Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

They Sold a Million 3 showcases a quartet of diverse gameplay styles, bringing together flight simulation, side-scrolling beat ’em ups, light-gun shooters, and strategic maze navigation. In Fighter Pilot, you’re catapulted into dogfights with responsive flight controls that balance realism and arcade fun. Kung-Fu Master strips you down to raw hand-to-hand combat mechanics, demanding precise timing and pattern recognition as waves of enemies close in. Each control scheme feels faithful to its arcade roots while offering just enough modern polish to keep new players engaged.

Rambo: First Blood Part II trades in kicks for the roar of gunfire, offering fast-paced overhead shooting sections interspersed with vehicle segments. The weapon variety and destructible environments create a dynamic challenge, though players should brace for occasional spikes in difficulty. Ghostbusters rounds out the package with a quirky top-down, pseudo-3D layout where trapping ghosts and managing your proton pack’s energy gauge feel surprisingly strategic, adding a fresh twist to the run-and-gun formula. Across all four titles, the compilation excels in pacing, ensuring that no two levels feel alike.

Beyond individual titles, They Sold a Million 3 ties the experiences together with seamless menu navigation and consistent input mapping. Whether switching from the cockpit of a fighter jet to the neon-lit alleyways of Kung-Fu Master, transitions are swift and intuitive. The inclusion of save states and rewind features—if you choose to enable them in emulator settings—offers a forgiving cushion for newcomers. Hardcore purists can also opt for an authentic, no-frills challenge, retaining the original difficulty curves that made these games classics.

Graphics

Visually, They Sold a Million 3 preserves the crisp pixel art and vivid color palettes that defined the late ’80s and early ’90s arcade scene. Fighter Pilot’s cockpit instrumentation and distant clouds are rendered with surprising clarity, while Kung-Fu Master’s multicolored backgrounds burst with character and detail. The sprite animations in both titles remain fluid, capturing the frantic momentum of each punch, kick, and aerial maneuver.

In Rambo: First Blood Part II, the dramatic explosions and varied terrain—from dense jungles to enemy bases—are brought to life through richly hued backgrounds and detailed character sprites. These graphical flourishes enhance immersion, making every firefight feel cinematic. Ghostbusters stands out for its charming character models and quirky environmental design. The colorful hauntings and nightclub dance floors (yes, there’s a disco level) exhibit a playful attention to detail that never grows stale.

On modern displays, pixel edges remain sharp without distortion, and scanline filters can be toggled for those craving an authentic CRT look. The compilation’s menus and HUD overlays are thoughtfully designed, offering a retro aesthetic without obscuring important gameplay information. Lighting effects in Fighter Pilot and explosion sprites in Rambo benefit from subtle post-processing that accentuates their impact without compromising the original look and feel.

Story

While they hail from different genres, each game in They Sold a Million 3 delivers a self-contained narrative that propels players forward. Fighter Pilot places you in the role of an elite aviator tasked with neutralizing enemy squadrons, weaving a minimalist yet effective Cold War–style storyline into mission briefings and debriefings. It’s straightforward, but the tension of each sortie is palpable, framing every dogfight as a high-stakes operation.

Kung-Fu Master adopts a classic damsel-in-distress trope, sending you through five distinct levels to rescue Sylvia from the clutches of Mr. X. Though the plot is barebones, the escalating threats—from knife-wielding henchmen to towering bosses—inject a sense of urgency that keeps you moving forward. Rambo: First Blood Part II hews more closely to its movie counterpart, guiding you through rescue missions and enemy encounters that mirror iconic film moments. Fans of the franchise will appreciate the familiar beats and set pieces translated into 8-bit glory.

Ghostbusters offers the most whimsical storyline, casting you as a rookie ghost hunter called in to cleanse the city of spectral nuisances. You’ll bust slime-covered offices, infiltrate festivals overrun by mischievous spirits, and ultimately confront a supernatural boss in a paranormal showdown. Though none of the narratives are deeply complex, they serve their respective gameplay styles well, providing context and motivation without bogging down the action.

Overall Experience

They Sold a Million 3 shines as a nostalgic time capsule that also holds up surprisingly well today. The four included titles deliver a varied lineup that can entertain newcomers and veteran gamers alike, offering quick bursts of arcade action or extended sessions to master each game’s intricacies. Whether you’re diving into a dogfight, brawling through enemy hordes, or ghost-hunting in a haunted mansion, the compilation never feels repetitive.

The presentation is polished, with intuitive menus, optional display filters, and quality-of-life features that respect both tradition and modern gaming conveniences. Soundtracks and sound effects, from the roar of jet engines to the clang of Kung-Fu Master’s temple gongs, are faithfully reproduced and bring each world to life. The licensed nature of the titles offers a fascinating snapshot of gaming’s shift toward movie and pop-culture tie-ins, giving players a broader sense of the medium’s evolution.

Ultimately, They Sold a Million 3 offers excellent bang for your buck. Its selection of four standout titles, each with distinct gameplay, memorable visuals, and straightforward storytelling, makes for an engaging compilation that’s hard to put down. For collectors, retro enthusiasts, and curious newcomers, this package is more than a nostalgia trip—it’s a testament to the enduring appeal of arcade classics.

Retro Replay Score

null/10