Ever wanted to go back and play some of those really, really early Blizzard games like The Lost Vikings, Rock n’ Roll Racing, or Blackthorne? Well, today you can, and on console too! The Blizzard Arcade Collection is available today on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. The collection features both original versions of the classic titles and definitive editions that add some tweaks and enhancements. The definitive editions all come with game specific perks, but custom key-mapping and 10-second rewind are available on all the titles.
The Lost Vikings is an ancient puzzler where you use three different Vikings and their unique skills to get through various areas and challenges. With Erik the Swift, Olaf the Stout, and Baelog the Fierce, players must use their brains to maneuver through a variety of situations. The definitive edition features three-player local co-op, extra stages and additional cutscenes.
Rock n’ Roll Racing lets players get metal on a wild racetrack filled with hazards. The definitive edition lets up to four players compete in local multiplayer, allows for 384 racetrack variations, and includes new songs and voiceover clips. If you missed this one many, many years ago, it’s a rocking ride.
Blackthorne is all about living the shotgun-commando fantasy in a harsh alien world. The definitive edition comes with an area that was previously only found in the 32-bit version of the game and a fog of war to unearth through each level.
The Blizzard Classic Collection is available today if you feel like checking out some of these foundational Blizzard titles. I’m not actually sure any of these titles hold up today, but I owe it to myself to go play Blackthorne again out of historical curiosity. Looking back on these old games, Blizzard has come a long way as it celebrates its 30th anniversary with this year’s BlizzCon.