Today, Backbone is excited to give PS3 owners a chance to truly test their old-school arcade skills. For those of you who can actually remember having to put tokens or quarters into an actual Joust or Robotron machine, you may know this isn’t the first Midway collection Backbone has developed. But Midway Arcade Origins is the first of this generation, and it’s definitely the best ever with 31 Midway arcade games assembled on one disc.
First off, we really wanted to make sure we paid proper homage to the collection’s arcade roots, so right from the main menu we included a model of the original arcade cabinet and the marquee (arcade term for the light-up game logo) for each game. In terms of emulation quality, each game looks and plays exactly the same as its arcade counterpart. In fact, the PS3’s capabilities has made it possible for many of the games to feature true sound emulation for the first time on a console, resulting in a better sound response than in any previous collection. In a further attempt to capture the arcade spirit, each game features its own unique wallpaper background based on the game’s original bezel artwork or cabinet side art.
As many of the games in this collection were also responsible for feeding what would become the high score craze of the 80’s, it was a no-brainer to include online leaderboards. In the game’s Score Attack mode, players are only given one game (or credit) to get as far as they can with the default settings. This is the true test of the high score king, and we’re looking forward to seeing the results posted on the scoreboards for everyone to see. This is also the only mode where Trophies can be unlocked, so you’re going to have show some skill to earn them — keep reading to see the full Trophy list below.
We also included a Free Play mode for more casual players, where you can adjust the same original arcade settings the arcade operators did. This enables you to tweak how the game plays, such as changing the difficulty setting, adding more lives per credit, or increasing the gameplay timer. The endless credits of Free Play mode enables you to sit down with a friend and finally get to see the end of games such as Smash TV and Total Carnage, or get a marathon four-player session of Gauntlet going.
Beyond that, we also added a couple options in terms of visuals. There’s a filter that gamers can apply to the graphics in order to give them a smoother, more modern look. If players don’t like the way this looks, they can stick with the pixel perfect, non-filtered version, which still looks great on a high definition television.
We even added a bit of trivia to the game. If the game is paused for any reason, a scroll bar will appear and detail some facts and interesting odds and ends about each game’s development and release. So don’t say we didn’t warn you in the event you learn something… and see you on the leaderboards!
Trophy List
720 | Gold Medalist | In Score Attack Mode, earn a Gold Medal on any event. |
APB | Get Freaky | In Score Attack Mode, take down Freddy Freak. |
Arch Rivals | All-Star | In Score Attack Mode, score at least 6 consecutive points. |
Bubbles | Clean-Up | In Score Attack Mode, sweep up a big bug. |
Championship Sprint | True Champion | In Score Attack Mode, get first place in 3 consecutive races |
Tournament Cyberball 2072 | Great Coaching | In Score Attack Mode, score at least 12 consecutive points |
Defender | They Need a Hero | In Score Attack Mode, save 3 civilians |
Gauntlet | Doesn’t Need Food Badly | In Score Attack Mode, reach Level 8 |
Gauntlet 2 | Survivor | In Score Attack Mode, reach Level 7 |
Joust | Dinosaur Slayer | In Score Attack Mode, defeat a Pterodactyl |
Joust 2 | Long Live the Bird | In Score Attack Mode, reach Wave 5 |
Marble Madness | High Roller | In Score Attack Mode, defeat the beginner race within 15 seconds |
Pit Fighter | Ultimate Fighter | In Score Attack Mode, defeat 3 consecutive opponents |
Rampage | Monstrous | In Score Attack Mode, defeat 3 consecutive cities |
Rampart | Target Practice | In Score Attack Mode, defeat the first 3 ships in the first level in one battle |
Robotron: 2084 | Family Man | In Score Attack Mode, rescue 7 family members without losing a life |
Rootbeer Tapper | Tap that Glass | In Score Attack Mode, serve 25 customers without dropping a glass |
Satan’s Hollow | Savior | In Score Attack Mode, defeat Satan |
Sinistar | You Hunger | In Score Attack Mode, defeat Sinistar |
Smash TV | Reality Show-Off | In Score Attack Mode, defeat the first level |
Spy Hunter | Score Hunter | In Score Attack Mode, break 10,000 points |
Spy Hunter 2 | Saint | In Score Attack Mode, play the game for 15 consecutive minutes |
Stargate | Civvie Saver | In Score Attack Mode, rescue 3 civilians |
Super Off-Road | X-Treme Off-Road | In Score Attack Mode, get first place in 3 consecutive races |
Super Sprint | Burning Rubber | In Score Attack Mode, get first place in 3 consecutive races |
Toobin’ | Ride the Wave | In Score Attack Mode, complete Colorado without sinking |
Total Carnage | Total Warpage | In Score Attack Mode, use a shortcut |
Vindicators Part II | On Base | In Score Attack Mode, defeat your first base |
Wizard of Wor | Worrior | In Score Attack Mode, have at least 10,000 points and 3 times your opponent’s score at the same time |
Xenophobe | Not Afraid | In Score Attack Mode, survive the first level |
Xybots | Third-Person Shooter | In Score Attack Mode, survive 3 levels without dying |
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