Hitting the early 90's, arcades found resurgence after a huge slump, almost entirely due to Capcom's classic "Street Fighter II." Midway dove in right next to them, popping out hits like the "Mortal Kombat" series and "Total Carnage." This PS2 compilation, "Midway Arcade Treasures 2," is an almost perfect visit back to those glorious cabinets, but that does not mean these are great games.

First things first. Yes, "Mortal Kombat II" is here. Yes, it is arcade perfect, the first time in history gamers have been able to play it as such on a home console. The only flaws in the emulation are some shadows that flicker relentlessly when jumping. Otherwise, everything here is perfect. That alone is worth the meager $20 asking price.

Disappointing as it was, "Mortal Kombat 3" is here too. If you owned a PS One back around 1995, chances are you're quite familiar with this one. Sony had an exclusivity deal on the title when the system launched. It's the same game, sans any and all load times. The combo system is a bit off and it doesn't quite feel right, but the fatalities remain classic stuff.

(Note: In case you wondering where "Mortal Kombat 1" is, it was pulled from this set rather late in the development cycle and can be found on the collector's edition of "Mortal Kombat: Deception.")

"Total Carnage" was a spiritual successor to "Smash TV" and either game is a great time killer. Though ported to the SNES after it's release, "Carnage" was sanitized and here we are in 2004 with a pixel perfect translation. All the blood and gore remains (yes, this must be the first console compilation rated "M") and the tension makes this pure twitch gaming.

"Narc" comes home on this set, the first time since the censored NES rendition. This is a loud, brutal, blast-a-thon that has players taking down drug dealers either solo or together with a friend. It remains fun in quick sessions and is one of those games that perfectly takes players back into the arcade.

"APB" is a personal favorite, one that has gamers taking down litterbugs and speeders as Officer Bob while looking for a major bust. Drive recklessly and the unemployment line will become a new home. Voice samples are complete and the speed is perfect.

Wholly unique, "Xybots" is a primitive 3rd-person actioner that has players trekking down hallways blasting various enemies. The full experience is not received unless two-players are on the attack side-by-side. Those who used to own an Atari Lynx will find this one familiar thanks to a great port there and that goes for "APB" as well.

The final decent title is "Cyberball 2072," a futuristic football game with outstanding play mechanics, though the slippery controls may throw some people off (the original used a track ball). The rest of the collection goes downhill fast. "Spy Hunter II" is easily the worst game on this set and never should have been released in arcades let alone included on this set. It has little in common with the top-down original.

Not that it's terrible, but "Gauntlet II" was missing that something special that made the first one memorable. You'll get some fun out of it, just not as much as the original. "Timber" is a forgettable tree-chopping simulation (!) with a unique premise, but hardly captivating gameplay. "Pit Fighter" is likely well remembered, but not only is just a mess of game design and terrible graphics, the emulation here is way off. The speed of this title is at least tripled from what it was originally.