Activision Anthology - PS2

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Also for: PSP
Viewed: 2D Combination Genre:
Compilation
Media: DVD Arcade origin:No
Developer: Contraband Entertainment Soft. Co.: Activision
Publishers: Activision (GB)
Released: 14 Feb 2003 (GB)
Ratings: 3+
Features: Analogue Control Compatible: analogue sticks only
Accessories: Memory Card

Summary

If Nolan Bushnell were British he would almost certainly have been knighted for his services to the games industry. Founder of Atari, inventor of the 2600, designer of Pong - there's no denying that the guy has some serious commendable achievements under his belt. He even went as far as to set up a nationwide chain of pizza restaurants just so he could fill them with video arcades. We should all take our hats off to Nolan. And it seems that Activision have, with the release of their Anthology - a most notable tribute to his ancient Atari 2600 machine.

A compilation of over 45 classic 80's games, Activision Anthology is every retro fan's passport to nostalgia. From Chopper Command to Cosmic Commuter, Pitfall to Plaque Attack, all of Activision's best games from the era are included, as are a couple of previously unreleased oddities such as the bizarre sounding Kabobber and Thwocker.

The main menu appears in the form of a retro-looking bedroom, complete with the veneer-finish console and a very goldfish bowl-like TV. From here you can access the plethora of games through the available Classic Mode. As you play through various titles, you start to unlock other game modes, which allow you to play the games with an assortment of wacky screen modes and effects. For example, Cube Mode displays the game screen on each side of a spinning cube, Ricochet has it bouncing around the screen, and Whirl rotates the screen through 360 degrees.

To complete the 80's throwback theme, the title comes complete with an appropriate soundtrack. Music from the likes of Blondie, Soft Cell and Twisted Sister is included making you feel even more like you've been whisked back to the golden gaming age. And if that's what you're after then this is the ideal way to go about it - either that or a mortgage and a trip to eBay.

Games Included:
Atlantis, Barnstorming, Boxing, Checkers, Chopper Command, Cosmic Commuter, Crackpots, Dolphin, Dragster, Enduro, Fishing Derby, Freeway, Frostbite, Grand Prix, H.E.R.O., Ice Hockey, Kaboom, Keystone Kapers, Laser Blast, Megamania, Oink!, Pitfall!, Plaque Attack, Pressure Cooker, Private Eye, River Raid, River Raid 2, Seaquest, Skiing, Sky Jinks, Spider Fight, Stampede, Starmaster, Tennis.

Never-before-released on an Activision Compilation:
Baseball, Beamrider, Bridge, Commando, Decathlon, Demon Attack, Moonsweeper, Pitfall 2, Robot Tank, Space Shuttle, Tomcat.

Previously Unreleased:
Kabobber Thwocker