Retro Replay Review

Introduction

Midway’s Greatest Arcade Hits Volume 2 brings six beloved coin-op classics to your console in a single package. As the follow-up to Midway’s Greatest Arcade Hits 1, this collection revisits some of the most iconic titles of the 1980s and early ’90s. Players can dive into everything from side-scrolling shooters to top-down dungeon crawlers, all preserved through faithful emulation.

The compilation includes Moon Patrol, Paperboy, 720°, Spy Hunter, Rampage, and Gauntlet—each a standout in its genre. Whether you’re guiding a lunar buggy over craters or piloting a tricked-out spy car on a treacherous highway, these games deliver bite-sized thrills that defined the arcade era. Volume 2 continues the nostalgic journey, offering both single-player challenges and multiplayer mayhem where supported.

Menus are straightforward, presenting arcade cabinet artwork and scanline filter options to approximate the CRT experience. Save-state functionality and customizable controls modernize these classics without compromising their original feel. For collectors and newcomers alike, this volume promises an authentic trip down memory lane.

Gameplay

Gameplay in Volume 2 is a diverse showcase of arcade design philosophies. Moon Patrol’s jump-and-shoot mechanic remains as tight as ever, demanding precise timing as you clear craters and dodge enemy fire. Its steadily increasing difficulty curve retains that “one more coin” pull, now tempered by save states for modern audiences.

Paperboy transforms mundane suburban delivery into a hazardous obstacle course. Steering a bicycle along narrow sidewalks, you fling papers into mailboxes while dodging dogs, lawnmowers, and overzealous residents. The balance of risk and reward captures the arcade spirit, especially in two-player alternating mode.

720° brings high-flying skateboarding tricks and downhill races into a colorful, busy skate park. Responsive controls allow you to carve tight turns and string combos, though the limited life count keeps pressure high. Spy Hunter shifts gears into a vehicular combat thriller, pairing top-down driving with weapon upgrades that rekindle late-night arcade memories.

Rampage invites up to three players to stomp buildings and battle the military as giant monsters, while Gauntlet’s four-player dungeon dive focuses on cooperation and resource management. The simple yet addicting objectives in each title highlight the core appeal of quick-session arcade gameplay, and the emulation remains rock-solid across all six entries.

Graphics

The pixel art in these six titles demonstrates why classic arcade graphics still charm. Moon Patrol’s parallax scrolling is smooth and colorful, evoking the desolate yet vibrant lunar surface. Paperboy’s neighborhood map and character sprites maintain crisp detail, even when scaled to modern widescreen displays.

720° and Spy Hunter benefit from bold color palettes that pop on contemporary TVs, though some minor sprite pixelation can occur at maximum zoom levels. Thankfully, optional CRT filters help recreate scanlines and curvature, softening edges and simulating the original cabinet’s glow.

Rampage’s over-the-top animations hold up surprisingly well; buildings crumble with satisfying detail, and the monster sprites remain expressive despite limited frames. Gauntlet’s top-down labyrinth visuals are clear and functional, with dungeon backgrounds that distinguish traps, treasure, and enemies at a glance.

Overall, the emulation faithfully reproduces the look of the arcade originals. Color fidelity and sprite layering remain accurate, and there are minimal input lag issues, ensuring that visuals and responsiveness align with what veterans remember and newcomers expect.

Story

While arcade titles rarely hinge on elaborate narratives, each game in Volume 2 delivers a succinct premise that drives the action. Moon Patrol casts you as a lone planetary explorer fending off rock-firing alien fortresses. The simple tagline—“Protect your patrol from moon craters and UFOs”—is all the context you need before the first jump.

Paperboy’s charming setup has you delivering newspapers to impatient customers, weaving a lighthearted commentary on suburban life. Quirky characters and humorous in-game events (like runaway lawnmowers) inject personality without lengthy cutscenes.

720° gives only minimal backstory: you are an up-and-coming skater vying for silver and gold medals. The race-and-trick format conveys narrative through progression rather than exposition. Similarly, Spy Hunter’s secret agent premise is communicated via brief arcade attract sequences and the HUD’s weapon icons.

Rampage and Gauntlet both adopt “just-destroy” and “just-rescue” objectives, respectively. Rampage’s monsters target global landmarks for comedic effect, while Gauntlet’s fantasy trappings—wizards, warriors, and endless hordes—provide a backdrop for cooperative dungeon crawling. Each game trusts its gameplay loop to tell the story, and it succeeds in making you feel invested despite the minimal lore.

Overall Experience

Midway’s Greatest Arcade Hits Volume 2 is a nostalgia-fueled package that balances authenticity with modern conveniences. Players can jump straight into the action, tweak display settings, and save progress at tough checkpoints. The intuitive menu and scanline filters add polish, making it easy to switch between titles or enjoy a multi-player session with friends.

The assortment of genres—from side-scroll shooters to racing simulators and beat-’em-up destruction sprees—ensures that almost every player finds something to love. While individual games may feel repetitive compared to modern blockbusters, their bite-sized thrills remain potent and perfect for quick pick-up-and-play moments.

Sound design and music have also been faithfully retained, with bleep-and-bloops that tap deep into retro gaming nostalgia. Cabinet jingles and digitized voice samples (as in Gauntlet) bring a smile to fans who recall hunched-over arcade sessions.

Whether you’re revisiting these classics or discovering them for the first time, Volume 2 stands as a solid tribute to Midway’s arcade legacy. The emulation is strong, the library diverse, and the overall package offers great value for fans of vintage gaming.

Retro Replay Score

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