Game Boy :: Genesis :: NES :: Sega CD :: SNES :: TurboGrafx-16 :: Complete System Listings

Konami Classics Vol. 2 review

Game: Konami Classics Vol. 2
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Compilation
Developer: Konami

Reader review by pickhut

June 04, 2010

Are you a Contra fan, own a 360, and have no access to the Live service? Then I'm sorry Konami has intentionally put you in such a bad situation with Konami Classics Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, because you're forced to spend $40 just to play two games. With a move like that, I don't see how this doesn't encourage fans to just use an emulator, instead. For everyone else, what's worse is that Vol. 2 as a whole doesn't have the same pitiful excuse as Vol. 1 of having a "solid" price tag. If you were to buy all three games, Contra, Track & Field, and Rush 'N Attack, off Live Arcade, the total price would be $15. Konami Classics Vol. 2's original retail price is $20. There was clearly enough room to cram one more 400 MS Point ($5) title in this release to make for a reasonable purchase. Even some crummy extras would have been sufficient, like Yaoi fan drawings of the Contra dudes. Unfortunately, this title is as bare bones as it gets, with the only new "feature" being a red title screen that directs you to the game of your choosing.

Let's compare this to another compilation that came out three months prior, Q Entertainment's Qubed. This also cost $20 and includes three recent games: Rez, Lumines Live!, and E4. There's a huge difference with this one, because all three together would be $24 on Live Arcade, so this collection is already a good deal. Now throw in the fact that some of Lumines Live! downloadable content is also included, which range anywhere from 600, 400, and 300 MS Points, and this easily turns into a wonderful deal. There's even a car ride interview with the creator of all three games! Obviously, both companies want your monies, but Konami was too blinded by greed to execute it properly.

If they are ever going to release a Vol. 3 after this whole mess, I hope they would treat it and the fans with more respect. But I doubt that. I really doubt that. In fact, I don't think they ever intended to make anymore beyond Vol. 2, and that the whole volumes thing was just a ploy to lead people into believing that more volumes were going to be published. Let's say they will make a Vol. 3, though; Konami would only have enough to make one more compilation, since the only classic Live Arcade games left to put out are Scramble, Time Pilot, Yie Ar Kung Fu, and Gyruss. Do you see them releasing any of their recently-made Arcade titles after that? I don't, that would be far too kind. They should just go back to releasing tons of music games, relying on Kojima's Metal Gear series, and messing with the Castlevania series, since it's apparently the only things they're great at doing these days.

Rating: 3/10

More Reviews by pickhut
	Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi (Genesis) Coming off the heels of Revenge of Shinobi, a highly-praised game during the Genesis' launch year, was Shadow Dancer, a follow-up that Revenge fans weren...
	Darkest of Days (Xbox 360) Darkest of Days isn't going to win any awards for being one of the prettiest games on the Xbox 360, as it's a 2009 title that looks like an indie-made So...
	Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones (NES) "THE GREATEST MARTIAL ARTS ADVENTURE SERIES EVER!" - NES Box Cover

Feedback

If you enjoyed this Konami Classics Vol. 2 review, you're encouraged to leave feedback and talk about it with members of the site's community. You don't even need an HonestGamers account to get involved in the discussion. Please remember to keep your comments respectful and on-topic or they may be deleted by a moderator. Thank you for your understanding!

comments powered by Disqus

© 1998-2013 HonestGamers
None of the material contained within this site may be reproduced in any conceivable fashion without permission from the author(s) of said material. This site is not sponsored or endorsed by Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Microsoft, or any other such party. Konami Classics Vol. 2 is a registered trademark of its copyright holder. This site makes no claim to Konami Classics Vol. 2, its characters, screenshots, artwork, music, or any intellectual property contained within. Opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily represent the opinion of site staff or sponsors.