The main game opens with a shop screen, allowing the player to purchase five of the 12 games off the bat. The idea is to purchase all 12 in any order, and then earn more cash by mastering them. As more games are purchased, the price will increase, and only after hours of play will all 12 be avaialbe. Along with earning cash, high scores result in the unlocking of challenges which can be accessed at any time from the main menu. There are 120 in all, each a simple variation on one of the 12 games.

Though the intention of keeping a majority of the games hidden away is meant to increase the title's replay value, unlocking everything can be a chore in itself. Luckily for those who don't want to put in that much effort, Telegames has included a web-site at the back of the instruction booklet which gives the unlock codes for all games and challenges. Battery save is also included, so all high scores can be kept in both arcade and challenge mode. This is a great and important addition, since the game design is really made for quick spurts.

While each of the games are inspired by arcade greats, they suffer simply from a lack of balance. Many of the titles such as BeeKeeper, Rubes Cubes, and Gridlock suffer from clunky control. There is also no overall style for the compilation itself, and the presentation is left feeling generic and void of feeling. Highway 51 resembles Spy Hunter, for example, but suffers from unbalanced control and lack of personality. The more these titles are explored the more they feel like unpolished web games, which is a shame since many of them are derived from the strongest foundations in gaming.

The most well rounded of the games are Asteroid Mine and Flipside simply because they manage to keep the feeling of a retro classic. Asteroid Mine offers the familiar Asteroids play while adding a powerup system as well. While the game isn't spot on with the original, the overall feel is a pleasant one. Flipside also manages to stay true to the original Breakout, adding only a puzzle/combo system for flavor.

Closing Comments
While it has its strong moments, Ultimate Arcade Games simply can’t be recommended as a whole. Certain titles should have never made the cut, while others manage to be decent replications. There are simply too many good compilations for the GBA, and the lack of true licensed classics hurts this one. Better versions of these same games can be found on Shockwave.com, and even a budget price tag can’t justify Ultimate Arcade Games as a worthy purchase. If classic action is a necessity for on the go gaming, Namco Museum, Konami’s Arcade Advanced and Activision Anthology are simply better choices.