Summer arcade games aim to satisfy

If you're one of those video gamers who bemoans the lost era of arcade games, then bemoan no longer, for summer 2011 is replete with old-style arcade titles that move fast and are as repetitive as all get-out.

Today's three games probably wouldn't satiate a hard-core gamer (such as myself), because they lack in-depth plots, stories, dialogue, side missions and everything else we associate with contemporary games.

1. But you might enjoy "Child of Eden" if you crave old run-and-gun arcade shooting games. It's a high-tech sort of "Galaga," or the rail-shooter "Perfect Cherry Blossom," or even "Tempest," the tube-shooter from 1981.

Its visuals are cool -- playfully reminiscent of the trippy ending of "2001: A Space Odyssey," but with soothing electronic music.

When you look at the TV screen, you see a camera view flying forward through space, while swarms of delightfully blue, red, pink and purple dots form lovely patterns of constellations resembling whales, birds, disco balls, factory wheels and other things.

Meanwhile, pretty electronic music plays in the background. When you shoot the pretty dots floating in space, this makes synthesizer tones, so you're helping to create the soundtrack.

It's too elementary and short for my taste, and I don't like that I can't always discern where I'm being attacked from, or having to start entire levels over when I die.

But if you dig old arcade shooters, "Child of Eden" could satisfy you.

2. In "Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon," you portray U.S. soldiers, running around New Detroit, which has been invaded by B-movie-esque giant ants, spiders, flying saucers and biped aliens.

Like any old arcade game, you basically just constantly shoot machine guns, rocket launchers and air-defense bullets at seemingly never-ending waves of goo-exploding aliens.

I hate that the beginning reload times for weapons (six seconds to reload a gun!), especially since I'm always surrounded by dozens of attacking aliens during those six seconds.

I got bored in an hour. But if you're a casual gamer and just want to shoot, shoot, shoot without purpose -- have at it.

3. "Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition" is like every "Street Fighter" you've ever played, but sleeker looking and offering more fighters than ever to choose from at the start: 39.

You punch, kick, jump and land all sorts of special moves. Like I said: It's "Street Fighter." I got bored in an hour.

But let me clarify. I've been playing arcade games like these three arcaders for many a moon. That's why they bore me. They don't compare to epic action-adventures and contemporary shooting games.

But objectively speaking, these arcade games are very well-crafted for what they are, uber-repetitive button-mashing marathons.

("Child of Eden" by Ubisoft retails for $50 for Xbox 360 -- Plays half-fun. Looks very good. Challenging. Rated "E 10+" for mild fantasy violence. Two stars out of four.)

("Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon" by D3P retails for $40 for Xbox 360 and PS 3 -- Plays repetitive. Looks OK. Easy to challenging based on settings you choose. Rated "T" for animated blood, mild language, mild suggestive themes and violence. One and one-half stars.)

("Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition" by Capcom retails for $40 for Xbox 360 and PS 3 -- Plays fun if you like fighters. Looks good. Challenging. Rated "T" for alcohol reference, mild language, suggestive themes, violence. Three stars.)

Contact Doug Elfman at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.