First things first, rob a bank. And then go buy all of the arcade cabinets you want to emulate. Remember, just say Arrr! to piracy.
Now that we're legally protected, hunt down Namco Classics Collection 1 & 2, so you can have Galaga and Pac-Man (respectively) and their Arrangements. At this point, if you must, go grab a few other oldies with which you think you might spend a few minutes of reminiscence, such as Pong, Space Invaders, or Q-Bert. The games are classics, but there really isn't any depth or replayability. I find Pac-Man to be the earliest arcade game to still be thoroughly fun to this day.
Next are Konami's distinguished entries into the Beat'em Up genre. Three popular licenses, three memorable games: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game, the weakest offering (skippable), The Simpsons Arcade Game, a fun throwback, and, most significantly, the era's pinnacle of poor localization, X-Men: The Arcade Game. As fondly as many of us remember these games, for the love of god do not buy these cabinets on a whim. These games are short. Play through them a couple times, and then decide if you want to buy one on Ebay.
After Konami's licensed beat 'em ups, the next stop is harvesting the best of Capcom's versus fighting catalog. Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Street Fighter Alpha 3, and Darkstalkers 3. Feel free to grab some of the prequels, but by attaining the final entry, you are usually getting the best of the series. If you absolutely must, then grab the original Street Fighter, but you will soon see why no one remembers this game. There are examples in all media of a sequel being better than the original, but Street Fighter was so unremarkable, so frustratingly bad, that it rarely even merits mentioning with the rest of its sequels. If nothing else, try to beat it. You will have a new found respect for both Sagat and the countless innovations of Street Fighter II, *if* you can even make it to Thailand. (Which is doubtful. You'll probably say Phuket long before you make it to Bangkok.)
The Marvel Vs. series is whole 'nother can of worms. The first Capcom game to feature Marvel characters was Children of the Atom, but that and Marvel Super Heroes can be skipped (although after CotA, Sentinel won't show up as anything besides an assist until MvC2). The first standout title was X-Men Vs. Street Fighter, which made its mark with tag team gameplay. Do not miss this game. The next two you'll have to find are Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, and Marvel vs. Capcom (1). Unlike the aforementioned Capcom fighting franchises, due to roster restraints, few characters appear in every version, so I
recommend grabbing XSF, MSHvSF, and MvC. It would be nice to have Cammy, Omega Red, and Venom all in one game, but such is simply not the case.
I know what you're thinking: All of those characters are in Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, right? Oh yeah, but you won't be emulating that game anytime soon. Certain arcade hardware, notably Sega's Naomi and Capcom's CPS3, have not been raped for such "archival" purposes. They belong to a generation of arcade games a bit too valuable to be cracked and freely distributed.
So, if you're still fiening, track down the console versions. Street Fighter III: Third Strike can be found on the Street Fighter Anniversary Collection relatively easily. However, my PS2 copy of MvC2 is worth $100+ at this point, due to scarcity resulting from the expiration of Capcom's licensing agreement. If you ever see a working copy at a reasonable price, buy it.
Frankly, I don't enjoy older 3D fighting games in emulation. So only track down Street Figher EX or Rival Schools if you've never played them. Imho, the Soul series, Tekken, and Virtua Fighter get better with every incarnation (for the most part), so buy the latest console version or drive to an arcade if you can still find one. And regarding Tekken, if applicable, just purchase Dark Resurrection for PSP, natch.
Hold on, I've got a couple more Capcom notes. Download Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, a Puyo Pop-esque head-to-head puzzler, and if you're a Blue Bomber fan, snag the wacky Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters. Okay, we're almost done. Get a good CPS2 shooter, Progear or Mars Matrix. They both make Galaga look like a cave painting.
Due to the constraints of keyboard controls, I would pass on most racing games for your collection, although the relatively simple and memorable Super Off Road can be a nice addition. Ignore the Cruis'n and Ridge games, though, unless you already have the appropriate analog controls.
In summation, if I had to narrow these down to ten, this is the rundown of the must-haves:
- Namco Classics Collection Volume 2
- X-Men: The Arcade Game
- Super Street Fighter II Turbo
- Street Figher Alpha 3
- X-Men vs. Street Fighter
- Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter
- Marvel vs. Capcom
- Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
- Mars Matrix: Hyper Solid Shooting
- Super Off Road
I personally play the three Marvel Vs. games and Puzzle Fighter more than any of the others. Just like at an arcade where you play a game and then move on to the next, they are a lot of fun in short bursts.
Does this make anybody else miss the golden age of arcades as much as me? Unfortunately, powerful home consoles have all but killed traditional arcade games, allowing rail shooters and rhythm games to flourish. But thanks to MAME, these games will never be gone for good.
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