Its strongest quality is simple: five games leave more room for a mood change than any single-game release. When one selection is getting under your skin, another is waiting.

It is also an uneven package by design. The games were not chosen to create one clear genre journey, and the platform-exclusive differences make the name Finale mean something slightly different depending on where you play it. That makes it feel more like a period-specific sampler than a definitive collection.

Give it a chance if Paperboy, Ghosts ’n Goblins, Space Harrier, or the platform-specific extras already interest you. If you want one cohesive game with a sustained story and a steadily developing rhythm, Finale’s jumpy structure will likely wear thin before its five-game novelty pays off.

Retro Replay Score

5.5/10