Midway Arcade Treasures 3

Bitchin' fun, dude! Takes you right back to the roaring road-rage days of the arcade.

Midway Arcade Treasures 3 is a very well spent $20. If you have any interest in these retro games, I suggest you pick it up, as it's the best retro collection so far in my book. With really only one stinker and one "iffy" title (that for some reason, a lot of people rave about), you really can't go wrong. A definite buy.

For me, the inclusion of Rush 2049 was enough of a selling point of the third installment of Midway’s classic compilation. But once they have your attention with this fan favorite, they drop a handful of other great games your way. Sure, it doesn’t have 20 games like last year, but the quality of the ones included is considerably better. I can once again sit here and tell you that Midway does this sort of thing best; they should lend Tecmo and Collecovision a few pointers next time around. For your money, Midway Arcade Treasures 3 is one of the best values I’ve seen in a few months. My suggestion: pick this one up, and remember the good times.

Midway Arcade Treasures 3 is a very clever, themed compilation. The $20 would definitely be worth it just for the Rush and Thunder games, though it is nice to see a bit of the company’s origins.

When Midway announced the third installment of their Midway Arcade Treasures series, many were surprised to see the series would be shifting gears so drastically. Not only would this compilation focus on one specific genre, but it would only have 8 games. This is quite a change of pace from the 20+ titles previous Midway Arcade Treasures collections have featured. However, this is offset by the fact that all but two of these games are from the era of 3D, with a few even being as recent as the Dreamcast era. Unfortunately, I have to question just how “classic” most of these classics are.

An occasional bug and the clunky menu system are each real issues with this collection, but the games are a blast worth remembering. Old racing is the new hotness.

An occasional bug and the clunky menu system are each real issues with this collection, but the games are a blast worth remembering. Old racing is the new hotness.

An occasional bug and the clunky menu system are each real issues with this collection, but the games are a blast worth remembering. Old racing is the new hotness.

Rush 2049 is the headliner of this year's pack, and even if it was released by itself it would still be worth the budget price that the Midway Arcade Treasures is known for. Because the version included is the brilliantly fantastic Dreamcast edition, even six years later this racing game holds up extraordinarily well with some of the most exciting single and multiplayer racing challenges ever created. The rest of the pack supplements Rush 2049 with a decent variety of racing games of both 2D and 3D designs, some more playable and addictive than others. The San Francisco Rush: The Rock and Hydro Thunder ports are still timeless and fun, but it's Rush 2049 that will keep you coming back to this compilation.

Hey, I understand a title like this has limited appeal. But if there was ever a definitive collection of arcade racers, this is it. Come for the Rush and Hydro Thunder, stay for the other great games you can play when you need a break from those.

Hey, I understand a title like this has limited appeal. But if there was ever a definitive collection of arcade racers, this is it. Come for the Rush and Hydro Thunder, stay for the other great games you can play when you need a break from those.

Midway Arcade Treasure 3 once again has a good number of games to choose from in this compilation, and although it may have been nice to have more games on the list, for twenty dollars you really can’t complain. If you are a fan of SF Rush 2049, that may be reason enough to go run out and purchase this game. If not, there are seven other solid games that make this compilation a very worthwhile purchase.

It's like clockwork: another year, another Midway collection. This time, though, the company's working a theme into its value pack: for the third addition of Midway Arcade Treasures, Midway is reintroducing eight racing games from the company's intellectual property collection. On the surface, it may seem like a let down that this third edition of the compilation series cuts the usual dozen-plus quantity down to a mere eight. But in reality, many of the eight games within this pack can stand on their own, even in this generation of console gaming. Rush 2049, San Francisco Rush: The Rock and Hydro Thunder are the highpoints to Midway's most worthwhile compilation, and it's these games that make Midway Arcade Treasures 3 the one classic collection you just can't skip.

Midway Arcade Treasures 3 does a fine job of continuing the legacy of the series and bringing classic games to the nostalgic, old school fans who grew up on them as well as the younger audience that never experienced them in the first place. However, this entry is a little on the slim side, with only eight titles and a general lack of the original feel.

Racing fans will find a lot to like about Midway Arcade Treasures 3 but then again a few of these gaming gems are mixed in with games that just don’t feel right at home on the Xbox. Having said that, though, for those who haven’t experienced these games you shouldn’t miss out on them so minimally rent this collection right away.

Unlike earlier compilations, Arcade Treasures 3 is skimpy on the "extras", which mainly consist of background information and some marketing material. Pretty lame, but this is still a worthy purchase for those who appreciate old-school racing action.

If you are a retro addict, this is easily one of the better collections out there, provided you dig racing games. With the chance to post your scores on the net, this one has a lot of playability if you are one who thrives on those bragging rights. I am just happy to see Rush 2049 and Hydro Thunder back home once again.

Midway Arcade Treasures 3 with its eight arcade racers is a fun drive down memory lane, but the controls make them just a shadow of what they were in the arcades. At $19.99, it is still well worth taking the trip. The fact that Midway has pared down the number of games from previous offerings does not worry me nearly as much as how much they pared down the historical extras. It’s still a must-buy for arcade enthusiasts, but let us hope this is not a sign of the future.

So there you have it. Another collection of arcade games from the Midway/Atari vault. And so the question is, how many of these games will you actually play? Of all three Midway Arcade Treasures games, this is the one that probably has the most amount of games you won't want to play for any length of time. It's not like Gauntlet or Joust 2 where the gameplay is timeless. Some of these racing games because of their lack of polygon pushing ability are never going to be played. It's not the game's fault, but it simply is what it is. But there are 4 games on here which I think more than pay for the price of the compilation; Hydro Thunder, Offroad Thunder, Rush 2049, and Super Off-Road. It's worth the rental to see if you agree with me. And now, here are some quick game videos to give you a look at Rush the Rock, Hydro Thunder, and S.T.U.N. Runner.

So there you have it. Another collection of arcade games from the Midway/Atari vault. And so the question is, how many of these games will you actually play? Of all three Midway Arcade Treasures games, this is the one that probably has the most amount of games you won't want to play for any length of time. It's not like Gauntlet or Joust 2 where the gameplay is timeless. Some of these racing games because of their lack of polygon pushing ability are never going to be played. It's not the game's fault, but it simply is what it is. But there are 4 games on here which I think more than pay for the price of the compilation; Hydro Thunder, Offroad Thunder, Rush 2049, and Super Off-Road. It's worth the rental to see if you agree with me. And now, here are some quick game videos to give you a look at Rush the Rock, Hydro Thunder, and S.T.U.N. Runner.

Those nostalgic for the old days (or not-so-old days) or racing aficionados might be interested in picking up Midway Arcade Treasures 3, especially when its $20 price point is taken into consideration. For younger gamers weaned on more current games such as Burnout, a rental may be all you need to sate your curiosity of how things were before bump mapping and light bloom.

Scoring this game is hard, because while the excellent ports are truly excellent, there are also some hideous clunkers in the mix. All told, it results in a game that's worth it if you're interested in playing specific titles included on the disc - particularly Super Off-Road, Hydro Thunder, Offroad Thunder, and Rush 2049. If you aren't particularly interested in any of these games, then you can safely give this volume a pass. Racing games are one genre that has really only advanced along with console hardware, and you don't gain much by going back to older titles. Some EB stores have been giving copies of Arcade Treasures 3 away when you purchase other titles, and that's almost the best way to acquire this disc.

This is the third installment of Midway's classic arcade collection series. The first game alone offered up great gems like Defender, Gauntlet, Joust, Marble Madness, Rampage, Robotron 2084, Sinistar, Smash TV, Spyhunter, and more – a truly fantastic deal for twenty bones. The second in the series featured some sequels, like Gauntlet 2, Spyhunter 2, Rampage World Tour, and heavy-hitters Mortal Kombat 2 and 3 in addition to other lesser known games; not a bad collection, though less great than its predecessor.

Over the years, Midway has released a number of great games and arcade classics, many of which they’ve revisited to give a sense of nostalgia to older gamers. While the other Midway Arcade Treasures were strong anthologies of their titles, the reduced number and limited play experience conveyed by Midway Arcade Treasures 3 makes this set for rabid fans only. You’re not really going to find the arcade experience here, nor are you going to find the full presentation that you may remember putting quarters in so many years ago.

Midway Arcade Treasures 3 is a fun conglomeration of some of the arcade favorites that younger gamers grew up with. The highlights of the compilation are Rush 2049, Hydro Thunder despite its lack of depth, and Badlands for its loveable devotion to the top-down two-dimensional look and surprisingly fun gameplay. Sadly this classic set of games is overshadowed by Capcom’s assortment of titles in lots of different ways; so much so that the only folks who have any reason to purchase Midway Arcade Treasures 3 are those with some kind of allegiance to the company. For a superior gameplay experience stick to Capcom Classic Collection.

It's like clockwork: another year, another Midway collection. This time, though, the company's working a theme into its value pack: for the third addition of Midway Arcade Treasures, Midway is reintroducing eight racing games from the company's intellectual property collection. On the surface, it may seem like a let down that this third edition of the compilation series cuts the usual dozen-plus quantity down to a mere eight. But in reality, many of the eight games within this pack can stand on their own, even in this generation of console gaming. Rush 2049, San Francisco Rush: The Rock and Hydro Thunder are the highpoints to Midway's most worthwhile compilation, but the GameCube version features some conversion issues in these three games that bring down the enjoyment of the compilation.

With 8 games to choose from, this treasury presents a pretty well-rounded cross section of Midway racing titles from the last two decades. “S.T.U.N Runner” is kinetic, colorful, and frantic, requiring tremendous hand-eye coordination as you race futuristic sleds over zingy sci-fi tracks, blasting enemies and obstacles. “Race Drivin’” plays almost like a sim (i.e. start the car, shift the car into gear, etc.) taking you along benign tree-dotted courses with the occasional loop-the-loop or ramp jump thrown in for good measure. History-minded gamers might want to play these first since they make the complexity of the remaining six games astounding by comparison.

Choosing to highlight a specific genre within a classic games compilation is a fine idea, but the folly of Midway Arcade Treasures 3 is its choice of genres. So many of the games included here relied so heavily on custom arcade hardware that they lose much of their appeal in the translation.

The GameCube version of Midway Arcade Treasures 3 is hitting shelves a good month after the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions, but don't expect much in the way of improved performance or extra features. The GameCube seems to struggle just a little bit more with frame rates in S.T.U.N. Runner and Off Road Thunder, but it's a difference that's hardly detectable, and it's really the only difference. Choosing to highlight a specific genre within a classic games compilation is a fine idea, but the folly of Midway Arcade Treasures 3 is its choice of genres. So many of the games included here relied so heavily on custom arcade hardware that they lose much of their appeal in the translation.

While the two previous Midway Arcade Treasures compilations have spanned a great variety of games released over long, long periods of time, the series focuses the scope of its efforts in Midway Arcade Treasures 3, which consists of eight arcade racing games released between 1989 and 2001. The games that represent the rather specific subgenre of arcade racing in this package show a surprising amount of variety, and from a technical standpoint, they're largely successful emulations of the arcade games. This technical competence, however, puts into sharp relief the elements of the arcade experience that you simply cannot emulate.

The rest of the collection, from Super Off Road to S.T.U.N. Runner to Badlands, are solid ports. They don’t have as many frame rate problems or sound issues, but I chose to highlight the other games because I think those are more the reason people want to buy this package. It’s just disappointing that there are so many issues with the three main games that people are going to be interested in, but do note that the other games in this package are worth picking up, even if Hydro Thunder is essentially unplayable multiplayer and the sound issues in the two Rush games are going to have you scrambling for your remotes “mute” button. All in all, this is still probably worth the admission price since it’s so cheap to begin with, but I think a lot of fans with vivid arcade memories are going to be disappointed with what they get.

Only those trying to elicit an emotional attachment to these games are likely to get anything out of all them. The rest of us will just have a mediocre time and will have to hunt down a few cases of Pepsi and chips to fill that emotional void.

If you’re a long time fan of racing games, then you’ll no doubt remember most of these games, and might want to pick this one up. Midway Arcade Treasures 3 offers up a decent amount of value for the twenty dollar sticker price, but not enough to make it very easily recommendable to everyone. If this collection had more games and a much better presentation to go along with it, it would have been much more attractive and easily-recommended.

Slowly these titles are becoming just average compilations. Midway really need to take a break from this series; it is evident from this title that they are running out of ideas for titles.

Morning retro campers! Welcome to barrel-scraping territory where everything's a 'classic' and a 'treasure' if it, you know, it once appeared in an arcade. Having just trawled through the annals (or should that be anals?) of Tecmo's 'classic' retro history, we were in no mood to be fobbed off again with a pile of stinking detritus masquerading as jolly retro fodder - so forgive us if we're just a little stroppy with Midway's latest collection of old long-forgotten hits.

Midway has been making popular electronic arcade games for more than two decades now, and they're no stranger to putting their classics on compilation discs for home video game consoles. Their past two Midway Arcade Treasures assortments featured a wide variety of classics, but for their third outing they are trying something different. Every game in the third installment is an arcade racing game, spanning the late 80's/early 90's to just a few years ago.

Moins old-school que ses deux prédécesseurs, Midway Arcade Treasures 3 propose un éventail de titres beaucoup plus récents, ce qui n'est pas forcément ce que recherchent les nostalgiques. Moins nombreux, ces derniers sont aussi d'une qualité franchement inégale, et aucun ne retiendra vraiment votre attention. Même au prix auquel il est proposé, cet opus ne constitue pas vraiment une priorité.

For Midway and other publishers who might consider imitating the single-genre format of Treasures 3, it's worth noting that "genre" shares a common root with "generic." And it's hard to think of a more generic compilation than this. The venerability of these selections combined with the substandard interface (exiting out of a given game is performed inconsistently and tends to be very confusing) and paltry selection of titles makes this one you can skip over without losing any sleep.

For Midway and other publishers who might consider imitating the single-genre format of Treasures 3, it's worth noting that "genre" shares a common root with "generic." And it's hard to think of a more generic compilation than this. The venerability of these selections combined with the substandard interface (exiting out of a given game is performed inconsistently and tends to be very confusing) and paltry selection of titles makes this one you can skip over without losing any sleep.

For Midway and other publishers who might consider imitating the single-genre format of Treasures 3, it's worth noting that "genre" shares a common root with "generic." And it's hard to think of a more generic compilation than this. The venerability of these selections combined with the substandard interface (exiting out of a given game is performed inconsistently and tends to be very confusing) and paltry selection of titles makes this one you can skip over without losing any sleep.