Compilations of classic arcade and console games have been a recurring theme for the past few years. I think they really started to become popular with publishers when the PlayStation 2 was established, and that carried over to the current generation consoles where they could be resold with updated graphics.
While we all like to relive our childhoods playing these usually very hard games, there are issues with doing so on a console. The main problem is these games were meant for standard definition TVs no bigger than 32-inches, and in most cases much smaller non-widescreen displays. The result today on a 40-inch HD TV with a PS3 or Xbox 360 attached is something that looks really dated, yet still requires loading time for the console to handle the 20+ year-old graphics. Add to that the limited number of games supplied on a 25GB Blu-ray disc or DVD, and you are left feeling a bit short-changed.
Generally the experience is therefore not always pleasant and I bet many gamers don’t even consider picking up yet another compilation title. And who could blame them? There’s usually game overlap between discs, the navigation from game to game is cumbersome, and the play time of the really old games too short to warrant the time to load them.
With this latest compilation Atari is taking a different approach. As it’s on DS there are no load times and no HD screens to contend with. The decision was also taken to not ship a handful of games, instead Atari Greatest Hits Volume 1 has 50 games. That’s a serious amount of titles on one cartridge for less than $30. You really can’t complain about the value aspect.
The 50 games are split between Atari arcade and Atari 2600 titles, with most falling into the 2600 category. With the arcade games you get a screen giving you simple and arcade control options as well as a short summary of what you are expected to do. For the 2600 games there are more options on offer including game mode selection and the option to play as if on a black and white TV.
Here’s the complete list of games you will have access to:
Arcade Titles:
Asteroids
Battlezone
Centipede
Gravitar
Lunar Lander
Missile Command
Pong
Space Duel
Tempest
Atari 2600 Titles:
3D Tic-Tac-Toe
Adventure
Air-Sea Battle
Asteroids
Atari Video Cube
Basketball
Battlezone
Bowling
Centipede
Championship Soccer
Dodge ’Em
Flag Capture
Football
Fun with Numbers
Gravitar
Hangman
Haunted House
Home Run
Human Cannonball
Math Gran Prix
Miniature Golf
Missile Command
Outlaw
Realsports Baseball
Realsports Boxing
Realsports Football
Realsports Tennis
Realsports Volleyball
Sky Diver
Slot Maching
Slot Racers
Sprintmasters
Starship
Stella Track
Submarine Commander
Surround
Swordquest Earthworld
Swordquest Fireworld
Swordquest Waterworld
Tempest
Video Checkers
It’s important to stress these are the original games. Developer Code Mystics has done nothing to improve the graphics or simplify the gameplay beyond offering alternative control options. But that’s how a greatest hits collection should be–the original games untouched.
While some of these games are a reminder of how poor classic gaming could be, there are some gems in there you’ll remember if you’re old enough. But then again, there’s some missing you’d expect to find in a first volume of Atari classics. Where’s Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Kaboom!, River Raid, Pitfall or E.T.?
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