The initial download provides the arcade venue, populated by avatars stood at the machines and decorated in your choice of an initial six themes, with more to come over time. Some 30 games will be available at launch from Atari (including 2600 recreations as well as arcade games), Intellivision, Konami, and Activision. That means Centipede, Pitfall, Scramble and Tempest for starters, though no Pac-Man (the ultimate version of which arguably exists in its Championship Edition). The games are categorised by source, so head to the Intellivision area to play some classic Boxing. Scrolling around the arcade the screen will bring up Showcase panels that advertise updates to the library.
At X10, Microsoft reiterated its commitment to releasing seven new games every week. Within a year the library will stretch to hundreds of old-school titles, it says, all faithfully recreated with authentic visuals. Each will also be playable in Classic or Ranked mode. Classic is the original experience but with a twist: screw up or die when you’re about to complete a map or mission and the left trigger rewinds the game, complete with VHS-style lines on the screen. You can stop at any point and carry on from there. If your want to dominate the leaderboards, though, you’ll have to play in Ranked mode where rewind isn’t available.
Keeping things as authentic as possible, game settings can be changed using overlays that recreate the Intellivision or Atari 2600 buttons. Firing up a game of Combat, it would be better if this neatly designed overlay was transparent so you could actually see the arena layout you’re trying to select. But it’s a relatively minor quibble versus serious pangs of nostalgia.
Multiplayer games are also possible and you can enter your friends’ arcades to see their purchased collections. You get one play for free to demo a game, then have the option to pay-as-you-go for the equivalent of 50c per game (even selecting quarters to slot in the machine), or buy the full game for US$3. Since the service will also be available for Games For Windows, you can pay US$5 to allow access to the game on both platforms.
Doubtless spurred by the frightening efficiency of the App Store, Game Room strikes a familiar sweet spot. Its prices represent throwaway investments rewarded with simple, unblemished hits of often nominal interest. But multiplayer Combat is fun and many of the upcoming titles have survived years of emulation to make it this far, and may at least ease the collective conscience of the MAME grey market.