Irem Arcade Hits 9+

PROS:
- A nice eclectic mix of popular games (Vigilante, Kung Fu Master, In the Hunt) and more obscure IREM classics (Undercover Cops, Cosmic Cop).
- Well emulated with no framerate droppage or input lag.

CONS:
- No full screen option.
- Spotty controller recognition (it seems to want analog sticks over D-pads - WHY?!)
- No ability to save and resume games in progress.
- Cheap interface/menus.
- Extremely buggy front end. Crashes quite frequently.

I'm all for games like this as they allow companies like IREM to make a little scratch off their old IPs and encourage users to spend a little dough to play these old games through legitimate channels. That said, unless DotEmu improves their implementation (suspend saves, better controller compatibility, full screen) they provide a package that comes up short in comparison to gray and black market emulators out there. If you really want people to pony up the cash and buy these games, you had better make sure they get the best version of them and not a half-assed front end, missing features, and overall buggy package.

I initially bought this game when I saw the price point and that (by the first screenshot) it contained at least 4 games. This app contains over 20 first off. They run as close to exactly as my aging mind remembers them although I did notice some audio differences (not bad ones) between these versions and their console versions. The default control scheme didn’t work for me at all but it was probably the closesest to an arcade orientation as you’ll get on a keyboard. I found to my excitement that the controls could be changed both universally and by title. I would stress to the developer though that the controls desplay screens appear as though you should be able to interact with them directly. I was nearly discouraged until I found the options menu. After that it was no issue. I don’t often review apps, but I was particularly impressed. Runs fine on new OS!

I was initially hesitant to purchase this becase of the less than stellar reviews many people many people here have written, but I finally broke down and purchased the Irem Hits on sale at $2.99 usd. I'm glad I did! The collection of games is wonderful - the majority of them very playable, challenging and just flat out fun. The ONLY issue I have is that there is a slight skipping in the sound emulation, though to be honest it is not really that distracting.

Just to reiterate, great games and a great overall package. Even at $9.99.

Oh... and my system - a 2010 Mac Mini running 10.6.8, 4 gigs of RAM, 2.4 gig duo core and Nvidia 320M. I've never had a problem running the game!