Once a constellation is selected, the player is presented with a list of games in the constellation. Selecting an individual game takes the player to that game’s solar system. The original game is represented by the solar system’s sun and is always selectable. The orbiting planets represent other modes that the game can be played in once they are unlocked. The modes include: Time Challenge (score the most points before time runs out), Trippy (a psychedelic, persistence-of-vision mode that really has to be seen on Tempest), Time Warp (varies the speed of the game as it is played), Hot Seat (the selected game and three others that will switch in sequence at regular intervals for an ever-changing, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants gaming experience) and Double Speed (that’s right, doubles the speed of the normal game). Also at the solar system screen the player may press the circle button for game options or the square button for bonus items on the game.

Emulation on the games is generally of high quality. All look arcade or 2600 perfect except the arcade vector-graphics games like Red Baron and Asteroids, which can never really look right on a raster-scan display. Sound seems to be the biggest problem issue that pops up, most often with the arcade games which usually contained proprietary sound systems in their cabinets. The PS2’s controller never even breaks a sweat controlling any of the games, though games that originally employed paddles, trackballs and spinners will never quite play correctly without them.

The absence of loved Atari 2600 games like Space Invaders, Berzerk and Phoenix are regrettable, but it is understandable since these were games licensed for the 2600 from companies that are now Atari’s competitors in the console-game market. What’s really puzzling is the absence of any Atari 5200 or 7800 games. These systems too are part of the Atari legacy up until 1984 (Yeah, I know the 7800 didn’t hit stores until 1986, but it was shown with complete games in the summer of 1984.) and both systems had some great original games on them. Why the 2600 version of Desert Falcon and not the far-superior Atari 7800 version? Perhaps in a future compilation we’ll get the full Atari legacy, including the Lynx and Jaguar.

Anyway, if you have any interest at all in classic gaming, Atari Anthology is a must-buy. Should the 85 games for less than 25 cents each not be enough to lure you, the historical materials certainly should. Remember, the Atari 2600 was the console that really started the home-video-gaming revolution, and (Boy, I know I’m going to get rapped in the mouth for this blasphemy by the purists!) though the Activision games were really better playing games for the console, Atari Anthology contains many of the first-party games that truly defined the system. Atari Anthology is also the first console software package to offer these games since they originally appeared on the 2600, so in a way it represents history itself. The arcade games also offer some of the best play experiences from the days when arcades were king. It’s a great package that should be in any serious gamer’s collection.

Arcade Games: Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Battlezone, Black Widow, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Gravitar, Liberator, Lunar Lander, Major Havoc, Millipede, Missile Command, Pong, Red Baron, Space Duel, Super Breakout, Tempest, Warlords

Atari 2600 Games: 3D Tic-Tac-Toe, Adventure, Air-Sea Battle, Asteroids, Atari Video Cube, Backgammon, Battlezone, Blackjack, Bowling, Breakout, Canyon Bomber, Casino, Centipede, Circus Atari, Combat, Crystal Castles, Demons To Diamonds, Desert Falcon, Dodge ‘Em, Double Dunk, Flag Capture, Football, Fun With Numbers, Golf, Gravitar, Hangman, Haunted House, HomeRun, Human Cannonball, Math Grand Prix, Maze Craze, Millipede, Miniature Golf, Missile Command, Night Driver, Off The Wall, Outlaw, Quadrun, Radar Lock, Realsports Baseball, Realsports Football, Realsports Tennis, Realsports Volleyball, Sky Diver, Slot Machine, Slot Racers, Space War, Sprintmaster, Star Raiders, Star Ship, Steeplechase, Stellar Track, Street Racer, Submarine Commander, Super Baseball, Super Breakout, Super Football, Surround, Swordquest Earthworld, Swordquest Fireworld, Swordquest Waterworld, Video Checkers, Video Chess, Video Olympics, Video Pinball, Warlords, Yars’ Revenge



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