250 Best Arcade Games

• Platform: IBM PC Compatible
• Release Date: 1998
• Genre: Compilation
• Style: Miscellaneous Collection
• Similar Games: 300 Arcade Games (IBM PC Compatible), 100+ Best Arcade Games (IBM PC Compatible)

Game Description

Another in the line of Expert Software's budget collections, 250 Best Arcade Games boasts of having "every kind of game for every kind of gamer." This compilation of shareware (requiring a small registration fee to continue the game after a certain point has been reached) includes games from the genres of adventure, arcade, casino, sports, cards, thinking, strategy, board, and children's games.

The software provides an evaluation system in which each game is rated by graphics, sound, animation, and overall playability. The evaluation includes a screenshot from the game, required computer specifications, and point-and-click installation or access buttons to the manual. All games are listed in an alphabetical drop down menu for ease of locating and can be sorted by category or game ratings.

Roots & Influences

Another in the budget collection series by Expert Software, 250 Best Arcade Games contains a compilation of previously released shareware and public domain games.

Review: Overall

The games in 250 Best Arcade Games represent some of the worst shareware and freeware games available. While the collection has a few advantages in terms of organization and presentation, the actual games have little to no gameplay value.

The search feature for finding games by alphabetical list, category or overall rating is the most notable feature of the collection, providing fairly easy navigation. Information on each game is minimal with the exception of a few screenshots, and the rating scale intended to offer insight on the quality of the games is generally useless since none of them are very good.

Most of the games are highly derivative, and in some cases, blatant copies of classic games including PacPC and Q-Bob. Some of the better games have "borrowed" gameplay from other, more popular games, like the Columns-esque Gemstorm. The complete lack of originality prevents the collection from being remotely interesting.

The assortment has solitaire and board games, despite the title's claim to be an arcade collection. Copies of classics like Golf Solitaire and the pointless Monopoly-clone Metropolis are essentially not worth playing even one time. Although nicely presented, 250 Best Arcade Games has little else to show, with just a few games worthy of any time investment.

Sadly, the main challenge of this 250-game collection is finding a handful of games worth playing.

Review: Enjoyment

One would be hard pressed to find even a handful of games worth playing. Most are cheap clones or imitations of more popular games.

Review: Graphics

The graphics vary from game to game but, for the most part, appear amateurish.

Review: Sound

Most of the sound effects and music are obnoxious or annoying, and always unoriginal.

Review: Replay Value

Nothing in the collection is interesting enough to replay more than once or twice at the most.

Review: Documentation

Adequate installation documentation, but information data on individual games is minimal.

Production Credits