Electronic Arts (EA) didn't become the number one third party publisher overnight. It had to start from the ground up, just like everybody else. It wasn't just pumping out sports games either -- the company actually had some pretty good ideas for original game content. Now EA Replay revisits the old glory days when a movie license and a mega-million dollar budget wasn't necessary to manufacture a big gaming hit. This PSP compilation contains plenty of old school favorites. Too bad a few stinkers and a lack of extras keep it from being a must-have.

EA included fourteen games in this collection, among them, classic gems that deserve to be played. The Road Rash games -- 1 through 3 -- are still fun to play. All three of these games involve fast-speed motorcycle racing with a little combat on the side. It's cringe-worthy when a driver steers right into oncoming traffic and takes a tumble off of their bike, but that's the price for not paying attention. The Strike games -- Desert Strike and Jungle Strike -- are also noteworthy choices, featuring fast-paced helicopter flying and some strong tactical combat involving weapon pick-ups and mission objectives. Haunting Starring Polterguy is an interesting game, allowing the player to go around and scare humans using a number of dastardly techniques. Its appeal wears off over time, but it's worth a few plays. Rounding out the good picks is an alternate take on the Madden franchise, Mutant League Football, a devilishly entertaining gridiron game with ghoulish players and some extreme trick plays, including one that destroys a referee. It's quite awesome.

Then there's the weaker half of EA Replay. Ultima VII should have been one of the collection's best games, but it's based on the less than stellar Super Nintendo version. The same goes for the Syndicate and Wing Commander games. Those expecting to blast into a space battle will be met with stiff gameplay. The other three games are relatively weak. B.O.B. is nothing more than a shallow platforming wannabe. Budokan is an attempt to revive the old fighting style of Data East's Karate Champ arcade game, but moves about as sluggishly as a ballerina wearing cement shoes. Then there's Virtual Pinball, a weak pinball simulator where the ball can get easily lost during play and the music grates on the nerves. (The bleeding bumpers rule, however.)

Electronic Arts should have included better games. Where is Skitchin'? In this beloved classic- you hitch rides on the backs of cars while wearing roller skates- may have appealed to the Tony Hawk crowd. Mutant League Football made the cut, so why not Mutant League Hockey? Does EA even remember how much fun it is making a fiend explode on the ice? Finally, why would Virtual Pinball be selected when Crue Ball, featuring the likes of rock band Motley Crue, is the better game? Granted, this collection could've been a lot worse. No one's asking for the comeback of Normy's Beach-Babe-O-Rama.

At least Electronic Arts handled the emulation well. Most of the games look very good, although there are occasional problems with screen streaking and shadowing. The audio sounds fine, bringing back the joys and horrors of 16-bit music (Virtual Pinball's screeching soundtrack really sucks). Road Rash fans may notice that the music for those games has been oddly redone. It's not horrendous, but it's a shame that EA didn't include tracks from Road Rash 3-D. The controls for most of these games are adequate, with the exception of the PC-ports-gone-console that weren't winners to begin with (like Syndicate and the Wing Commander games).

Unfortunately, the lack of extras hurt this game even more. EA had a marvelous opportunity to revisit its past and talk about the timeless days of how it got its start. The door was wide open for interviews, bonus features and even a look at an ancient Genesis development kit. Instead, all players end up receiving are small items for each game, like unlockable images or game tips. That's it. Fifteen years of gaming history and the best unlockables it came up with are items that could've been printed in the game booklet.

Thankfully, the game is only $20. That's a somewhat respectable price for a handful of favorites. EA Replay isn't going to be winning any awards for "Best Compilation", but at least half of the package is worth playing.

Related links

EA Replay

Official EA Website

Our Final ScoreMediocre

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