Konami Classics Vol. 2 (Xbox 360) review "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 yo..."

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.

Community review by dementedhut (June 04, 2010) Now if only I had the foresight to submit this OutRun review a day earlier...