Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Midway Arcade Treasures 2 delivers a buffet of classic arcade action, spanning head-to-head fighters, overhead shooters, dungeon crawlers, racing simulators, and beyond. Whether you’re duking it out as Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat II or blitzing through hordes in Gauntlet II, the tight arcade controls have been faithfully preserved. The compilation includes configurable button mapping and multiple difficulty settings, letting both newcomers and seasoned veterans fine-tune their experience.

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Multiplayer remains the heart of the collection. Tag your friends for brutal brawling sessions in Mortal Kombat 3 or team up in the frantic maze-slash of Gauntlet II. Even the more niche entries like Xybots and Total Carnage shine when played cooperatively. Each title feels instantly pick-up-and-play thanks to crisp emulation and responsive inputs, with virtually zero input lag on modern hardware.

Beyond the marquee hits, hidden gems such as NARC, Cyberball 2072, and the off-beat shooter Wizard of Wor reward exploration. Racing fans can tackle Championship Sprint and Hard Drivin’ side by side, appreciating how vehicle physics evolved in the arcades. The sheer breadth of gameplay styles—sports, shooters, fighters, and puzzle challenges—makes every session feel fresh.

And don’t forget the extra DVD documentary feature, tracing the origins of these legends. Watching behind-the-scenes footage while you wait for your next insertion adds an educational twist, transforming a simple retro anthology into a mini-history lesson.

Graphics

Visually, Midway Arcade Treasures 2 strikes a nice balance between authenticity and modern display options. The core pixel art remains untouched, preserving the vibrant palettes and sharp sprites that defined early ’90s arcades. On large-screen TVs, scan-line filters and CRT simulations help recapture that classic glow, while crisp upscaling modes sharpen the original graphics without turning characters into blocky monstrosities.

Games like Primal Rage and APB benefit from the compilation’s improved color calibration, which brings out subtle background details that faded on aging cabinets. Racing titles such as Spy Hunter II and Kozmik Krooz’r maintain their sense of speed and depth, thanks to careful preservation of sprite-scaled environments.

While purists might spot occasional artifacting or minor sprite misalignment compared to original PCB hardware, most players will appreciate the suite of display toggles. You can choose fullscreen fidelity or the grainy, scan-line look, depending on your nostalgia threshold. Cutscenes and attract modes retain their original aspect ratios, with crisp text and well-paced animations across the entire library.

Even lesser-known entries like Wacko and Timber look surprisingly clean, making it clear the developers took care to optimize each ROM. Overall, the graphical presentation pays homage to the arcade era while granting enough modern polish to sit comfortably on today’s screens.

Story

Most arcade titles—especially fighting and shooter games—offer minimal narrative, and this collection is no exception. The core fun lies in mastery of gameplay, not in deep plot twists. That said, iconic lore seeds like the tournament brackets in Mortal Kombat II & III and the futuristic grid battles of Cyberball 2072 still lend a splash of context to your button-mashing rampages.

The DVD documentary layer enriches the storytelling side far beyond the on-cart action. Through developer interviews, concept art reveals, and rare cabinet footage, you learn how these genres evolved under tight deadlines and limited memory. It’s a fascinating peek into the creative processes behind games that helped define modern entertainment.

Between matches, the museum-style segments offer bite-sized histories of arcade culture, from the birthplace of vector graphics in Arch Rivals to the gritty digitized fighters of Pit Fighter. While you won’t find an overarching narrative tying the library together, the archival content more than compensates, transforming each title into a chapter of video game history.

For players who enjoy context alongside their combat, the DVD inclusion is a standout feature. It bridges the gap between pure gameplay nostalgia and a deeper appreciation for the design challenges faced by Midway’s creative teams.

Overall Experience

Midway Arcade Treasures 2 stands out as one of the most comprehensive retro anthologies on the market. With twenty classic titles spanning multiple genres, it offers incredible value for arcade enthusiasts and newcomers alike. The variety ensures no two sessions feel alike—one moment you’re evading orcs in Gauntlet II, the next you’re collecting power-ups in Xybots or demolishing skyscrapers in Rampage World Tour.

The collection’s strong emulation fidelity, customizable display settings, and robust multiplayer options make it ideal for both solo nostalgia trips and party-style gaming marathons. The intuitive menu puts every title just a button-press away, and the inclusion of scan lines, screen borders, and dip-switch emulation lets you tailor the experience to your preferred level of authenticity.

Perhaps the crown jewel is the bonus DVD, which transforms what could have been a simple re-release into a mini documentary on the birth and evolution of arcade gaming. It’s a rare case where ancillary material adds genuine depth, making the package appealing not just to players, but to fans of gaming history and design.

In summary, Midway Arcade Treasures 2 isn’t just a nostalgia trip—it’s a lovingly curated time capsule that plays as smoothly as it looks, with bonus features that educate and entertain. For anyone looking to revisit the golden age of arcades or discover its many hidden gems for the first time, this compilation delivers on all fronts.

Retro Replay Score

7.4/10