Video Game Review: Xbox’s Midway Arcade Treasures 3

Xbox’s Midway Arcade Treasures 3, for those of us who have been in the gaming biz for a while, screams from its shelf at the gaming store with classic titles like ‘Race Drivin’,’ ‘Super Off Road’ and ‘STUN Runner.’ It’s an instant flashback, one that entices images of dim arcade rooms in back bars and quarters flowing like the River Nile. But these titles can be brought home now and, to continue, it only requires a push of the button.

The most prominent aspect of Xbox’s Midway Arcade Treasures 3 is its price; copies may be purchased for easily under the typical $49.99. By now, the price should only be about $15.00. Unfortunately, the collection is only worth about that much.

After all, how much would you be willing to pay for a take-home copy of ‘Off-Road Thunder?’ Midway should be paying people to play this game. Another game, ‘Rush 2049,’ is definately not worth the wasted memories that interacting with friends, visiting family members, or bearing children could potentially bring.

But the wasted time doesn’t only come with the games played in Xbox’s Midway Arcade Treasures 3; just getting to the gameplay can drive even the most patient players up the wall. The interface is a hassle to choose from, as the layout is simply a vertical list of the games with a miniature preview arcade box. How uncreative is that? If the game titles had simply been arranged in a circle, from which the player could go to with a single click of the D-Pad, the game would be that much more convenient.

Another downfall [timewise] is the loading time of the game. When one of Xbox’s Midway Arcade Treasures 3’s titles is selected, it takes an additional 10 seconds, approximately, to get to the actual gameplay. First, the title is selected – goes to blackscreen – then the directions (on how to play) come up, which typically feature the commands ‘gas’ and ‘brake.’

It says ‘Press Start’ to play, but players actually have to press the button a couple times to satisfy themselves; the only sign of the game starting securely is the moving background, which stops swirling when the Start Button is activated. This, however, requires too much of an eye for detail as the background isn’t really worth looking at in the first place.

Now players must wait an extra few seconds for the game to load. Come on! How long should an Xbox take to read the memory for ‘Race Drivin’ – an Atari game?

Which brings up the worthiness of the games on board. ‘Race Drivin” is easily the most hillarious and entertaining. It’s also the one with the most replay value. Does this speak for the evolution of Midway racing games? Apparently, yes. The later the game’s release, the more obnoxious and frustrating the games get. Don’t forget, these are Arcade releases we’re talking about; could it be that Midway simply got greedy as its business took off?

Overall, Midway Arcade Treasures 3 shouldn’t be considered a treasure for players, Surely the Midway machines made a killing, drawing in drunkards and twelve-year-olds with their seizure-inducing graphics and ridiculous soundtracks. So, while Midway makes an extra $15 a pop for re-issuing these tired, old quarter-drinkers via Arcade Treasures 3, players must deal with the same old frustrations and some new ones as well.