RB Community List: 30 Best Retro Gaming Compilations

[strangenova]

Thanks for clearing that up!

No problem, I thought about mentioning the X collection but I figured the X collection is a little too niche for the purposes of this. But it does exist

[TEKTORO]

That's why I was confused cause I don't really remember ever owning that one, guessing I did. Lol. Video game overdose.. yikes!!

[Xeogred]

Just an FYI, the Mega Man X Collection... has the PSX/PC/Saturn version of Mega Man X3. Unfortunately they redid the music and I find the CD music to be a downgrade. It's got some anime cutscenes that are cool though, like X4 had. I can't remember if it had any goofy voice acting or not though.

But yeah the sound effects and music changes... almost a deal breaker.

My go to comparison has always been Blast Hornet's stage:
CD -
SNES -

Granted some of the other CD tracks are awesome and I just have a strong nostalgic preference here for the SNES version, but yeah just thought this should be noted. I had no idea when I bought the collection and when I get to MMX3 it was a huge WTF. On the flipside maybe this is a selling point for those who haven't played this version, since I think it was all mostly Japan only.

[retrosportsgamer]

Two corrections to OP:

1) Taito Legends 2 is also available on PC, I have it and I went through StarForce to play it (but honestly I think it killed the optical drive on my old laptop)

2) Game & Watch Gallery Advance on GBA is called Game & Watch Gallery 4 in the US.
I know AJ was using European naming conventions for his nominations but maybe a "/4" after Advance might make it easier for us American folks.

Thank you!

[retrosportsgamer]

Ok, our new adds today so far:

26) Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits (NDS)
27) Konami GB Collection Vol 4 (GBC - Vol 3 JP, Vol 4 EU)
28) Metal Slug Anthology (Wii, PS2, PSP, PS4)
29) Doom 3 BFG Edition (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
30) Atari Vault (PC)

I'm open to arguments on that Doom 3 BFG version, but i feel like the accessibility across multiple systems - both physical and digital - give it a leg up over the PSN-only Doom Collection for PS3. Plus you get Doom 3 BFG! (not in the collection on PS3). It's also playable on Xbox One due to BC (which locked in to me that I need to pick it up).

Also posting a couple other Atari nominations, but the Vault should have been on the list earlier.

[retrosportsgamer]

Activision Anthology (PS2, PC, GBA, PSP)

Activision, Imagic, homebrews, tech demos and two portable options. There are differences with the portable versions. From wiki:

The Game Boy Advance version has the most games out of the portable versions, including seven homebrew games that do not appear in any of the other versions. It does not include the 19 Imagic games or Commando, nor does it play music during gameplay. It does have four custom 1980s-style music tracks that play in the menu screens, however.

The PlayStation Portable version includes three of the Imagic games, Atlantis, Demon Attack, and Moonsweeper, nearly all of the Activision games, full-speed emulation, and the 1980s songs featured in the PlayStation 2 and computer versions, but does not include Commando, the four Absolute Entertainment games, games exclusive to the other releases, or the homebrew titles. The PSP version also lacked the possibility to save high scores and unlocked extras, so when the player quits out of the game, all progress would be lost.

Barnstorming
Beamrider
Bloody Human Freeway
Boxing
Bridge
Checkers
Chopper Command
Commando 1988
Cosmic Commuter
Crackpots
Decathlon
Dolphin
Dragster
Enduro
Fishing Derby
Freeway
Frostbite
Grand Prix
H.E.R.O.
Ice Hockey
Kabobber
Kaboom!
Keystone Kapers
Laser Blast
Megamania
Oink!
Pitfall!
Pitfall II: Lost Caverns
Plaque Attack
Pressure Cooker
Private Eye
River Raid
River Raid II
Robot Tank
Seaquest
Skiing
Sky Jinks
Space Shuttle
Spider Fighter
Stampede
Starmaster
Tennis
Thwocker
Activision prototype #1
Activision prototype #2
Venetian Blinds
Atlantis
Atlantis II
Cosmic Ark
Demon Attack
Dragonfire
Fathom
Fire Fighter
Laser Gates
Moonsweeper
No Escape!
Baseball (Originally titled Pete Rose Baseball)
Quick Step
Riddle of the Sphinx
Shootin' Gallery
Sky Patrol
Skate Boardin'
Solar Storm
Star Voyager
Subterranea
Trick Shot
Wing War
Title Match Pro Wrestling
Tomcat F14
Climber 5
Okie Dokie
Oystron
Skeleton+
Space Treat Deluxe
Vault Assault
Video Euchre

[ExedExes]

Looks right to me @ Activision. I've got the PC version (that has the most of all the ports) and the GBA which is surprisingly good on the small screen. But it is missing some of the games, it's really more of a pure Activision-only experience. I did get the Decathlon gold medal on that version!

That menu music is something else too.

[Ack]

Has anybody mentioned the PC compilation that Activision released in 1996 of Infocom titles Classic Text Adventure Masterpieces of Infocom? It contained all of these text adventure games:

Arthur: The Quest for Excalibur
Ballyhoo
Beyond Zork
Border Zone
Bureaucracy
Cutthroats
Deadline
Enchanter
Hollywood Hijinx
Infidel
Journey
Leather Goddesses of Phobos
The Lurking Horror
A Mind Forever Voyaging
Moonmist
Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It
Planetfall
Plundered Hearts
Seastalker
Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels
Sorcerer
Spellbreaker
Starcross
Stationfall
Suspect
Suspended
Trinity
Wishbringer
The Witness
Zork I
Zork II
Zork III
Zork Zero

As a bonus, it also included the 6 winners of the 1995 Interactive Fiction Competition:

A Change in the Weather
The Magic Toyshop
The Mind Electric
The One That Got Away
Toonesia
Uncle Zebulon's Will

[Tanooki]

A slight tweak: DOOM 3 BFG you have it listed for console and PC, but it's also on Android, but only for Nvidia Shield devices, and it won't even run unless you sync a bluetooth controller to it first as the developers found using touch control ruined the experience.

[Ziggy]

I'm open to arguments on that Doom 3 BFG version, but i feel like the accessibility across multiple systems - both physical and digital - give it a leg up over the PSN-only Doom Collection for PS3. Plus you get Doom 3 BFG! (not in the collection on PS3). It's also playable on Xbox One due to BC (which locked in to me that I need to pick it up).

The classic games in Doom 3 BFG are poorly emulated. Although if you have the PC version of BFG you can download a (free) source port and play them that way. Setting up the source port shouldn't be too big of deal for the average PC gamer, but I hate to think that first time Doom'ers wont know what they're missing by playing this version.