Atari
-the name brings back many memories for video gamers.
If you have an old Atari system around and it works,
it is not junk or old it is now "Retro"
at least that is the latest craze for things that
were once all the rage. If I was to look in my closet
that has all my old (sorry Retro) systems lying around,
I can now feel better that they are now the thing
to collect and not just a sign of a pack rat.
Hell,
I was retro before the word was being used, so I guess
I can feel good about that? Having been a teen in
the 80's I saw all the things that were hot including
wearing the Miami Vice clothes just like Crockett
I mean Don Johnson. Yes, go ahead, and after you read
the review, click on the contact page or the about
us page. Look at my mug and imagine me wearing the
white jacket, powder blue shirt, white pants and the
white slip on shoes. Of course I was a lot lighter
back then. Vaughn will chuckle at this and so will
Cole. I can handle that. Ever see Cole's old Original
Sin Photo? Now that is Retro. I think every 80's band
out there is still trying to sue him for stealing
their look. Of course I am joking well, sort of. My
point is something old always makes a comeback.
Atari
Anthology is a great collection for those who want
to relive the old "Err Retro" Days of video
games, an Impressive collection of over 85 games on
one shiny disc. To think if you own every copy in
the original boxes, you would have a nice cash cow.
Some of those games are extremely rare and hard to
find in any condition. They even included 18 of their
best arcade hits in this collection of classic arcade
and 2600 games. From Tempest to Yar's Revenge, you
will find it in this collection.
Of
course, looking at the scores one may think the game
is not very good. Not true, it's based on the way
it looks and plays and you have to be fair. The games
are classics but they show their age in the graphics
department and sound effects. They are dead on and
Digital Eclipse did a fantastic job recreating them
for the Xbox. I just do not want you to think they
have been updated or enhanced although they did add
a few neat new modes that you will unlock after beating
a certain level of each game. They also made the interface
look like a star galaxy, a nice touch to the menu
interface.
Playing
this game is like a quick trip down memory lane. You
will also soon notice that the same games you used
to sit and play for hours now look very simple compared
to today's games. That was the beauty of Atari. Their
games were basically simple, however, very addictive
and fun to play. The controls on a few of the games
takes awhile to get used to and it would have been
nice if they would have packaged the collection with
a wheel controller for those special games like Tempest
and a few others. However, after awhile you get used
to using the thumb sticks. It will take a little time
to adjust. The sounds are as they were in the original
versions. The added flyers and other little collectables
you can flip through and read up on really help add
to the overall game.
For
$ 19.99 it certainly is worth the price as long as
you remember the games are the way they were made
and not enhanced versions. It was nice to be able
to play some of the classics again. You can even look
at other gamers' scores on Xbox Live. For those who
love the older games this collection is great and
worth adding to your Xbox collection. For those wanting
to visit the old or "Retro" days of video
games and may not be sure if they will enjoy the full
experience, a rental may be best.
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