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While the developers of Activision Anthology could have taken the easy path and offered only a superficial overview of the company's biggest golden age titles, they have instead opted to give classic gamers a comprehensive overview of the company's history on the Atari 2600. More than 40 different games are included, which gives the compilation plenty of variety covering all genres. As you'd expect, most of the biggest titles are included with the obvious choices such as Pitfall!, Keystone Kapers, Fishing Derby, Laser Blast, Freeway, Megamania Barnstorming, Dragster, River Raid and Kaboom! making expected appearances, there are more obscure releases included in this as well. Some of these include under-appreciated titles such as Spider Fighter, Crackpots, and the strangely engaging Private Eye, which is sort of like Atari's Superman, with a catch-the-criminals motif and better graphics. Two racing games, Dragster and Grand Prix are also included. Dragster was way ahead of it's time and was one of the first video games to implement shifting and the concept of a blown engine. Dragster seems very simple now, but at the time it was incredibly sophisticated. Grand Prix is another landmark because it's large, multicolored cars looked vastly more realistic than the blocky single-colored sprites seen in contemporary 2600 releases like Indy 500 and the Combat. Comparing the visuals, you can see how much of an impact Activision had and how much they were able to get out of the system. Activision's sports titles Boxing and Skiing were decent, though these haven't held up as well other some of the other games. Checkers and Bridge are also included, but these are a bit dull, though competent translations of the board games.
All in all, this is one of the rare compilations that falls into the must-purchase category. It's comprehensive with more than 40 well-known and obscure titles included. Most of these have held up well over the years, and all are perfectly emulated in this pack. Fans of the classics will find their winning gameplay and funky graphics exactly as they remember them. The variety and consistency of these titles is surprising at this late stage, though it's probably the reason why Activision's run on the 2600 is so fondly remembered by gamers everywhere. Adding more appeal to the game, the extras and secret content definitely add to the package's value and should give it strong appeal to fans of classic gaming. Activision Anthology is an outstanding package and an example of how to do classic compilations right and is thus highly recommended for nostalgia buffs.
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obscure yet excellent game is the Defender-esque Cosmic Commuter, which proves
Activision had the formula down to almost a science. While the graphics haven't
aged well, it's stil hard not to be impressed by the richly detailed simulation
offered in the brilliant and vastly under-rated Space Shuttle. Another winner
for platform fans is the great action game HERO, which remains as addictive and
fun as it was when it first came out. The reverse-Breakout 'cute' game Oink! is
more addictive than it sounds, offers a nice twist on the old Three Bears story.
Several other great titles that didn't get the attention they deserved at the
time of their release back in the 80's such as Sky Jinks and Dolphin are also
included. What's interesting about this particular compilation is that several
of these games have never been seen in a compilation before, with the Tempest
style futuristic shooter Beamrider remaining a particular favorite. While other
versions of Beamrider had better visuals, the simple gameplay remains some of
the fastest and most addictive on the old 2600. Another highlight is the
excellent Battlezone clone Robot Tank which had some amazing graphics that set a
new standard for the 2600 when it came out. Anthology also includes both sequels
to Pitfall! and River Raid, both of which were innovative. While this sequel
seems similar to the original when you first play it, Pitfall! II's non-linear
play and large levels make it one of the most complex and difficult titles ever
made for the classic Atari console. In addition to the Activision titles,
several Imagic releases are included in this pack with their biggest games such
as Demon Attack, Moonsweeper and Atlantis included. All of these games remain as
good as ever, though Atlantis' remains the cream of the crop, with it's
brilliant controls and incredibly fast flying ship. Sadly, some of the best
Imagic titles such as Dragonfire aren't included, but Anthology at least gives
you a taste of the company.
However,
two things set this apart from the previous PS1 compilation. It includes several
late period releases from the late 80's. Some of these such as a translation of
the arcade hit Commando do an excellent job in recreating the feel of the
original game, though it can't compete with the NES version. Other games such as
Baseball were remarkable in how much they were able to accomplish. Another late
period winner was Double Dragon, which was an excellent translation of the
side-scrolling kung-fu classic. Another late-period winner was Title Match Pro
Wrestling, a surprisingly fun grappling game. A big surprise in it's inclusion
is Tomcat F14 Combat Simulator. While fans Space Shuttle probably weren't
surprised that the 2600 could handle it's complexity and depth, this is just
more evidence of the console's versatility, proving why it had such a long life.
Finally, there are two very big surprises included that should please even jaded
classic collectors: two previously unreleased prototype titles are included:
Kabobber ans Thwaker. What's truly surprising, is that unlike most other
unearthed games, these two seem remarkably complete and functional. Of the two,
the music themed Thwocker is the more enjoyable, offering an interesting spin on
the usual jump and run mechanic many of the era's game's offered.
Taken
as a whole, Activision Anthology offers quite a good window into the classic era
with a broad cross section of the most popular and best titles. It's surprising
in retrospect just how consistent Activision's releases on the 2600 were, there
are very few duds in this collection, though many that seem dull now were quite
solid when they were released. What's great about rediscovering these games is
just how well they have held up for the most part, despite their simplistic
concepts and primitive graphics. Even better news for fans of these games is
that the emulation is excellent, the games look and sound exactly as they did in
their original form. While it may not seem like a big deal that the mighty PS2
can ape the humble 2600, this accuracy is a nice change of pace from some other
compilations on the market which had poor emulation that ruined the experience.
However, just putting the old games on the PS2 isn't really going to satisfy
today's more demanding gamer and this elaborate package transports you back in
time in a number of interesting ways.
Activision
Anthology's interface is quite clever and takes on the motif of a teenager's
bedroom from the 80's. You select which game you play from a rotating wooden
cartridge selector, once selected the game pops up and you can view the cart in
full 3D space, along with the original manual and box. However, there's more to
it than this. You can also earn extras and secrets by playing the games. Doing
this can unlock hidden game modes, which allow you to play the original game
with enhanced graphics or a special effect, such as a foggy River Raid, a warped
screen for Pitfall or adding a cool rotating star field to MegaMania. These
effects are cool for the most part, though some are annoying. However, the best
coolest extras come when you earn the extras that allow you view the actual
early 80's commercials for the game. The commercials themselves range from the
cornball to the truly wacky, with the MegaMania New-Wave Band a throwback to a
time when hot-pink suit-jackets were cool. Speaking of new-wave, Activision
Anthology includes several classic songs from the era that you can listen to
while you play the games, which adds to the time-machine atmosphere, though the
limited number of licensed songs means the same tracks get repeated ad nauseum,
which gets on your nerves after awhile.