The tracks are competently laid out, the obstacles are plentiful, and the action gets intense quickly. Think more Twisted Metal than Mario Kart, as players utilize missiles and oil slicks to take down the opposition. The SNES version still handles beautifully and features crisp, responsive driving controls mixed in with combat racing elements. Rock N Roll Racing was a blast when it first released and it remains so to this day. That's an idea that baffles me, especially because none of the Definitive Editions of the three games offer save states. While the Definitive Edition offers a few quality-of-life improvements, like a mini-map, the password system is still in place. Response times on the shotgun feel horribly inconsistent and it doesn't take very long to get plugged by an orc.Īs frustrating as Blackthorne's gameplay can be, the old-school versions have a password system in place to at least help players progress. The former opens the door to fight enemies, while the latter allows players to jump and climb. Players must manually switch between holding their shotgun and holstering it. Unfortunately, there's a lot here that makes Blackthorne feel like a relic. The long opening cinematic sets the stage for players to navigate a giant Metroid-style labyrinth filled with dangerous orcs, hidden secrets, and more. The story follows a warrior named Kyle, armed with a shotgun and seeking to save his people on the planet Tuul. Of the three games in this compilation, Blackthorne is the one that feels the most like a product of its time. If you have friends, the puzzles are a little easier to manage, though no less creative or devious. Playing locally is a must for this game, because managing the three heroes individually can be a headache. The Definitive Edition offers a mixture of stages from both games, as well as the ability to play local co-op. The Definitive Edition of The Lost Vikings, however, is an interesting amalgamation of the SNES and Sega Genesis classic versions. Fortunately, there's a rewind system in place, which I'll get into a little later. In that sense, the game shows its age, because there's no way to respawn a character once they're dead. If one dies, the whole exercise goes belly-up and the room needs to be reset. That makes these puzzles incredibly tricky, because all three characters must make it to the end of each room safely. Players can only control one character at a time and must be aware that the other two Vikings are vulnerable when they're not being used. Erik can run and jump, Baleog can fight, and Olaf can defend with his shield. The Lost Vikings requires players to use each of the three characters' different abilities to solve different puzzles. There's a good reason for that, because the game bearing their name is a puzzle platformer unlike anything seen at the time or released since. In a company known for recognizable characters, The Lost Vikings were among the first of Blizzard's well-known heroes. The characters are Nordic warriors who were abducted by aliens and had to escape their captivity by combining their unique abilities. There's a cult following around The Lost Vikings, both the game and the titular characters. Let's give each of these games a look individually while also judging the full batch as a collection. It's been many years since some of these games have seen release, so it's exciting to see them back in any form.īut how do these games hold up? All three of these games are not only unlike anything Blizzard has out today, they're also unlike any game that was released during their heyday. The Blizzard Arcade Collection dusts off three forgotten gems from the pre-Warcraft days: The Lost Vikings, Blackthorne, and Rock N Roll Racing. Anyone who watched the BlizzConline Opening Ceremony got a surprise in the form of a trio of Blizzard classics.
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