Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Action Five works because it does not lock you into one flavor of action. You can bounce from Thexder to Silpheed, Zeliard, Firehawk, or Oil’s Well when one game’s particular demands start wearing thin. That is the real value here: not five variations on a single idea, but a shelf-sized sample of Sierra’s action catalog gathered on one DOS release.

The Japanese imports give the collection much of its bite. Thexder and Firehawk bring related action-game lineage, while Silpheed changes the pace with shooting and Zeliard adds another kind of challenge to the mix. None of this sounds like a gentle introduction to computer games, and that is part of the point. You are expected to learn by doing, accept failure, and gradually become less overwhelmed by what each game asks of you.

Oil’s Well is the useful curveball. As Sierra’s own game, here in its 1990 remake, it stops the compilation from feeling like a simple four-game import bundle. If you enjoy hopping between distinct arcade-style challenges instead of committing to a single long campaign, that variety gives Action Five more staying power than its plain title suggests.

Graphics

Action Five is a DOS compilation assembled from games with different origins, so it is best taken as a set of separate looks rather than one unified visual package. The action ranges across five distinct games, and the changing subject matter helps each switch feel fresh even when the underlying era shows through.

Story

Story is not why you open Action Five. This is a collection built around immediate action, score-chasing energy, and the satisfaction of surviving games that expect quick hands and repeat attempts.

That makes it easy to sample without worrying about a shared plot or a required order. Pick the game that suits your mood, spend time with it, then move on when its particular brand of pressure stops being fun.

Anyone looking for character-driven stakes should look elsewhere. The small sense of progression comes from your own growing familiarity: the moments that initially feel impossible become manageable because you have learned the game in front of you.

Overall Experience

Action Five is a better package than its generic name lets on. It collects Thexder, Silpheed, Zeliard, Firehawk, and the 1990 Oil’s Well remake in one place, and each game earns the right to be treated as its own evening’s entertainment. You are buying range, not polish or consistency.

The frustration is equally varied. One game may simply not fit your tastes, and the older action-game learning curve will not flatter everyone. Fortunately, a compilation has an answer that a standalone game does not: stop wrestling with one entry and see whether another clicks.

Give it a chance if you enjoy digging into demanding DOS-era action and can appreciate a bundle whose pieces pull in different directions. It is not an essential pick for every gamer, but its mixture of Sierra and Game Arts material makes it a worthwhile curio for anyone who values challenge, variety, and the pleasure of mastering games that do not hand over their rewards quickly.

Retro Replay Score

7.2/10