The days of Pac-Man and Tetris are long gone and have been replaced with modern, 3D entertainment titles with stunning graphics and increasingly realistic gameplay. In an effort not to forget the classic games that brought us to the current level of gaming, MacSoft has taken some of the best classic arcade games of the past and meshed them with a modern 3D look. Munch Man, Tetra-Madness, Alien Invaders and Qube Jumper are the featured lineup in America's Greatest Arcade Hits 3D.
Munch Man
Munch Man is a 3D tribute to possibly the greatest arcade game of all-time, Pac Man. Just like the original, Munch man scurries around the level eating antacid in his attempt to clear the level of the small pills and continue on his journey. Power-ups lay in the corners that let Munch Man chow down on the ghosts that chase him. However, the similarities end there. By moving to 3D, the developers had to sacrifice the ability to see the whole level at one time. They also added obstacles like moving bridges and springs to get you across holes in the floor. With these changes the retro feel of the original is lost and Munch Man becomes just another arcade spin-off.
Tetra-Madness
Tetra-Madness takes the classic puzzle game born in Russia, Tetris, and makes a simple change to 3D. The game is still basically played as 2D so the developers didn't have to sacrifice much of the original game to add the 3D look. Blocks of various shapes and sizes come drifting down the wall and you have to line them up so that a full horizontal line is complete. Once one particular line is full, all of those blocks disappear and you are awarded points. Some special enhancements were made such as new blocks which can explode surrounding blocks when landing. This kind of enhancement doesn't detract from the feel of the original Tetris so Tetra-Madness can be deemed a successful 3D conversion.
Alien Invaders
Alien Invaders didn't have the same luck as Tetra-Madness in the leap to 3D. As a modern version of the classic Space Invaders, you battle your ship against the nasty aliens. However, as with Munch Man, the feel of the original was sorely lost in the 3D conversion. Enemy aliens are basically lined up above 3-story bunkers which you must shoot around or knock down to kill them one-by-one. One of the memorable aspects of the original was the intricate patterns that the aliens wove as you tried to shoot down each wave of enemies. There is no such similar experience with Alien Invaders, and it leaves a sour taste to think that you're supposed to be playing a modern version of Space Invaders without the classic weaving and jiving of the aliens. Other enhancements such as a certain number of jumps to avoid incoming alien firepower only add to the fact that the classic feel of Space Invaders has been dumped in this updated version.
Qube Jumper
Finally, Qube Jumper is an excellent tribute to the classic arcade game of Q-Bert. In this wacky rendition of the original, you control Jumpy as you attempt to jump on each square of the level without running into any snakes, frogs or other animals out to get you. The gameplay basically remains the same and the development team wisely didn't try to ruin the classic with any "enhancements". The modern 3D graphics are an excellent addition to the original feel of Q-Bert and gives Qube Jumper the best retro feel of the four included games.
Each of the four games in America's Greatest Arcade Hits 3D share the same controls, interface and classic arcade soundtracks. Each of them include support for InputSprocket-compatible devices so you can use your gamepad to play these four timeless classics. When starting each game for the first time, you choose between three different levels of graphics quality so that the games run at adequate speeds and give you the best possible graphics on your system. However, even on the highest graphical settings jagged edges and blurred textures are not uncommon. It was clearly not a priority to give these four games cutting-edge 3D graphics and at times the mediocre graphics turn out to be a distraction to those accustomed to real-time 3D engines. However, the casual gamer who loves the classic arcade genre would probably not even notice the low-quality graphics.
Overall, America's Greatest Arcade Hits 3D is a split decision. Two of the four games capture the feel of their original counterparts, while the remaining two have been "enhanced" beyond their classic nature and would likely be a disappointment to anyone out for some classic arcade gaming. However, for the two that do retain the retro look, sound and feel it is a perfect match. Classic arcade gaming plus a touch of modern 3D graphics bring the old times back to life.
