Atari Classics Evolved

As a product of Nintendo, the old Atari consoles of old had suddenly become relics of a time when our wonderful hobby was trying to find its place in living rooms everywhere. Raised on Super Mario Bros., it was hard to imagine enjoying a game where you manipulated an odd control to move make a small white bar move up in down in a game of Pong. Only those greasy pizza parlors still carried that Centipede cabinet and around the block from my home there was a cozy little Mexican restaurant that still had a small cocktail version of Warlords. Atari Classics Evolved for the PSP brings gamers 11 original classics and their newly updated versions in a collection that will take old school gamers down memory lane.

 
Don’t laugh. This was cutting-edge graphics and gameplay at the time.

Of course, you don’t have to be familiar with most of these games to enjoy retro classics. Still, anyone who has been gaming as long as I have will most likely recognize a number of the 11 games featured here and then there’s the over 50 unlockable games that make up a list of Atari 2600 titles that are just as familiar as the main attractions. The first 11 games range from Centipede and its 1982 sequel Millipede where you attempt to shoot down insects (including the titled bugs) that are running amok in a garden. You’ll get to relive the joys of driving a tank in the middle of a war zone in Battlefield as well as shoot down incoming asteroids and UFOs with Asteroids and its 1980 companion Asteroids Deluxe.

The collection also includes forgotten titles like Lunar Lander - a game that has you attempting to land a 1970s-styled spacecraft on a craggy moonscape environment. You’ll be watching your pitch and speed while trying hard not to crash. Then there’s Missile Command (one of the best of the bunch) where your ground defense tries to shoot down missiles heading towards the cities below. Pong is also present as well as Super Breakout (a game that inspired a number of rip-offs). Finally, there’s Tempest (a game where enemies attempt to climb up the playing field) and Warlords (which is a supped up version of Super Breakout). 

As I mentioned above, the 11 games are presented in its original format but they also come in its updated versions as well. The updates are both visual with some slight gameplay tweaks. The Evolved version of Missile Command, for instance, has a cursor that moves more quickly and you can really make out the nuclear missiles far better than the original. The revamped version of Pong now has actual paddles and the game feels more like a game of ping-pong. Really, I see gamers skipping the originals and sticking to the updated versions instead since they look and play a bit better.

 
The new Missile Command … now without the convulsion-inducing visual effects.

Atari, not being content with just presenting the two versions without adding any other essentials, Atari Classics Evolved adds an Awards element that comes in the form of game objectives. Complete the few conditions and you’ll unlock extra Atari 2600 games. You’ll get to unlock classics like Yar’s Revenge, Canyon Driver, Crystal Castles as well as a number of other games that are both recognizable and forgotten.

While the number of classics will not fail to impress, not all of the games feel right at home on the PSP. Games like Centipede, Millipede, Super Breakout and Tempest are played by tilting the handheld in an awkward position that makes it difficult to control. There are also a number of games - such as Night Driver - that were better off forgotten. Multiplayer is limited to a few titles and it works well enough but wouldn’t it have been cool to play these games online with other fans of these classics?

 
Coming Soon: “Uwe Boll’s Asteroids” starring actors who were tricked into thinking Boll can direct.

At least the games look just the way you remember them in their classic form and the updated versions actually look well enough. Games like Battlezone actually benefits from the update since now you can better see the enemy tanks and the surrounding environments. The sounds are still the same electronic noise while the updated versions add some decent music.

In essence, Atari Classics Evolved is the type of compilation UMD that brings us back to the early days when games were simple, hideous to the eyes but fun nonetheless. For those who grew up with these games, the compilation will be a pleasant (and often disappointing) walk down memory lane. For others, most of these relics don’t hold up as well as they use to and then there are those that don’t fit the PSP very well. Still, gamers new and old will appreciate this bundle that shows us where we were and how far games have come. That alone is worth checking this PSP title out.

Gameplay: 7.0
Many of the games - including a few of the unlockable classics (like Yar’s Revenge) - fit wonderfully on the PSP. Then there are games like Centipede where the control scheme is not very well suited for Sony’s handheld and thus will become the games you will avoid.

Graphics: 6.5
The classics look exactly like you remember them but thankfully the “evolved” versions look a lot better and give games such as Tempest and Battlezone a more colorful and 3D appearance.

Sound: 6.0
The game’s blips and tinny sounds will evoke memories of the old Atari games when most of the games sounded alike.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Many of the game are still as challenging as they were when they were first introduced to us and trying to complete each game’s demanding conditions aren’t easy as well. Thanks to the control scheme, games like Super Breakout and games where you have to tilt the PSP are too taxing.

Concept: 7.5
A back catalog of Atari’s earliest titles makes up the compilation and then there’s the “evolved” versions of the game that look good and play just a tad better because of it. Fans of retro gaming will like having a collection that includes Centipede, Warlords and Asteroids. Oh, and gain enough awards and you can unlock a little over 50 Atari 2600 games … and they thankfully left out the horrible E.T. game.

Multiplayer: 6.0
Warlords and Battlezone make up a short list of the games you can play wirelessly with a friend. Multiplayer is one of the most disappointing aspects of Atari Classics Evolved.

Overall: 7.0
Atari Classics Evolved is a complete package for those who have fond memories of playing the originals of yesteryear but some of the classics were better off left forgotten. Still, for those who have a soft spot for Battlezone or Missile Command will find that many of the classics are represented well but others just don’t play as good as they should.