It says something about the past of the American publisher that Midway are now releasing their third retrospective compilation of the games that made their name. The first two collections of Arcade Treasures were a hotchpotch of different games. Now Midway have started to show off, and their latest in the series, Midway Arcade Treasures 3, is a compilation of nothing but racing games.
While other arcade compilations content themselves with nostalgic journeys back to the old days, MAT 3 has some pretty recent arcade action on it. Sure, youve got old classics like the amazing S.T.U.N. Runner, Race Drivin, Super Off Road and Badlands. But theres an equal number of games of impressive racing titles from the late nineties. The first person follow up to Super Off Road, Off Road Thunder: Blood, Sweat and Gears was released in 2000, and looks every bit the big budget arcade game.
Hydro Thunder and San Francisco Rush 2049 were released in 1999, and with the Rush franchise bursting back onto consoles in the form of L.A. Rush its a good time to revisit the gravity defying stunt franchise. Speaking of which, Rush: The Rock is also included, and is the original version of San Francisco Rush but with four extra tracks. Most of these games are two player (top down racer Super Off Road is three player!), and Midway Arcade Treasures 3 makes a welcome addition to any library. Mainly because it cleverly blends a nostalgic trip down memory lane with some more recent arcade thrills to keep you playing.