Tank warfare comprises BattleZone, giving you a first-person, 3D perspective of the battlefield which appears as though you're looking at it through an X-ray machine. Centipede is like Space Invaders in that you try to destroy the enemy before it reaches the bottom of the screen. In this case, the enemy is a centipede which is composed of multiple legs that can branch off when hit. You could think of Lunar Landing as a kind of flight sim as you attempt to land a module on the moon. You have to maintain a balance with speed, direction, and supply of fuel. I hated this game when it was released, mainly because it seemed so slow paced. I find it more challenging and relaxing now, but I did get bored of it after about half an hour.

More than 50 games can be unlocked by completing a series of challenges with the main games. These challenges will have you perform various feats of skill such as timed events, clearing the screen of specific items, or destroying multiple targets with one projectile. You'll receive an award for each successfully completed challenge. Once you manage to collect 44 awards, you'll unlock the virtual Atari 2600 console where you'll get your hands on tons of classic, old-school games such as Crystal Castle, Night Driver, Yar's Revenge, and Canyon Bomber, to name a few. Many are entirely forgettable, but its still fun to try them all out even if you only spend a few minutes with each one.

The ad-hoc wireless component will add some replay value to the games that really require another player such as Pong, Warlords, and BattleZone. I detected to technical glitches or mechanical flaws. The framerate is steady and the collision detection is perfect. Let's face it; the graphics aren't exactly taxing the PSP capabilities, even with the "Evolved" games. All of the games remain simplistic in terms of character models and level designs. Most of these games only have one level, with only a few minor variations. The music is also simplistic and repetitive, but you can't deny its charm.

If you're up for the challenge, and you want to trace the lineage of some of your favorite games of all times by exploring their heritage, you simply can't afford to pass up Atari Classics Evolved.

By Cole Smith
CCC Senior Writer

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