Taito Legends 2
Taito Legends 2 is the sequel to Taito Legends and is a follow-up collection of 39 (or 43, see below) Taito arcade games for Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Windows. As the former collection, it has been derived from the Japan exclusive Taito Memories series.
| Taito Legends 2 | |
|---|---|
Box art | |
| Developer(s) | Empire Interactive (Xbox, PC) Mine Loader Software (PS2) |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Platform(s) | Xbox, PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Various |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
All three versions of the game were simultaneously released in March 2006 in Europe and Australia and published by Empire Interactive. The United States received the PlayStation 2 version on 16 May 2007 and the PC version on 10 July 2007 with publishing by Destineer. For unknown reasons, the Xbox version was never released in North America. However, the European PAL-region Xbox version is entirely compatible with the North American NTSC-based Xbox systems without any modifications.
The PlayStation 2 version uses the same layout and engine as the Taito Memories series, while the Xbox & PC versions uses the layout and engine of Taito Legends, with additional content on some games.
Eight of the 43 games - Balloon Bomber, Bubble Symphony, Cadash, RayForce, RayStorm, G-Darius, Pop'n Pop, and Syvalion - were split across the platforms due to porting issues,[1] requiring players to buy more than one version to get every game available.
Games
Taito Legends 2 consists of the following 43 arcade games when combined whilst each version contains 39 games. Balloon Bomber, G-Darius, RayStorm and Syvalion are exclusive to the PlayStation 2 version whilst Bubble Symphony, Cadash, Pop'n Pop and RayForce are exclusive to the PC and Xbox versions.
| Title | First release | PS2 | Xbox | Windows | Taito Memories | Regional title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunar Rescue | 1979 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 | |
| Balloon Bomber | 1980 | Yes | No | No | I Vol.2 | |
| Crazy Balloon | 1980 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | |
| Qix | 1981 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | |
| Alpine Ski | 1982 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 | |
| Front Line | 1982 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | |
| Wild Western | 1982 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | |
| Chack'n Pop | 1983 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | |
| The Legend of Kage | 1984 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | |
| The Fairyland Story | 1985 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 | |
| KiKi KaiKai | 1986 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 | |
| Bonze Adventure | 1988 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 | Jigoku Meguri (Japan) |
| Kuri Kinton | 1988 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 | |
| Nastar Warrior | 1988 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | Rastan Saga 2 (Japan); Nastar (EU) |
| Raimais | 1988 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | |
| Syvalion | 1988 | Yes | No | No | I Vol.1 | |
| Cadash | 1989 | No | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | |
| Cameltry | 1989 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 | |
| Don Doko Don | 1989 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 | |
| Insector X | 1989 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | |
| Violence Fight | 1989 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | |
| Football Champ | 1990 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | Hat Trick Hero (Japan) |
| Growl | 1990 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 | Runark (Japan) |
| Gun Frontier | 1990 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | |
| Liquid Kids | 1990 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | Mizubaku Adventure (Japan) |
| Super Space Invaders '91 | 1990 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 | Majestic Twelve: The Space Invaders Part IV (Japan/USA PS2 release) |
| Metal Black | 1991 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 | Gun Frontier 2 |
| Arabian Magic | 1992 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | |
| Grid Seeker: Project Storm Hammer | 1992 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 | |
| RayForce | 1993 | No | Yes | Yes | II Vol.1 | Gunlock (Arcade), Layer Section (Japan), Galactic Attack (EU, USA) |
| Bubble Symphony | 1994 | No | Yes | Yes | II Vol.2 | Bubble Bobble II |
| Darius Gaiden | 1994 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 | |
| Dungeon Magic | 1994 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 | Light Bringer (Japan) |
| Space Invaders DX | 1994 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 | |
| Elevator Action Returns | 1995 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 | Elevator Action II (USA) |
| Gekirindan | 1995 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | |
| Puzzle Bobble 2 | 1995 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | Bust-a-Move Again (Western arcades): in PS2 release |
| Space Invaders '95 | 1995 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.2 | Akkan-vaders (Japan) |
| Cleopatra Fortune | 1996 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 | |
| RayStorm | 1996 | Yes | No | No | I Vol.2 | |
| G-Darius | 1997 | Yes | No | No | I Vol.2 | |
| Pop'n Pop | 1997 | No | Yes | Yes | — | |
| Puchi Carat | 1997 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I Vol.1 |
The titles included in the Western release were taken directly from various volumes of the Japanese Taito Memories-series:
- 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)[citation needed]
- 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 only title included in Taito Legends 2 that was not previously included in the Japanese Taito Memories series is Pop 'n Pop, though an earlier standalone PlayStation port of the game was released in Japan.
In addition, the North American PS2 version replaces Puzzle Bobble 2 (the original Japanese version) with Bust-a-Move Again, the game's North American equivalent. It also has a loading times during RayStorm and G-Darius. G-Darius uses full motion video on intro, ending and some of the cutscenes of the game.
Reception
| Publication | Score | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| PC | PS2 | Xbox | |
| Eurogamer | N/A | 7/10[5] | N/A |
| GamesMaster | N/A | 71%[6] | N/A |
| GameSpot | N/A | 6.1/10[7] | N/A |
| IGN | 7.5/10[8] | 7.4/10[9] | N/A |
| Jeuxvideo.com | 12/20[10] | 12/20[10] | N/A |
| Official Xbox Magazine (UK) | N/A | N/A | 6.5/10[11] |
| PALGN | N/A | 8/10[12] | N/A |
| PC Format | 70%[13] | N/A | N/A |
| PC Zone | 60/100[14] | N/A | N/A |
| Play | N/A | 52%[15] | N/A |
| PSM3 | N/A | 40%[16] | N/A |
| Superjuegos | N/A | 8.4/10[17] | N/A |
The PC and Xbox versions of Taito Legends 2 received "favourable" reviews, while the PlayStation 2 version received "average" reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[2][3][4] Major criticisms include the large amount of obscure and "filler" titles, all of which are from the Japanese Taito Memories collections in which they are little known in the U.S. (with GameSpot quoting: "There's really nothing legendary about most of the old arcade games found in Taito Legends 2"),[7] as well as unresponsive, "flipped", and clunky controls. Kristan Reed of Eurogamer wrote a more positive response: "It's all but impossible to make an objective assessment that takes into account everyone's hugely varying tastes. What's definitely unarguable, though, that this particular package has much better presentation than the last one, with all games sorted into chronological order (a small but valuable point), and various useful options that make the experience far better than most retro collections".[5] Some reviewers also compared Taito Legends 2 unfavorably with the Sega Genesis Collection, writing the aforementioned Genesis Collection as superior,[18] and was also criticized for its lack of bonus content (asides from instructions panels that can be viewed in the main menu and during gameplay).[9]
References
- ^ . forum.empireinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Taito Legends 2 for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Taito Legends 2 for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ^ a b . Metacritic. CNET. Archived from the original on 13 September 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ^ a b Reed, Kristan (31 March 2006). "Taito Legends 2 (PlayStation 2)". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
- ^ "Review: Taito Legends 2 (PS2)". GamesMaster. Future plc. May 2006. p. 80.
- ^ a b Gerstmann, Jeff (30 May 2007). "Taito Legends 2 Review (PS2)". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ^ Miller, Greg (29 January 2008). "Taito Legends 2 Review (PC)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ^ a b Miller, Greg (4 June 2007). "Taito Legends 2 Review (PS2)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ^ a b Romendil (16 May 2006). "Test: Taito Legends 2 (PC, PS2)". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ^ "Taito Legends 2". Official Xbox Magazine UK. Future plc. April 2006. p. 96.
- ^ Low, David (1 May 2006). . PALGN. Archived from the original on 9 June 2007. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ^ "Taito Legends 2". PC Format. No. 188. Future plc. June 2006. p. 97.
- ^ "Taito Legends 2". PC Zone. No. 168. June 2006. p. 80. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ^ "Review: Taiko Legends 2". Play UK. No. 139. Imagine Publishing. May 2006. p. 93.
- ^ "Review: Taito Legends 2". PSM2. Future plc. April 2006. p. 52.
- ^ "Taito Legends 2". Superjuegos (in Spanish). No. 163. pp. 84–85. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ^ Dutka, Ben (12 September 2007). . PSX Extreme. Poise Media Inc. Archived from the original on 8 October 2007. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
External links
- Destineer site
- Empire support site: , ,
- Taito Legends 2 at MobyGames