Games in the 1980s were so much simpler than they are today. It might be hard to go back and enjoy most titles over two decades old because of their outdated controls and concepts, but most game enthusiasts should be able to at least appreciate the "better" games of older generations. Retro Game Challenge steps in and makes this process easier by recreating the magic of the past with the knowledge and technology of today. As a result, several game genres wind up coming together to form a unique simulation of gaming in the 1980's.

Retro Game Challenge is based on the Japanese TV show, Game Center CX. Arino, the inept host, challenges an old video game in each episode, trying to reach the ending screen before sunset. He usually encounters hard times along the way, but he always takes it in stride. Retro Game Challenge introduces us to a very different Arino. Frustrated with the little success he's had with the complex video games of today, his anger causes him to transform into the evil Game Master Arino, who decides to take his aggravation out on you, the player. Arino sends you back to the '80s where you'll be subjected to the video games he played as a boy. In fact, you'll play along side the innocent child version of Arino in his bedroom. You won't be playing games in the typical manner, though; Game Master Arino has something far more interesting in store for you.

Robot Ninja Haggle Man is the biggest video game mascot in the Retro Game Challenge universe.

There are seven games available in Retro Game Challenge (that are in fact new titles created in this generation), but in order to unlock each one you must first complete four of Arino's challenges in a previous game. The challenges vary from performing a simple technique to completing a difficult level, though most focus on making sure you learn the subtleties of each game.

You begin with Cosmic Gate, a space shooter based on Galaga where you can only maneuver your space fighter left and right. Enemy ships swoop in and fall into position. Each wave represents a level, with every third level offering a break in the form of an asteroid field. Space rocks of varying sizes hurtle towards you at increasing speeds depending on how far into the game you are. Cosmic Gate is relatively simple, but there are bits of depth here and there. Defeating a flashing enemy will open up a space warp, and if you hit it with your lasers enough times, you'll be warped forward several stages. You can also rack up more points than normal for taking out enemy waves in a certain order, which nets you a technical bonus.

The next game is Haggle Man, which ends up becoming the most popular series in Retro Game Challenge's universe of gaming history. Haggle Man channels several arcade platformers of the '80s, requiring you to defeat all of the enemies on screen to lure out a boss who you must defeat before time runs out. Haggle Man himself is a robot ninja. Jumping is his main weapon, but he also has access to gear projectiles that destroy or at least stun most enemies. An interesting quirk in this game is the use of lettered doors. Opening or closing a door on an enemy will hurt it. It will also change the color of said door and open and close others of similar color as well. Opening doors in alphabetical order will begin changing them to the same color, allowing you to slam doors on enemies across the screen. As you progress through Retro Game Challenge, Haggle Man 2 will eventually be made available for play. It consists of mostly similar gameplay along with graphical improvements, larger levels, and more enemies. It's basically a bigger, harder version of the original.

The third, and weakest, game is Rally King, a top-down racer. There are four levels, each of which has you racing two laps against 19 other vehicles. Bonus cars also race along the track, and colliding with them will net you points or health. The latter can be really useful, as you can only sustain a limited amount of damage before your vehicle explodes. The main challenge that will come from Arino will be drift boosting. By momentarily letting go of the gas on sharp turns, you'll begin to skid out. If you sustain the drift long enough, you'll earn a powerful speed boost. This can be dangerous, however, as it's difficult to see what's coming up on the track because of the top-down view. The most disappointing thing in all of Retro Game Challenge is Rally King SP, a promotional update of the original that only adds graphical differences. The game is a throwback of a Japanese tradition of limited edition special releases of popular games, complete with ads for snack foods.

Star Prince is another space shooter from "the people who made Cosmic Gate", but its gameplay is more like that of Star Soldier. You now have full control of your space fighter and access to several power-ups. Each level is packed full of destructible objects and mini-bosses. The difficulty can be punishing at times, but there are a few techniques you can use to survive longer. By holding down the fire button, you can activate a force field. If you take three hits while the force field is up, it will releases a powerful counterattack that will make you temporarily invulnerable. You can also fire at power-ups to make them explode. The explosion cancels out all enemy attacks on the screen and destroys all ships in sight. Additionally, you can earn technical bonuses by destroying objects in a specific order, or you can rake in loads of points by uncovering the letters P-R-I-N-C-E, as well as defeating mini-bosses within a short time limit. All of this increases the difficulty, but to make your task a little easier, little Arino will come home with a turbo controller which allows you to shoot like the pros.

Eventually you'll encounter Guadia Quest, a relatively massive turn-based RPG in the style of Dragon Quest. It's the first game that allows you to save your progress and requires a larger time investment than all of the other games before it. Guadia Quest is very simplified for an RPG, but it still manages to offer some rewarding gameplay. The majority of your time will be spent fighting your way through two large dungeons. Level grinding goes by quickly and spells are very simple, yet effective. You command a party of three: a tough fighter, a frail mage, and a well-rounded warrior. In addition to these three, you can also earn the trust of a Guadia and have it assist you in battle. Enemies with the word "Guadia" in their name can be challenged by offering to make a pact. This will increase their strength, but defeating them will win them over. You have no active control over the Guadias, but they will occasionally attack enemies or heal you.

Retro Game Challenge ends with Haggle Man 3, which is a radical departure from the gameplay of the previous two games. Abandoning its cutesy graphics and arcade-style objective, Haggle Man 3 adorns a realistic look and some fairly deep gameplay, borrowed from games like Castlevania and Ninja Gaiden. In addition to this, the levels are now huge and reward backtracking. Your gear-shaped shuriken are now your primary weapon, but you also have a sword for defeating enemies up close. Most of them drop machine parts that you can use to purchase bonuses and upgrades. Haggle Man can also now equip three different sized gears at a time. Some offer abilities that you need to progress to the end of a level while others increase your capability in combat. Combining different abilities can make your experience much more fun. Equipping High-Jump and Hover, for example, allow you to gracefully leap and glide across large gaps. In a boss fight, you'll want to equip gears that let you fire shuriken quickly while increasing their power.

The games might look old, but they play like they're brand new.

Not only does completing the four challenges in each game unlock the next, but it also allows you to play the game in Free Play mode, where Game Master Arino will keep track of various stats and rate you accordingly. Each game offers fun gameplay, but some are obviously better than others. Rally King and Rally King SP are easily the worst of the bunch with their top-down views and limited car damage. It's a shame that you have to play through the game twice for a reference that is wasted on most Western gamers. Everything else is very fun on its own, and while none are worth thirty bucks individually, the overall package is a good value. However, half of the fun isn't even in playing the games; it's in the content in-between the games.

After Game Master Arino's challenges, young Arino will tell you about game rumors that are floating around school and will occasionally come home with the newest issue of GameFan magazine. Each issue is full of info on upcoming games as well as tips and codes for the games you already unlocked. These codes can usually be used during your challenges, making some a breeze to complete. The magazines also contain funny in-jokes and gaming references.

While Retro Game Challenge does its best to amalgamate gaming highlights of the '80s, it understandably makes some sacrifices to guarantee an enjoyable package. The graphics and music are never as outdated as they should be and the gameplay is just plain better than the 20-year old examples each title emulates. Guadia Quest in particular stands out as an incredibly tolerable take on old-school RPGs, going so far as to feature a spell that makes your party travel faster and allows you to warp and save whenever and wherever you want.

Having fun with Retro Game Challenge doesn't require you to be a child of the '80s, or even a fan of older games; it just asks that you appreciate the past and Namco Bandai's loving attempt to recreate it. You may not fall in love with each game offered in the package, but you're bound to find yourself going back to play at least one or two of them just for fun. Lovingly recreated gameplay combines with a playful presentation to make Retro Game Challenge a unique simulation of the adolescence of video games that's easy to enjoy no matter which decade you were born in.