The third collection of Taito arcade titles has arrived on the Evercade. Though it feels as if the company’s truly iconic titles have been covered in Taito Arcade 1 and Taito Arcade 2, the long history of the coin-op developer means that the well hasn’t run dry just yet. And there’s still plenty of Taito titles that could fill a fourth collection, truth be told!

So what 9 games will you find on this one? The obvious star of the show is Puzzle Bobble, the bubble-firing puzzler which repurposes the Bubble Bobble characters and aesthetic to glorious effect, with truly addictive, utterly timeless gameplay.

If you have an Evercade VS or Alpha, playing this against a human competitor is absolutely one of the best Evercade experiences overall. True to the Bubble Bobble series, it has an iconic, sublime soundtrack too.

The Fairyland Story feels like a test run for Bubble Bobble itself. A single screen platformer in which you turn your enemies into pies before pushing them off ledges, it feels like a single screen platformer with a formula that needs just a little extra refinement. Of course, that refinement would arrive a year later with the aforementioned Bubble Bobble (which you’ll find on Taito Arcade 1!).

1980’s Crazy Balloon is an infuriating pseudo-maze game, in which you’re tasked with carefully manoeuvring a delicate balloon around a maze of spikes.

Released the previous year, Lunar Rescue uses plenty of visual and audio cues that’ll remind players of Space Invaders, but it’s a very different experience in which you’re rescuing tiny space people from deadly aliens. It’s surprisingly good, and has aged very well indeed considering its vintage.

Another abstract oddity, Qix sees you attempting to claim territory on a square plane, using a line to draw squares and to capture as much space as possible without being caught by the fizzing enemies. The risk vs reward system built into the concept makes this one very addictive indeed.

1983’s Zoo Keeper once more showcases Taito’s inventiveness; the animals in your zoo are breaking through the walls, and you must survive by rebuilding their enclosure until the timer runs out. Running over a broken wall rebuilds it, but you’ll need to avoid the animals which end up on your side of the wall. Broken up by Donkey Kong-esque platforming levels, Zoo Keeper feels utterly unique, even now.

In Cameltry, which made it to a home console conversion with the much better name On the Ball, you’ll steer a ball to an exit through a maze. The twist is that you are actually steering the maze itself! Another unusual game, this is a great title that’s well worth playing.

Cadash is a hugely ambitious arcade title with RPG elements; you’ll choose a character, buy class-specific gear, level up and interact with the world’s inhabitants between delves into dangerous dungeons. It feels like an evolution of Rastan in many ways, and though its action sequences can often feel unfair, with relentless enemies and an annoying (though common in its era) knock-back when you get hit, the RPG-esque aspects (and some gorgeous animation in places) do make it a pretty interesting and compelling game to play. Particularly as you don’t have to worry about how much it’s costing you every time you need to continue!

Up to 4 players can tackle (pun intended) arcade sports title Football Champ, which plays a blisteringly fast-paced game. It’s unintentionally funny too, with the ability to launch flying kicks and punches to tackle your opponents. I’m far from a fan of actual, real world sport, but I adore classic arcade sports titles, and this one is a highlight of Taito Arcade 3 for me.

So there’s a really eclectic mix of games on Taito Arcade 3 overall, but it has to be said that even the weaker titles (for me, that’s Crazy Balloon and The Fairyland Story) are worth checking out. Which means that this is another essential collection, from one of the best arcade game publishers ever.

You can buy Taito Arcade 3 from Amazon.

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