Taito Memories vs Taito Legends

[Edmond Dantes]

(when the topic is about classic game compilations, does it go in Classic Gaming or Modern Gaming? I'm placing this in Modern since that's where the mods put my Irem topic last time)

So guys,

I read on Wikipedia that the Japanese version of Taito Legends for PS2 (the Japanese call it "Taito Memories") had Bubble Symphony. In America, this is one of four games missing from the PS2 version (however, it is on the X-Box version).

This leads me to ask: are there any other games that the PS2 and PSP "Taito Memories" has that the USA "Taito Legends" does not?

Thanks in advance.

[kupomogli]

*edit*

Nevermind. Found a list of Memories games finally.

Taito Memories Portable has 20 games, Taito Legends Power Up has 26. Memories has Rainbow Islands instead of all the shmup titles(three Space Invaders, Phoenix, and Space Dungeon) and Space Chaser. I'd rather have Rainbow Islands. I really wish Phoenix had an updated version. The sound is awful.

[Flashback2012]

Aside from Edmond Dantes' question, if someone also knows what list of games comes on each Taito Memories PSP game. Everywhere I've found that listed the PSP game only made mention of the games that the two PSP Taito Legends games included.

There was more than one Taito Legends release on PSP? I thought there was only the one, Taito Legends: Power-Up. I'm assuming that there were two Taito Memories games released for the PSP as well as the PS2?

I wish I could help more but I only have the domestic releases of the games. I thought I had Taito Legends and it's sequel on PS2 but they're not listed on my GameTZ collection (the memory gets hazy after a while ) I know I have the PC version of 2 and it says I have the Xbox version of 1.

[kupomogli]

Sorry. There's only one. I just remembered there were two PS2 games and I thought there were two PSP games. I guess I was thinking Capcom Classics Collection Remixed and Reloaded and accidently thought Taito Legends instead.

I know I have the PC version of 2 and it says I have the Xbox version of 1.

Xbox and PC have the best version of Taito Legends 2. It includes Bubble Symphony. It's one of the games I'll be picking up after I get an Xbox 360 Slim. Although it might be hard finding a good condition copy being that I think the second one was Gamestop exclusive.

[Edmond Dantes]

Well, can someone simply tell me which Memories collection it is that has Bubble Symphony?

And also, whether or not any of them have Bubble Memories (or indeed, if there was ever a home console release of that at all)?

[Leo_A]

There are two Taito Legends releases for North American/Western consoles. The PS2 and Xbox builds of the first Taito Legends share the same game lineup. The Xbox and PS2 builds for the sequel each had 4 platform exclusive games not available on the other. And Japan got 4 Taito Memories releases for the PS2 (The content of one volume is available between Taito Legends and the PS2 version of Taito Legends 2, but the other three all have exclusive games). And the PSP saw a single Taito Memories release in Japan and a single Taito Legends release in the West.

It isn't hard to find that information using a search engine. Below are the game lineups for the PS2 Taito Memories line. And as far as I know, Taito Memories II Joukan has the only home version of Bubble Memories. And Bubble Symphony saw a Japanese port on the Saturn back in the day, is on the PC version of Taito Legends 2, was included on the region free Taito Legends 2 for the Xbox in Europe, and was included on Taito Memories II Gekan in Japan for the PS2.

You almost have to get all of these to have the best experience. The Taito Memories lineup for the PS2 has many games we never got in the Western compilations. The sole exception is Taito Memories Gekan. There are only four games included that aren't available in the Xbox/PS2 versions of Taito Legends and the Xbox version of Taito Legends 2. Those four games are Balloon Bomber, G-Darius, RayStorm, and Syvalion which were also the four exclusive games on the Playstation 2 version of Taito Legends 2. So it comes down to if you'd prefer those four games on the Japanese PS2 import Taito Memories Gekan or the North American release of Taito Legends 2. Also the Japanese game has Bust-A-Move Again where as the Taito Legends 2 had a screwed up hacked hybrid version of Bust-A-Move Again/Puzzle Bobble II that annoyed fans of it with several issues. So that's another consideration since I think the Japanese version was correct if I'm remembering correctly (Not really a fan of it so I didn't pay too much attention).

And the Xbox versions of Taito Legends 1 & 2 are worth getting even with a full Japan PS2 set. Most important is the fact that there are several exclusives that Japan never got in the Memories lineup in both games including some true classics like Jungle Hunt and Elevator Action. You can get away without either PS2 version since the PS2 specific games on Taito Legends 2 all appeared on the Taito Memories line and everything else included in them were on the Xbox versions. And Empire was able to get some games working better than Taito did which makes the Xbox versions desirable where as the PS2 versions largely relied on Taito's own work for the Memories lineup and you'd be getting that already just via importing the Memories line.

And it's pointless to import Taito Memories Pocket for the PSP. The game PSP owners saw over here, Taito Legends Power-Up, had all the same content along with several new additions (Including Space Dungeon which was popular on the 5200 years ago and was exclusive to the Western PSP collection and unavailable on any of the console collections). So unless you're a completionist, the Western release is the way to go here.

So my suggestion is that you'll want all 4 Taito Memories imports for the PS2, the Xbox version of Taito Legends (Which was released here), Taito Legends 2 on the Xbox (A Euro exclusive that is region free and works just fine on North American Xbox systems), and Taito Legends Power-Up. I don't think you'd be missing out on any games or different emulation that may of been superior by going with these versions and skipping the two North American PS2 releases. But they're so cheap to acquire tthat you may as well pick them up too... if for nothing else to have English translations in a handful of games.

Taito Memories Gekan (PS2)
Arabian Magic
Balloon Bomber
Bust-A-Move Again
Cadash
Chack'n Pop
Crazy Balloon
Elevator Action
Euro Football Champ
Front Line
G Darius
Gekirindan
Gun Frontier
Insector X
Legend of Kage
Liquid Kids
Nastar Warrior
Qix
Raimais
RayStorm
Space Invaders
Space Invaders '95: The Attack of the Lunar Loonies
Space Invaders Part II
The New Zealand Story
Violence Fight
Wild Western

Taito Memories Joukan (PS2)
Aa Eikou No Koshien
Alpine Ski
Bonze Adventure
Bubble Bobble
Cameltry
Cleopatra Fortune
Darius Gaiden
Don Doko Don
Dungeon Magic
Elevator Action II
Grid Seeker: Project Storm Hammer
Growl
Kiki Kai Kai
Kuri Kinton
Lunar Rescue
Majestic Twelve - The Space Invaders Part IV
Metal Black
Plotting
Pu-Li-Ru-La
Puchi Carat
Rastan
Space Invaders
Space Invaders DX
Syvalion
The Fairyland Story

Taito Memories II Gekan (PS2)
Battle Shark
Bubble Symphony
Buggy Challenge
Chase H.Q.
Field Goal
Final Blow
Great Swordsman
Gyrodine
Halley's Comet
L.S.A. Squad
Master of Weapon
Megablast
Metal Soldier Isaac II
Night Striker
Onna Sansirou
Operation Wolf
Phoenix
Plump Pop
Polaris
Rainbow Islands Extra Version
Sea Fighter Poseidon
Thunder Fox
Top Speed
Volfied
Warrior Blade: Rastan Saga Episode III

Taito Memories II Joukan (PS2)
Asuka & Asuka
Ben Bero Bee
Bubble Memories
Champion Wrestler
Chuka Taisen
Continental Circuit
Darius II
Dino Rex
Exzisus
Fighting Hawk
Gladiator
Grand Champion
Kick And Run
Operation Thunderbolt
Rainbow Islands
RayForce
Return of the Invaders
Scramble Formation
Space Chaser
Space Gun
Special Criminal Investigation
Super Qix
The Ninja Kids
The Undoukai
Time Tunnel

And if you're a Space Invaders fan, Space Invaders Anniversary for the PS2 is a must. It was released in Japan and Europe and is a nice complement to the Taito Legends/Memories lineup.

[Bloodreign]

It's worth having all 4 Taito Memories and both Taito Legends, you not only get Bubble Symphony, but you also get Bubble Memories, Darius II, Master of Weapon, Mega Blast, Rainbow Islands Extra, Rastan III, and about 20 other games that Legends does not have. Legends has about 4 games that Memories does not have. None of the collections other than Taito Legends 2 PC and X-Box has Pop N Pop ( very odd, PSX version is better anyway for this one). Game menus are in Japanese, but if you know your Taito games, you'll have no problem knowing which game you picked to play. Last two Memories also has tate mode, you'll have to dig around for it (Ghegs over at Shmups posted a picture with the option circled) as I stated the the game menus are in Japanese. Plus all 4 collections have button configuration, something the first Legends did not have. All 4 Memories has a balanced amount of good games on them, but it is fun to fire up and play the games, even if some aren't too hot (Space Chaser blah, Raimais is the same type game, just much better). Plus you can play Liquid Kids and New Zealand Story on both collections.

Edit: I thought Joukan was first edition and Gekan second edition, the game lists are correct, but Joukan and Gekan seem backwards. Also Bust A Move Again is actually under it's Japanese name, Puzzle Bobble 2, and isn't broken like BAMA. Metal Black also isn't broken on Memories, unlike Legends 2, which doesn't let you refocus your beam if you let it scatter. Football Champ is actually called Hat Trick Hero on the Memories collection.

[theclaw]

I believe US PS2 Legends 2 used the cut down Bust A Move Again with less of its cutesy characters, despite its box art mentioning Puzzle Pobble 2 and even with a screenshot on the back showing Bub! Some info here.

[Leo_A]

Bloodreign, you're probably right. I didn't know what those two words translate to so I just listed them alphabetically. The game list are matched to the correct titles though even if I indeed listed the 2nd editions of each pair first.

[Purkeynator]

Xbox and PC have the best version of Taito Legends 2. It includes Bubble Symphony. It's one of the games I'll be picking up after I get an Xbox 360 Slim. Although it might be hard finding a good condition copy being that I think the second one was Gamestop exclusive.

Taito Legends 2 on Xbox was exclusive to Europe. Although it is region free and works on an original American Xbox, it will not work with an Xbox 360. I know because I imported one a few weeks back and tried it on both my systems.

[Edmond Dantes]

It seems like I'd have my Taito fix if I just got the four PS2 Memories collections. I've read what games are exclusive to X-Box and PC and honestly, they don't seem interesting.

I really wish they had just put all the Bubble and Darius games on one disc though, so I wouldn't have to buy four collections of games I really don't care much about, sitting through like a million variations of Space Invaders (seriously? You include practically every version of freaking Space Invaders but not the full Darius, Bubble or Ray series?) and some anime game that plays like breakout with a competition theme where victory comes down to luck more often than not.

So what's this about BAMA being "broken" but Puzzle Bobble 2 isn't? (Never played a Puzzle Bobble game before and BAMA isn't giving me good first impressions)

[Bloodreign]

They tried to squeeze the Puzzle Bobble 2 music onto BAMA (it uses different music in arcades), and the songs don't even play the duration, they abruptly stop for no reason whatsoever. Plus there's no Bub and Bob to turn the bubble wheel on the bottom, but a pair of hands instead.

The result is a broken mess that feels lifeless.

[Edmond Dantes]

I wondered why I kept hearing silence.

I think I'm gonna sell the Taito Legends sets and put the money towards something that's far less disappointing.

[kupomogli]

I wondered why I kept hearing silence.

I think I'm gonna sell the Taito Legends sets and put the money towards something that's far less disappointing.

Taito Legends disappointing? Even with the missing games, Taito Legends is by far the greatest video game compilation I've ever played. Unless you plan on getting all the Taito Memories games, then I'd suggest keeping them.

[Edmond Dantes]

I like the Bubble series, so I might very well get the Memories collections at some future point. I guess I'll keep Legends for now, even though the only game I'm really getting out of it is Rainbow Islands.

[Leo_A]

It seems like I'd have my Taito fix if I just got the four PS2 Memories collections. I've read what games are exclusive to X-Box and PC and honestly, they don't seem interesting.

I guess if they don't interest you, they don't interest you.

But there are a few gems on the Taito Legends releases in the West that Japan never got on their Taito Memories lineup such as Jungle Hunt. Makes them worth owning for the average classic gamer that would be willing to even consider importing 4 Japanese classic compilations.

I know I sure wouldn't want to give them up even though I own all 4 PS2 releases from Japan. Taito Legends, Taito Legends 2 (Both versions), and Taito Legends Power-Up were great compilations and each offers something unique that makes it a worthwhile part of my library.

The only one that seems pointless to bother with is the Japanese PSP release.

[NE146]

I believe the US Taito collection has Zookeeper which alone makes it worthwhile. It's amazing to me that game isn't in any of the Japanese releases.

The Taito collections are ones where you NEED to have all the local as well as the import versions.. at least in my book.

[Edmond Dantes]

... Okay, the mention of Jungle Hunt kinda convinces me. I don't know why, but I like that game. And Legends 2 at least has some decent shmups.

[squirrel_king]

The Puzzle Bobble 2 thing is I think down to a lazy conversion from Europe to US - all the Taito Legends games were released in Europe first (as Empire was a UK company) and the Euro version of Taito Legends 2 had the World version of PB2 with the same music and characters as the Japanese version.

For the US version they just changed the DIP switch setting to US, but although the World/JP ROM contains the code and graphics for the US Bust-a-Move Again it doesn't have the music - the proper US arcade version was actually a separate board with different ROMs. So what you get is the US code playing the World version's music, and since the songs are different lengths and stored in a different order it doesn't work properly.

incidentally the PS2 Taito Legends 2 was, AFAIK, the only Western release aside from the PSP game to incorporate Taito Memories code - Legends 1, even on the PS2, was heavily MAME based and even credits MAME developers in the manual, as were the Xbox and PC versions of Legends 2. Although that does mean some problems MAME had at the time are replicated on the compilation, eg the transitions in Ninja Kids being wrong/missing. It's also the reason for at least two of the platform exclusives between the two versions of Legends 2, G-Darius and Raystorm weren't emulated in MAME at the time and were AFAIK ports from Taito's original source code (for the PS1 based arcade hardware) rather than emulations.

[Gamevet]

Taito Legends 2 on Xbox was exclusive to Europe. Although it is region free and works on an original American Xbox, it will not work with an Xbox 360. I know because I imported one a few weeks back and tried it on both my systems.

None of the arcade compilations for the Xbox, work on the 360. I'm pretty sure MS did that on purpose, since they were selling Joust on LIVE, even though it's available on Midway's Arcade Treasures 1 for the Xbox.

[Leo_A]

None of the arcade compilations for the Xbox, work on the 360. I'm pretty sure MS did that on purpose, since they were selling Joust on LIVE, even though it's available on Midway's Arcade Treasures 1 for the Xbox.

Actually several of them do work. Atari Anthology works very well and is actually one of the best performing BC titles I've tried. Intellivision Lives, Sonic Mega Collection Plus, Mega Man Anniversary Collection, and Tecmo Classic Arcade all also come to mind.

And if you count it, I'm pretty sure Doom and Doom II work on the collector's edition of Doom 3 (And I assume, they work on the Doom 3 expansion as well).

I believe some of the SNK and Capcom fighter collections were BC as well (Although Capcom Classics Volume 1 & 2 sadly weren't). Although I don't have any personal experience there since I'm not a fighting game fan, so maybe I'm not remembering correctly about what and wasn't made compatible.

[norkusa]

I believe the US Taito collection has Zookeeper which alone makes it worthwhile. It's amazing to me that game isn't in any of the Japanese releases.

Yeah, this. Taito Legends is the first time Zookeper was ever released on a home console, right?

[Leo_A]

Yeah, this. Taito Legends is the first time Zookeper was ever released on a home console, right?

I believe so, although did Atari license it in the early 80's for home consoles (And maybe home computers, not sure).

I believe some source code for a 2600 version has surfaced in recent years (The audio component) and video of the animation also has been found, so maybe we'll one day have the first classic era port it if the full code of it ever surfaces.

[Gamevet]

Actually, several of them do work. Atari Anthology (Works very well, is actually one of the best performing BC titles I've tried), Intellivision Lives, Sonic Mega Collection Plus, Mega Man Anniversary Collection, and Tecmo Classic Arcade all come to mind.

And if you count it, I'm pretty sure Doom and Doom II work on the collector's edition of Doom 3 (And I assume, they work on the Doom 3 expansion as well).

I believe some of the SNK and Capcom fighter collections were BC as well (Although Capcom Classics Volume 1 & 2 sadly weren't). Although I don't have any personal experience there since I'm not a fighting game fan, so maybe I'm not remembering correctly.

I said none of the Arcade compilations work.

I'll have to try out Tecmo Classic Arcade again. I could have sworn it did not work on the 360.

Edit* Tecmo Classic Arcade does not work on the 360, unless you set the console to 480p. I'm guessing you play your 360 on a SD set.

[Leo_A]

Sorry, I misread what you said (Although with things like the Sonic titles on XBLA and the Intellivision games on Game Room, I think it's valid to point out that the Xbox compilations run on the 360).

I did play on a Trinitron in the early days of the 360 but I've been playing on a HDTV for several years now. Not sure when I last bothered with Tecmo Classic Arcade on my 360, but I assume it must've been before upgrading to HD since the game played fine for me.

Atari Anthology is also part arcade compilation and works extremely well. Runs natively in HD just like it did on the original hardware which makes it even more enjoyable to play on the 360 (One of just a handful of Xbox games that had HD support). The only issue I found years ago was some graphic corruption on my Trinitron at 480i with the constellation menu. It was nothing that affected gameplay though and running it in HD in recent years has been perfect with absolutely zero issues. It's the only original Xbox game I routinely play on my 360.

And checking backwards compatibility listings show things like Capcom's Street Fighter compilation as compatible despite being arcade based.