Yep. There's quite a bit there. And these are no Warioware micro-games; many are games that have challenged the skill and endurance of gamers for over 20 years. It is interesting to note that the GBA version has some glaring omissions and some super additions over the PS2 version that came out earlier in 2003. The PS2 version of Activision Anthology had 48 games that also included the magnificent Imagic games Demon Attack, Atlantis and Moonsweeper as well as the Data East - licensed Commando. The GBA version has none of these. It probably has something to do with owning the rights to make console versions of these games and not handhelds. Or perhaps Activision could not assign the rights to Aspyr to make the games. The really nice additions to the GBA version are Skateboardin', the early Freeway prototype that featured a human crossing the road instead of a chicken, two recently-found prototypes that don't even have names, and the seven new homebrew games. Homebrews are games developed by fans of older systems. This is a very dedicated bunch of lone developers and I applaud Aspyr's decision to license a few of these and bring them to a wider audience than they usually get to. (Infogrames/Atari should have shown as much insight and put a few of these on their recent Atari: 80 Classic Games in One compilation for the PC.)
Graphics are exactly what you would expect in the games - low resolution and blocky, just like the originals. A little of each game's screen got shaved off the bottom due to the peculiarities of GBA screen but it doesn't hurt the gameplay a bit. The menu screens are where new graphics come in. Each game is represented by a virtual cartridge spine in a revolving rack that's looks just like the original cartridge. Once selected, the game's cartridge front appears with the option to see its box and instruction manual. Unlike the PS2 version of Activision Anthology, the instruction manuals are simple text rather than the scanned original manuals. Also the weird (and generally useless) graphic modes that could be unlocked on the PS2 were omitted. But both of these can easily be forgiven due to cartridge size constraints. What wonderfully did not get left out was the ability to earn game-related patches by scoring well - just like on the originals. Pictures of these patches can then be viewed in the high-score menu.
Sound is the only place I have to dock Activision Anthology a point. Like all Atari 2600 games emulated on newer systems, Activision Anthology's sound is not identical to the original cartridge. It does not really hurt the playing experience for anyone but a purist like me. The fact that I have an Atari 7800 still set up and playing the originals of these games makes me a little hyper-sensitive to the small changes.
Control is perfect. All of these games were played with a simple directional control and one action button, with only rare interaction with the actual console switches. The GBA's standard D-pad and button set works great. In short order I had adjusted to the small differences and again earned my Federation of Laser Blasters patch.
This is the first GBA cartridge to have games that originally appeared on a home system from the golden age (pre-1984) of video gaming. I sincerely hope it will not be the last.
For anyone who has any interest in classic video games, this is a must-buy. If you just want a bunch of great pick-up-and-play games for your GBA that will sorely test your hand-eye coordination, this is a must-buy. If you don't want to look like a punk with no appreciation of the roots of video gaming, this is a must-buy. So … what are you waiting for? GO BUY IT!
