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In a time before Blizzard was firing on all cylinders with world-changing video games like World of Warcraft and the Diablo franchise, they were laying the groundwork that would eventually lead to their legendary status in the industry by releasing such titles as Rock N Roll Racing, The Lost Vikings, and Blackthorne. Thirty years later, the company has opted to revisit these classic games that helped to define their voice in game development, and the result is the Blizzard Arcade Collection.
Announced at BlizzCon 2021, Blizzard Arcade Collection was quite a surprise for long-term fans of the developer, as many of them hadn’t seen the likes of its included titles in many years. And Blizzard certainly seems happy to be sharing the games with their fan base once again with the knowledge that all three were pivotal stepping stones to the successes they’ve achieved in the decades since.
Blizzard Entertainment president Allen Brack shared his sentiments, saying:
The Lost Vikings, Rock N Roll Racing, and Blackthorne ultimately made it possible for us to go on to create Warcraft, Diablo, and StarCraft, so we thought the Blizzard Arcade Collection would be a fun and fitting way to look back at our roots as a company. Many Blizzard gamers around the world fondly remember their time with these games and have often asked us to bring them back for modern platforms, so we’re thrilled to not only do so with this release, but to amp up the experience with new features and functionality available for the first time in each game.
You may have noticed Brack mentioned new features, and that’s where the real treat lies. All three included games offer both their original editions alongside brand new definitive editions that add new content or functionality that wasn’t available in their original releases. New levels and cutscenes flesh out The Lost Vikings, weather effects and upgraded music tracks make Rock N Roll Racing better than ever, and Blackthorne gains a “fog of war” map that uncovers throughout play – and that’s just a few of the great new additions for each game.
Most surprising of all, however, is that the collection launched on its announcement date of February 19th, meaning that you don’t have to waste any time getting your hands on this classic selection of Blizzard titles. So if you grew up enjoying these experiences, you won’t want to miss an opportunity to snag the full collection for the extremely low price of just $19.99. If you’re feeling extra Blizzard-y, though, you can also snag it as part of The Blizzard 30-Year Celebration Collection for $29.99, which also includes some commemorative in-game items for Diablo III and Overwatch.
Blizzard Arcade Collection is available right now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It’s also playable on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S and X via backwards compatibility.
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