In an attempt to bring some 'coolness' to
what is basically yet another compilation of oldie games, Atari enlisted a trio
of underground graffiti artists to change the sprites of some of their classic
titles. The end result is the mixed success of Retro Atari Classics for the
Nintendo DS. Ten games are included here with both Retro and Remixed modes
("tagged" versions) of each selectable. Aside from the skin-deep
changes, there really isn't much new with the gameplay aside from its iffy touch
screen/stylus implementation. While there are some cool ideas, the games'
implementation leaves much to be desired, making Retro Atari Classics something
best suited for the bargain bin.
Here's a pretty cool idea that could have been
brilliant. Take ten classic Atari titles like Asteroids, Missile Command,
Tempest, Centipede, Breakout and Sprint. Give three underground hip-hop artists
license to tag or re-imagine them with hip visuals and give them back to players
for a refreshing change of pace that would bring new life to these perennials.
At least, that's how it was supposed to work. Sadly, haphazard implementation
and strangely, a lack of imagination undercuts these cool ideas. The first thing
most players will probably want to do is check out the new hip-hop versions of
the games. Some of the changes seem relatively minor, with a few palette swaps,
while others are more dramatic, with Asteroids and Centipede given almost
complete visual makeovers. The individual titles reflect a unique street style,
with each artist's unique spin on the games giving them at least a refreshing
visual kick in the pants.
The results are relatively mixed, with some of
these backgrounds actually achieving a kind of retro-chic, while others are
merely distracting. Aside from these changes, the games themselves are largely
unchanged, though some have been changed to make use of the DS system's stylus.
Here again, the results are mixed. Some titles such as Tempest and Centipede are
well suited to this system while others are rendered unplayable. An inconsistent
implementation of the controls themselves makes things confusing, and the
unclear commands make some of the titles border on the atrocious. Many of these
problems stem largely from the inconsistent implementation, where you can use
the standard d-pad and face buttons for movement in games like Asteroids, while
the stylus is required to play others like Missile Command. This makes for a
compilation that varies widely in terms of quality and style, making it feel
uneven and haphazard at best. The in-game menus aren't that great either, and
their confusing layout makes it unclear whether you're selecting the classic or
remixed version.
Retro Atari Classics' emulation is a bit
haphazard as well. Some of the games feel much closer to the originals, while
others feel watered down and simplified. For example, Warlords feels exactly
like the arcade version, while the emulation of Asteroids feels cheap and
rushed. This is another area where the game seems to fall shorts. The games
themselves play exactly as you remember them and there are no added features or
bonuses in them. This is true even in the remixed versions, which means for all
the effort that's gone into making look fresh, almost nothing has been done to
make them play fresh.
What it basically means is that these hyped versions are
actually inferior in many ways, since the new visual looks are more distracting
than anything else. In fact, most players would probably have more fun playing
the original versions of these games and skipping the 'tagged' versions
altogether, since they offer no gameplay enhancements at all. The changes are
purely aesthetic - which is quite disappointing. While the new versions of the
games are fun for a short time, they really don't offer much substance beneath
the cool surface, which makes things less than they seem. The emulated versions
of the classics are mostly adequate, though a little short of the mark in terms
of perfect fidelity. Overall, while there are some good ideas in Retro Atari
Classics, it falls short of expectations. The game's haphazard implementation
means some games play better than others. The spotty controls try to use the
stylus creatively, but tend to be more awkward than interesting. The iffy
emulation leads to inconsistent gameplay makes this one compilation that offers
more frustration than nostalgia.
Grade: C+
