Taito Milestones 3 Review (Nintendo Switch OLED)

Summary

The game collection boasts impressive graphics and a manageable 1GB download size. It features ten classic games powered by the Arcade Archives versions, including Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands, Rastan Saga, Dead Connection, Cadash, Rastan Saga 2, Champion Wrestler, Runark, Warrior Blade, and Thunder Fox. Players can easily quit back to the game select screen at any time, and the gameplay offers a variety of experiences, from shmups to platformers to beat ’em ups.

The display settings are highly customizable, allowing players to adjust the display frame, position, size, direction, wallpaper, and screen filter. Each game can be individually tweaked for game and display settings, including lives, difficulty, extend, continues, screen inversion, and preference settings. Additionally, players can remap controls and set up autofire/attack in each game. A manual, which is a mix of images and text, is available for each game, and online leaderboards with filters add a competitive edge. The menu for settings can be accessed at any time, and a handy reset game menu option is included. The interrupt save feature lets players save whenever they want, but the game will carry on from that point, meaning it’s a one-off save that must be continued the next time the game is booted up. Local drop-in and drop-out multiplayer support adds to the fun.

This collection is a great nostalgic trip, and it’s surprising how well the gameplay for each game still holds up. It offers a mix of classics and new titles that will appeal to the average gamer. However, there are some drawbacks. There is no achievements or accolades system, and no state save. The leaderboards are pulled from the original stand-alone Arcade Archives version, so they are already stacked. The main menu is basic and plain, consisting of just a thumbnail for each game. There are slight hitches when changing games or when they first boot up, though this doesn’t happen all the time. Unfortunately, there is no online multiplayer support, and players have to change the settings for display and audio in each game, which can be a hassle. Additionally, there is no history or scans of the original release, like Boxart. All the new features in these games are just accessibility options and difficulty tweaks. There is no way to highlight games or change their order on the main menu.

In summary, this game collection offers a nostalgic experience with impressive graphics and a variety of gameplay options. The customization settings and local multiplayer support are great features, but the lack of achievements, online multiplayer, and state save, along with the basic main menu and occasional hitches, are notable drawbacks. Despite these issues, the collection is a solid choice for fans of classic arcade games.