The Collection Chamber: DISNEY'S ARCADE FRENZY

Considering this most recent batch of Disney games is about their Villains, I guess you're wondering why this 1999 collection of games is included? There's nary a hint of a Disney Villain anywhere. Well, there's two parts to my answer, so let me explain...

The first answer is that I couldn't find any other game with a focus on the Villain that I could add to this site. So you got this instead.

The second is that this game is bloody awful. So much so that I thought I'd revel in being the Villain who unleashed it upon all of you. Lifelong dream accomplished!

Seriously, if ever there was a half-arsed attempt at a game, then this is it. It consists of four minigames, nothing more, nothing less. There's no attempt at a wraparound story. No nicely animated cutscenes. The artwork is not decent enough to pursuade you that this is not a Chinese knockoff. Just four overly-simplistic minigames.

I guess this was only ever meant to be a budget title with enough known characters for kids to recognise and bug their parents. The thing is, though, these games were further split in half to give two even cheaper releases under the Hot Shots label. Other minigame compilations such as Timon & Pumbaa's Jungle Games also got the same treatment.

Anyway, enough of the disenchanting corporate shenanigans. Let's talk about the games. First of the bunch is MuShoot based on the movie Mulan. It plays a lot like Missile Command, except you are aiming fireworks at the marauding Hun. You have a limited number of ammo which is represented by wooden carts that accompany the houses below. If you like Missile Command, I guess you'd get a kick out this Disney rethemed version, but it's nothing particularly special.

Also not worthy of note is Rooftop Ruckus. Based on the world of Aladdin, you play as Abu who is tasked with turning on all of the lights on a given building while avoiding enemies. My take on it is that it is a 2D variant of Q*bert. It's the best game of the bunch, but that's not saying much.

Next is Flying Frenzy, and going by that name alone can you guess what movie it's from? Why Hercules of course. You are the bird-brained Pegasus whose goal is to prevent the escaped Titans climbing Mount Olympus. You do this by flying into them, tapping the 'A' button to flap your wings. What d'ya know? It's Joust! Only rubbish.

The final game is called Flounder's Quest. Based on The Little Mermaid, you play as Horatio Thelonious Ignacious Crustaceous Sebastian, or Sebastian for short. You see, Flounder is not on a quest but has found he has a certain knack for being captured. Guide the red lobster around a maze, avoiding enemies and obstacles that can look suspiciously like the background and find our fishy friend. You can find short cuts and hidden areas with a pinch of your claws and find hidden treasure which can up your score or increase your time. The time limit is incredibly strict so a lot of trial and error is needed to complete a level. It's not fun.

This is the cheapest looking and feeling of any paid Disney game I've ever played - and I've played a lot. None of the games are remotely memorable. The graphics are sub-par that make you question the game's origins. There's no wraparound story or core concept to make the minigames more palatable. Disney nuts like me may be interested enough to give it a try (I was enough to do so), but I doubt anyone will stick around beyond the 20-minute mark. In a word: lazy.

To download the game, follow the link below. This exclusive installer uses the DOSBox Daum build of DOSBox 0.74 running Windows '95. Manual included. Tested on Windows 10.

IMPORTANT - Remember to shut down the emulated version of Windows before exiting DOSBox. This could potentially result in errors, lost saves and corrupt data. Press Ctrl-F9 when it is safe to do so.

File Size: 279 Mb. Install Size: 550 Mb. Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

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