The Activision Anthology for Playstation 2 is a compilation of Atari 2600 games that includes the following games: Atlantis, Barnstorming, Boxing, Checkers, Chopper Command, Cosmic Commando, Crackpots, Dolphin, Dragster, Enduro, Fishing Derby, Freeway, Frostbite, Grand Prix, H.E.R.O., Ice Hockey, Kaboom!, Keystone Kapers, Laser Blast, Mega Mania, Oink!, Pitfall!, Plaque Attack, Pressure Cooker, Private Eye, River Raid, River Raid II, Seaquest, Skiing, Skyjinks, Spider Fighter, Stampede, Starmaster, Tennis, Decathlon, Baseball, Commando, Beamrider, Bridge, Demon Attack, Moonsweeper, Robot Tank, Space Shuttle, Tomcat, Kabobbler and Thwacker.
Whew! As you can see immediately, there is an awful lot of fun to be had here. In addition to presenting you with these many great games, this compilation also includes a fantastic 80's sountrack, hilarious and perfect presentation screens and complete instructions for each game. Make no mistake, Activision has really done a job on this pack.
Of that lengthy list of games, I found the following to be the standouts: Pitfall!, Seaquest, River Raid, Pressure Cooker, Demon Attack, Atlantis, Cosmic Commander, and Robot Tank. Each of these was quite fun for several replays, and some will be fun for years to come. The other titles I didn't enjoy spending more than a few minutes with each, though your mileage may vary. Some of my personal favorite Atari 2600 games are by makers other than Activision, so games such as Space Invaders, Q*Bert, Frogger, Crossbow, Phoenix, Berzerk, Cakewalk, Gangster Alley, Midnight Madness, Missile Command, Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars Arcade and Deadly Discs of Tron couldn't be included here, which does make the Atari experience less than perfectly complete. However, as mentioned, there are an awful lot of fantastic games included here from Activision, the premier singular maker for the 2600. To be more specific about the standout games I did love, Demon Attack, Pressure Cooker and Seaquest are three games I will always treasure and shouldn't be missed by anyone.
Comparing this compilation to the other classic packs available is somewhat difficult. Namco's Museum contains very few games, but they are each fantastic arcade games (Galaga, Galaxian, Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Pole Position, Ms Pac-Man). Midway's Arcade Treasures contains fewer games than the Activision pack, but it has about 20 really killer applications that each have about as much value as some of the best in the Activision pack. The Anthology, however, has a killer soundtrack, the most games, and the best presentation screens by a mile and a half. Also, though it was initially released at $50, the Anthology can be found on discount now for between $10-20, and it is well worth it.
Though most of the games do get old really fast and only a couple have what could be considered "depth", the Activision Anthology is still well worth having. Every few weeks (or much more often if you're a huge classic gaming fan like me) it beckons to take you back to its time peiod, and gives you a good, solid, nostalgic shot in the arm.
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