Still forlornly hoping for some of the older ShotTriggers to come to Switch. Ketsui and Battle Garrega, in particular. Would love Mushi Futari also, which I would've been happy with LiveWire to handle before they let the licenses elapse on the first Mushi and their other Cave ports🙄

All these juicy shmups🤤

@Damo it is really good to hear that you feel the TATE mode works well with the analogue stick as I'd asked about this in the comments section on a couple of your previews for this.

Please forgive me for being a sceptic though. I've never heard anyone who plays shmups say that analogue control is an adequate substitute for accurate 8-way controls. What is different here? Or is this more for casual play (which is fine too but changes the purview of the device)?

And yes, it really was a controller of hidden depth. I was gutted we never got a Capcom six-button fighter for it. I remember images of Street Fighter EX+a in a magazine but it never released. Would've showcased yet another element of that crazy, brilliant controller

@-wc- haha, yes I don't provide solutions, only problems!

Given the choice, I'd probably add another analogue stick on the right. Six-button dual anologue. Not sure how you'd squish it in but it'd then be a controller for all seasons.

There is probably a reason I'm not in charge😁

Yet another N64 controller that doesn't allow for the 'left-handed' mode that was best for FPS games on the console and the precursor to dual analogue. The D-pad was your WASD/left-stick direction control and the analogue stick was your right-stick look. The Turok games, GoldenEye, the Quakes and Perfect Dark all controlled best this way.

@Damo you mention the TATE mode is more comfortable but is it reliant on the analogue sticks? Are they not inherently less precise than the d-pad? Or is there a workaround?

Just got this the other day as it was back in print. Great book but I'm really disappointed it doesn't include the Turok N64 sequels. Feels like a significant gap when plenty of other, far more obscure games are covered☹️

@Xerox1919 can you point me to some sales figures please? I know it has been a slow burn in the West but I'd thought VIII, IX and XI had all sold quite well. Didn't think any of the the games prior to these had been released in PAL regions, which won't have helped as we tend to enjoy our JRPGs

I wish these would be dual-analog so that you can play games with the equivalent of the left forks of the original three-prong controller. FPS games on N64 were great using the D-pad for movement and 3D stick to look/aim. It was basically WASD meets dual-analog and most FPS games allowed for this (e.g. Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Turok, Quake). The feel of the sticks and layout of the buttons (especially in this colour scheme) would hopefully still make it look and play like an N64 controller.

@romanista Oh my gosh, I hadn't realised I needed a TATE Alpha until you mentioned it. Would go great with the Toaplan Arcade carts and can you imagine a Dodonpachi Alpha (or cart) with Cave's 90's output? DonPachi, DoDonPachi, ESP Ra.De., Dangun Feveron and Guwange would be an incredible bundle!

Very late to the party here and many of the classic ports have been mentioned. I still don't know why games on the NES control so well but maybe it was just the Super Mario Bros influence that made the likes of Capcom and Konami tweak their arcade games for the home crowd.

Feel there was something special about the Megadrive Strider port too - a superb game and one of my favourite cartridge games of all time.

I also love the extra modes in home ports of fighting games from Soul Blade (and sequels) to Street Fighter Alpha 3's World Tour. My favourite of these was Street Fighter EX+ alpha on PS1, with its barrel-breaking game and amazing trial mode, unlocking extra characters as you went. Brilliant.

@Moroboshi876 I'd say @mr_benn is right and it is mainly about the look and novelty of these at this size but My Arcade have been steadily increasing the quality of their range (they started off using NES roms, for example but now usually use the arcade or similar custom rom). They are great to have on your desk for a quick break from work, to let the kids mess around on, to show off to mates and look great on a shelf. Will defo get the OutRun one if it comes out in the UK though still waiting on Pole Position here...

I love Street Fighter and SF6 will be one of the things to get me to buy a PS5 eventually. Have so many versions (particularly of SFII) and really want the Yoga Flame Arcade1Up cabinet to round this out.

I feel the arcade version of Super Turbo is missing here as it would likely be rated much higher than the 3DO and GBA versions, despite the busted difficulty of the Western version. I reckon Alpha/Zero 3 will be near the top too, once it has enough scores - the number of platforms it was on perhaps hurts its ability to gain the votes as many (including me) won't have played the Japanese-exclusive Saturn version

@Uncharted2007 out of interest what would the four non-Nintendo handhelds in your top 5 be?

I think it is fair to say that Nintendo has completely dominated in this area since the release of the Game & Watch. Battery life, accessibility, fun factor, quality first-party games - they really are hard to beat in the areas that sell portable consoles. PS Vita is a lovely piece of hardware with some great games but when Sony themselves barely supported it, it is hard to place it high up in the pantheon.

Nostalgia has little to do it - it is like saying their console sales are biased... I'll get off your back now😜

Just an incredible run and a massive service to the preservation of arcade games. I wish there were a few more sales and that these were of a wider range of games within this catalogue but look forward to what the next 400ish bring

I'm guessing this doesn't extend to the Super Pocket... was thinking of picking it up, perhaps with the Irem and Toaplan cartridges as a Christmas present to myself. Features like autofire and high scores would help make my decision for me😏

This kind of work is so important as we are fast losing the opportunities to know who made some of these games. Imagine the early titans of cinema and recorded music being as anonymous as this! Though, saying this, history always writes some people out...

Great journalism, thank you for this information! I'd never heard of Takahide Harima before but it sounds like his name should be mentioned when we talk of those early heroes of early game design alongside the likes of Toru Iwatani and Takashi Nishiyama.

Interesting list and wish it was ordered. Missing a few of Capcom's finest: namely, Knights of the Round, The Punisher, Cadillacs & Dinosaurs and Battle Circuit but guess you can't have them all in here without unbalancing the list. Would defo have included an actual Double Dragon game, probably Double Dragon Advance (though I also love the Gameboy version and II on the NES - the latter a great reason to have the 2nd pad on NES Mini). Feels weird not having Streets of Rage 2 on here but I shamefully haven't played 4 yet so can't comment on which is better

@HefHughner This made me laugh - it is so spot on! The reference to basements also signifies a willingness to resort to negative stereotypes. His loss though, I guess. I just think of the home arcade I'd build if I had his money. Anyway, I'd better get back to the addiction... these games won't slavishly play themselves

@Damo it is a great article so well worth sharing again. I remember being blown away by the preview/promo for KI on the telly (GamesMaster?) back in what must have been around '93/'94. It panned down onto the rooftop stage and the two fighters in all of their pre-rendered glory. What a time it was to be alive🤣