TAITO Milestones 3 from ININ Games is here with 10 new classics for you to take for a spin on Nintendo Switch. Learn more about them in our TAITO Milestones 3 review!
TAITO Milestones 3 from ININ Games is here with 10 new classics for you to take for a spin on Nintendo Switch. Back in 2022, ININ Games gave us the first installment in this new retro collection series, celebrating the many classics from TAITO’s extensive catalog. They followed this up with the aptly titled TAITO Milestones 2 last year, which brought us a new batch of 10 games to enjoy on Nintendo’s hybrid console. It’s now 2024, and here we are, ready to take the third collection for a spin.
Which TAITO classics can you play in TAITO Milestones 3? The games included in this Nintendo Switch collection are:
Bubble Bobble
Rainbow Islands
Rastan Saga
Dead Connection
Cadash
Rastan Saga 2
Champion Wrestler
Runark
Warrior Blade
Thunder Fox
Bubble Bobble is a 2D single-screen platformer that was originally released way back in 1986 in arcades. You’ll be going on an adventure as Bub and Bob, a pair of dragons who must do whatever it takes to save their girlfriends from the evil Baron Von Blubba. They’ll do this by spitting out bubbles to trap their enemies so that they can then pop them away. By doing this, enemies will turn into items as they land on the ground for you to collect to boost your score or to obtain power-ups. You’re probably more familiar with the version for the Nintendo Entertainment System – a.k.a. the NES.
This was followed up a year later by the sequel Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2. For this follow-up, you’ll get to play as the human versions of Bub and Bob, who, it turns out, had been transformed into dragons. Instead of using bubbles to fight against enemies, Bub and Bob will be using magical rainbows to defeat the minions terrorizing the titular Rainbow Islands so that they can defeat the Dark Shadow. You’ll also use the rainbows as platforms so that you can climb higher and higher in each stage to avoid being covered by the rising sea level.
The third game in this collection is 1987’s Rastan Saga, known simply as Rastan in the West. This one is a sidescrolling hack and slash in which you’ll be taking on the role of the titular character, who is now the Kingdom’s ruler. He will tell you about the different tales in his past that led him to become the ruler. You’ll be exploring six levels as take on a variety of enemies as well as the boss at the end of each level. You can collect new weapons and power-ups along the way, but do know that most of them will disappear after a set period of time!
Dead Connection is a 1992 arcade game set in the 1950s in a rather vague “big city somewhere.” Up to four players could jump into action in a game that sorta pays homage to great films such as The Untouchables or The Godfather franchise. You’ll have to take on dozens of enemies in each single-screen level as you make the most of the weapons and power-ups you collect. Be sure to keep a safe distance as you dodge and roll out of the way of incoming attacks, and use short-range melee attacks only as a last resort option.
Cadash is a 2D platformer with a dash of RPG thrown in for good measure that takes place in a fantasy realm. After a two-headed dragon abducts the Princess, it’s up to four mighty heroes to go on a quest to save her before it’s too late. You’ll need to take on the Balrog’s evil minions to be able to make it to the Balrog’s lair, where you’ll be giving it your all to save Princess Salassa of the Kingdom of Dirzir. You must stop the Balrog from completing the ritual that would magically bind it to the Princess, or else he’ll become invincible!
Rastan Saga 2 is, as expected, the sequel to Rastan Saga. The King did mention in the first game that what you got to experience was only a fraction of his tales, so here you are to once again dive into his past. This one was known as Nastar Warrior in North America. It’s a sidescrolling hack and slash that will pit you against the efforts of an evil wizard who is up to no good. Defeat The Wicked Group so that you can save Rastania, and it will become your Kingdom!
Champion Wrestler was released in 1989 and, as its name suggests, is a wrestling game in which you’ll get to become a professional wrestler as you aim to earn the fame and fortune that comes with managing to become the champion! There are 8 different wrestlers for you to choose from, and each one will have different stats and special skills that can turn the tide of battle. The stats to consider are Power, Durability, Technique, Speed, and Resilence.
Runark is a 2D beat ’em up known as Growl outside of Japan that TAITO released in 1990. You’ll be taking on the role of a forest ranger who must do whatever it takes to protect the local wildlife from the evil poachers that hunt them. This includes attacking enemies with your fists or by grabbing a grenade launcher. You know, the usual. As you make your way through the 7 stages that the game has to offer, you’ll have to do whatever it takes to save the different animals who are in great danger!
Warrior Blade is the third game in the Rastan Saga series, released in 1991. This one feels closer to a game from the beloved Golden Axe franchise, offering you three characters to play as: Rastan the Bandit, Dewey the Hireling, or Sophia the Thief. This game never made it out of Japan, which is why it’s great that we now get to play it in this collection. It uses large character sprites for allies and foes, which help the pixel art to shine on the screen. It’s a fun game that is a blast to play through multiple times with different characters as you take the branching paths it offers.
The last game in the collection is run ‘n’ gun Thunder Fox, which released in arcades in 1990. You’ll be using a variety of weapons to take down anyone foolish enough to try and stop you. It’s the year 199X, and terrorism has taken over land, sky, and sea. It’s now up to the anti-terrorism team Thunder Fox to save the day before it’s too late. Their names? Thunder and Fox. Because of course those are their names. This is another game that didn’t make it out of Japan back in the day.
TAITO Milestones 3 is here with 10 new classics for you to take for a spin on Nintendo Switch. It offers a good variety of games to enjoy at home or on the go. The games you can play are Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands,
Rastan Saga, Dead Connection, Cadash, Rastan Saga 2, Champion Wrestler, Runark, Warrior Blade, and Thunder Fox, so there’s definitely something for everyone. TAITO Milestones 3 launches on Nintendo Switch on December 10 with a $39.99 price tag.
Disclaimer
This TAITO Milestone 3 review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by ININ Games.
