Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first thing to understand is that 5 Plus One: Campaign asks you to browse. You begin with Campaign as the named attraction, but the real rhythm of the package is trying a game, deciding whether it catches you, and moving on without much ceremony when it does not. That can be pleasantly low-pressure: there are six separate games here, so a weak first impression from one is not the end of the purchase.

Campaign gives the bundle its strategy-game center, which makes it the natural place to spend your first stretch of time. The other selections pull the collection in different directions: Bananoid, Combat Checkers, Megatron VGA, Skunny: Save Our Pizzas!, and Xerix are not presented as parts of one larger design. Expect a sampler, not a carefully paced progression from one game into the next.

That structure is both the draw and the irritation. Switching between unrelated games can feel like finding a stack of old disks and seeing what sticks; it can also make the whole package feel less substantial than a single game with a consistent arc. Give it a chance if you like sampling DOS curiosities and can enjoy a compilation on its own terms. Skip it if you need one game to carry the entire evening.

Graphics

There is no unified look to discuss because this is a six-game DOS compilation rather than one continuous production. The change from Campaign to the other included titles is part of the experience: each game arrives as its own separate item instead of sharing a common visual world.

Story

Story is not the reason to pick up 5 Plus One: Campaign. The package is organized as a collection of separate games, with Campaign singled out in the title rather than used as the opening chapter of a shared narrative.

That means there is no compilation-wide cast, conflict, or payoff waiting at the end. You are moving between self-contained titles, not following a story from Bananoid through Xerix.

For some retro collections, that lack of connective tissue is freeing: you can jump to whichever title interests you without worrying about losing the thread. Anyone hoping for a memorable narrative journey should look elsewhere; this is a pick-and-play bundle.

Overall Experience

5 Plus One: Campaign has a modest but understandable charm. It puts one strategy game beside five other DOS titles and lets breadth do the work. When you want a menu of different games rather than a single commitment, that can be more inviting than it sounds.

The compromise is focus. No amount of variety turns six separate games into one cohesive experience, and the title’s value depends heavily on whether Campaign or one of its companions becomes a personal favorite. If none of them lands, the bundle has little else to hold onto.

I would recommend it to the curious retro gamer who likes compilations as little time capsules and is happy to experiment. Go in ready to sample, not to settle down. The related 5 Plus One: Pack 6 is worth a look as another package from the same series.

Retro Replay Score

5/10