This "Press Start" screen font will be a familiar sight for anyone who was around arcade games during the 1980s. It was originally Namco's and can be traced back to 1979 when it made its first appearance, but it quickly became a ubiquitous presence as other companies adopted its simple yet stylish look. One of those companies in question was TAITO, who used it in most of their games.

Now that font may not appear to be very important, but back in the early days of 8-bit computers and consoles, it was a staple ingredient that was unique to arcade machines. It didn't matter how good the home conversions were (and some were very good), that font would almost certainly be missing, and would be one of the telltale signs to shatter the illusion that you were playing an "arcade-perfect" conversion.

Such times seem almost an epoch away from the present, where it's now possible to have even the most complex arcade machines emulated to perfection within the system RAM of the host machine. Perhaps this "perfection" is why retro compilations are relatively popular today? Or perhaps it's the nostalgia factor as '80s gamers grow older? Whatever the reason, the quest for the "arcade-perfect" home version has always been there, and nowadays it's no longer something to hope for, it's something we expect.

Software companies know this, and have been delivering retro arcade compilations quite regularly since the PlayStation era - Namco, CAPCOM, Nintendo, ATARI, Konami & SEGA are just some who have made dreams come true for their fans this way. TAITO, though, until now, have been curiously absent from such practices and more-or-less stuck to milking just a few key franchises such as Puzzle Bobble & Space Invaders again and again, meaning impatient fans of their more-celebrated games have had to resort to less-than-legal ways to enjoy such a rich back-catalogue of gems. With the release of Taito Memories Joukan (First Volume) though, the waiting is now over.

And it's been well worth the wait. Taito could easily have spread their wares more thinly, and limited each release to just 4 or 5 games like Namco and CAPCOM are guilty of doing, but no, a whopping twenty-five games are on the disc. Plus another twenty-five are set to appear in the second volume (Gekan). Without getting ahead of ourselves though, the game list for Vol.1 is as follows:

- Space Invaders Colour [1978]
- Lunar Rescue [1980]
- Alpine Ski [1982]
- The Fairyland Story [1985]
- Kiki Kaikai [1986]
- Bubble Bobble [1986]
- Rastan Saga [1987]
- Kuri Kinton [1988]
- Syvalion [1988]
- Jigoku Meguri [1988]
- Cameltry [1989]
- Don Doko Don [1989]
- Flipull [1989]
- Kyuukyoku Harikari Koshien [1990]
- Majestic 12 - Space Invaders Part IV [1990]
- Runark [1990]
- PuLiRuLa [1991]
- Metal Black [1991]
- Grid Seeker [1992]
- Space Invaders DX [1994]
- Darius Gaiden [1994]
- Lightbringer [1994]
- Elevator Action -Returns- [1994]
- Cleopatra Fortune [1995]
- Puchi Carat [1997]

A good selection of titles containing classics, well-known favourites and obscure titles alike, many of which will be familiar names for import gamers since many of them have been converted for the home in the past (albeit not perfectly, and often on obscure Japanese formats). However, many will not be familiar, and there are some notable absentees, but because we're armed with the knowledge that many of those not present will be featured on the second volume, the line-up remains quite impressive.

The standout titles in the package are easy to pick out; Bubble Bobble is one, and hasn't aged a day during the past two decades. It was brilliant then, and it's brilliant now. And if you're a fan of that you'll also warmly soak up enjoyment from The Fairyland Story, which was released the year before and is essentially a Bubble Bobble prototype. Don Doko Don is another cutesy platformer in the same mould that's also sure to entertain.

A more modern take on the platform genre is present in the shape of Elevator Action Returns, which is probably the jewel of the package. A cult classic on the Sega Saturn, it's an excellent mix of elevators, exploration and shooting that has a distinctly menacing atmosphere. Its inclusion is a major reason to own the compilation due to the Saturn version's rarity and value. A factor that also applies to the excellent block/puzzle game, Cleopatra Fortune, which is another title that's hard to find on home formats.

The hypnotic Space Invaders is still worth a blast now and again, particularly the updated Majestic 12 incarnation, but it's doubtful anyone likes it enough to welcome the inclusion of three different versions of it. Particularly when some big-name games aren't included at their expense. As for the rest, Rastan Saga is still an enjoyable romp and worthwhile shooting action can be found in the shape of Darius Gaiden, Grid Seeker and Metal Black. The arcade version of Kiki Kaikai is still a fine game, although it has since been surpassed by the Super Famicom version.

Concerning the other games in the package, some are still worth the odd play, but it's doubtful they will find their way into your favourites list. Some might however as they're not exactly terrible, and some are surprisingly good. Whatever your tastes though, there're more than enough quality games included to make up for any badly dated mediocrities.

One item of note is that some of the games are initially "locked" (Bubble Bobble is one) and will only become available once a certain amount of playtime has been clocked. A bit of a curious decision to be sure, but thankfully a cheat code can be implemented to unlock them all.

Disappointments? Well, it's hard to be overcritical when you're getting 25 games for your money, but it has to be pointed out that the few games that were originally presented on "TATE" (3x4) monitors, do not have an option to replicate this. Only a minor quibble to be fair and something that's likely only to annoy purists, but the non-inclusion of some games (either on this volume, or the next one) is definitely a mild disappointment.

Perhaps there are licensing issues involved with including titles that were developed by other parties (Toaplan, for example), but the decision to leave out hugely successful games like Rainbow Islands, Operation Wolf, Arkanoid, Chase H.Q. etc is a curious one. Perhaps a third volume is planned...