Taito Legends

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Taito Legends
Taitolegends.jpg
Box art
Developer(s)Empire Interactive
Publisher(s)Empire Interactive (Europe)
Sega (North America)
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows
ReleasePlayStation 2 & Xbox
  • EU: 14 October 2005
  • NA: 25 October 2005
Microsoft Windows
  • EU: 14 October 2005
  • NA: 10 November 2005
Genre(s)Compilation
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Taito Legends is a compilation of 29 arcade games released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Microsoft Windows. The games were originally developed by Taito. The European release was published by Empire Interactive, who had licensed the games from Taito and developed the compilation. Although they did not get official credit for it in the American versions, Sega published the North American and South American releases.

Extra features include interviews with some of the game designers, original sales flyers, and arcade cabinet art.

Two follow-up compilations were issued; Taito Legends 2 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC and the PlayStation Portable exclusive Taito Legends Power-Up.

Games[]

While the Western Taito Legends consists of 29 arcade games, the Japanese Taito Memories includes only 25 arcade games per volume, omitting Jungle Hunt, Colony 7, The Electric Yo-Yo, Zoo Keeper and Tube It.[1]

Titles included in the Western and Japanese releases of the collection
Title Arcade release Taito Memories Alternative title
Space Invaders 1978 I Vol.2
Space Invaders Part II 1979 I Vol.2 Deluxe Space Invaders (USA)
Phoenix 1980 II Vol.2
Colony 7 1981 No
1982 No
Jungle Hunt 1982 No Jungle King (original) and Pirate Pete (official clone)
Zoo Keeper 1982 No
Elevator Action 1983 I Vol.2
Great Swordsman 1984 II Vol.2
Return of the Invaders 1985 II Vol.1
Bubble Bobble 1986 I Vol.1
Gladiator 1986 II Vol.1 Ougon no Shiro (Japan)
Tokio 1986 II Vol.1 Scramble Formation (Japan)
Exzisus 1987 II Vol.1
Operation Wolf 1987 II Vol.2
1987 II Vol.2
Rastan 1987 I Vol.1 Rastan Saga (Japan, Europe)
Rainbow Islands 1987 II Vol.1
Super Qix 1987 II Vol.1
Operation Thunderbolt 1988 II Vol.1
The NewZealand Story 1988 I Vol.2
Battle Shark 1989 II Vol.2
Continental Circus 1989 II Vol.1
Plotting 1989 I Vol.1 Flipull (Japan)
Volfied 1989 II Vol.2
1990 II Vol.1
Space Gun 1990 II Vol.1
Thunder Fox 1990 II Vol.2
1993 No Cachat (Japan)

Between 2005 and 2007, in total four similar compilations had been released by Taito for the PlayStation 2 in its home market of Japan:[2]

  • Taito Memories Volume 1 (タイトーメモリーズ 上巻, Taitō Memorīzu Joukan)
  • Taito Memories Volume 2 (タイトーメモリーズ 下巻, Taitō Memorīzu Gekan)
  • Taito Memories II Volume 1 (タイトーメモリーズ2 上巻, Taitō Memorīzu 2 Joukan)
  • Taito Memories II Volume 2 (タイトーメモリーズ2 下巻, Taitō Memorīzu 2 Gekan)

The games on this compilation are emulations of their respective arcade originals; however, the software lacks light gun support for Operation Wolf, Operation Thunderbolt, and Space Gun. These games place a gun cursor on the screen, which the player can move around with the analog stick (console versions), or mouse (PC version).

The games that had to be altered due to licensing issues are Jungle Hunt and Rainbow Islands. Elements of Jungle Hunt had to be altered such as the design of the Tarzan like character and the signature Tarzan yell due to licensing issues with Edgar Rice Burroughs estate. Rainbow Islands had to alter its music for the re-release due to licensing.

Reception[]

Taito Legends received slightly positive reviews with a score of 74.06% for the Xbox version, 71.68% for the PlayStation 2 version, and 75.17% for the Windows version on GameRankings.[7] IGN praised the collection for a superb presentation, as well as the large amount of bonus material, but criticized some titles in the collection as "worthless filler".[8] Other criticisms are the lack of online leaderboards, the omission of Arkanoid and Chase H.Q., the lack of light gun support for Operation Wolf, Operation Thunderbolt, and Space Gun,[9] the lack of control configuration, and for the controls being "flipped", making it potentially uncomfortable and unnatural to many, less-adaptable players. Only the Windows version fixes the error regarding the collection's control scheme.

References[]

  1. ^ Taito Memories on taito.co.jp
  2. ^ Taito Memories on jap-sai.com
  3. ^ Price, Tom (January 2006). "Taito Legends". Official Xbox Magazine. No. 53. p. 71. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  4. ^ "Taito Legends". PC Games (in German). March 2006. p. 92. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  5. ^ Hogarty, Steve (January 2006). "Taito Legends". PC Zone. No. 163. p. 85. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  6. ^ "Taito Legends". Play. No. 135. December 2005. p. 98. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  7. ^ http://www.gamerankings.com/ps2/929578-taito-legends/articles.html
  8. ^ http://ps2.ign.com/articles/664/664916p2.html
  9. ^ http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/taitolegends/review.html

External links[]

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