Feature
The Best and Worst Video Game Compilations
Playing some of your old favorites doesn’t always make for a flawless experience.
By: Bob Mackey
April 5, 2012
The HD collection wave is upon us. And while some would craft elaborate conspiracy theories relating the phasing out of backwards compatibility to our current onslaught of anthologies, the video game industry has always found ways for consumers to relive their misspent youth by purchasing games they played ages ago. Sometimes, these bundled collections do an excellent job of letting us bask in the warm, comforting rays of nostalgia, typically at a fraction of the originals’ cost — and with the bonus effect of preserving gaming history. But, when moving old games from one platform to another, problems can crop up, and often do; from technical flaws to poorly ported controls, any number of issues can make the re-released version of a game markedly inferior to the original. The following collections’ attempts to bring older games to a new format made each of them notable in some way — though not always for the right reasons.
Most Boneheaded Control Choice – Mega Man Anniversary Collection (GameCube, 2004)
If the video game equivalent of Moses brought down two tablets from Mount Sinai, one of them would be inscribed with the immortal phrase “A jumps, B shoots.” From time immemorial, this unspoken Commandment of controller layouts gave NES games a standard that just made sense — and the few outliers ended up playing much more awkwardly than intended. Atomic Planet Entertainment decided to change this Mega Man standard for the little guy’s 15th-ish anniversary by reversing one of the most reliable control setups known to man and beast alike. And with no way to flip the A and B inputs (outside of controller surgery), most folks ended up spending their cash on the superior PS2 and Xbox versions in lieu of trying to withstand the blasphemy forced on them by Atomic Planet.
Best Japanese RPG Bang for Your Buck – Arc the Lad Collection (PlayStation, 2001)
