As I've mentioned before (see The great drunken retro game challenge of a couple of weeks back), game compilations are a fantastically compact, convenient way to enjoy an evening's gaming. The nature of compilations means that a sudden desire to play something else no longer requires the lazy gamer to rise from the couch and swap discs or cartridges.
Laziness aside, game compilations, such as Capcom Classics or Taito Legends make sound economic sense. Much of their contents may be available on the current gen consoles' digital download lists, but to purchase them individually would add up to a considerable cost, particularly when you consider that the aforementioned collections (which contain around twenty or thirty games apiece) can be picked up for only ten pounds or so.
Compilations also open up a library of rare games that would normally be the preserve of the dedicated collector. If you don't believe me, head to eBay and try to find a copy of Elevator Action Returns for the Sega Saturn; you won't get much change from a fifty pound note. Suddenly, ten pounds for a copy of Taito Legends sounds very cheap indeed.
Here then, is my wish list of five retro game compilations...
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