Page 35 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #6

OUND 3
OUND 3
Ms. Pac-Man (Arcade) R R ROUND 3 Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness
vs. (Nintendo 64)
Ms. Pac-Man, one of the few early ’80s games you
can still find on a regular basis in modern arcades, took
the Pac-Man concept and cranked it up a few notches
with trickier ghosts, more mazes, and faster gameplay. A
very good (if sometimes tricky to control) port of the clas-
sic game is included in Maze Madness, as is an expan-
sive adventure mode and several fun multi-player games.
The adventure mode has simple controls (only the control
pad is used), but gameplay emphasizes puzzle-solving
over ghost-chasing. Both Ms. Pac-Man and Maze Mad-
ness are fun for gamers of all ages, but ultimately Ms.
Pac-Man is more absorbing and more challenging.

Classic: A Modern: B+

R R ROUND 4
OUND 4
OUND 4
vs.
Centipede (ColecoVision) Centipede (Dreamcast)
The ColecoVision rendition of Centipede is hands
down the best way to recreate the arcade classic on your
television set. This straightforward port is fast, wildly chal-
lenging, and loads of fun. The game utilizes Coleco’s
Roller Controller trackball to utter perfection. Centipede
for the Dreamcast is an overblown adventure game with
boring shooting action, repetitive gameplay, and lacklus-
ter objectives. Three points of view, two-player split-
screen action, and improved (over the PlayStation ver-
sion) 3D graphics can’t help this dull Centipede remake
from being a waste of time. A good reproduction of the
classic version is included, but without trackball control,
the game comes up lacking.

Classic: A+ Modern: D

OUND 5
OUND 5
R R ROUND 5
Missile Command Missile Command
(Atari 5200) vs. (PC)
The PC version of Missile Command keeps the clas-
sic concept intact while offering mother ships, scrolling
screens, off screen enemies, rotating pods, a killer
soundtrack, and more. This is a fun game that will chal-
lenge those who have mastered or grown tired of the
original Missile Command. However, for recreating the
excitement of the original arcade game at home, you
can’t beat the Atari 5200 rendition with its trackball con-
trol and faithful rendering of gameplay and graphics. A
classic mode is included in the PC package, but using a
mouse to guide the cross hairs is less satisfying and less
effective than using a trackball.

Classic: B+ Modern: C

At this point in our comparison, classic gaming has a huge lead. Can today’s
remakes stage a startling comeback? Find out next issue as five more arcade
favorites face off against their modern counterparts.

Classic Gamer Magazine Spring 2001 35