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Activision Super Hits! Preview
Written by Robert Falcon on Friday, October 20, 2006
Are you OLD?!? Then this game is for you...
Believe it or not, games did exist before the PlayStation. In fact, they even existed before the days of the old school Nintendo Entertainment System. Yes, once upon a time, we leaned upon the Atari 2600, our mecca for crappy home ports of hit arcade games and some surprisingly original titles. A number of the original games came from Activision, one of the first third parties in existence back then. Now the company's celebrating their heritage once more with the forthcoming Activision Hits Remixed, due later this month for the PSP. We recently got a chance to try out the game with some hands-on time.
If the game looks akin to the previous PS2 release Activision Anthology, that's because it is. Essentially, this is the same release as that game, only with a revamped menu system that doesn't look like your bedroom. The game features 40+ classic titles to choose from, ranging from familiar classics like Kaboom! and Pitfall to long-lost Imagic games like Atlantis and Moonsweeper. There's even a few "fan favorites" thrown in for good measure, including Thwocker and a few others. There's a lot to do here.
The game does a great job of recreating the 80's. Not only do you have a number of perfectly emulated classics to choose from, but you can also activate cool little mini-modes to make the games feel more 80's-ish. Activating the unlockable V-hold feature, for instance, will make the screen flip on occasion- just like a real black and white television. There's other modes to play around with as well, including a revolving Flip mode. The music is pure 80's, complete with tracks from Twisted Sister, Talk Talk, and Blondie (sadly, not "Call Me").
What is new to the handheld version of this game is the ability to share certain games with other people. Through AdHoc, gamers can download sample Atari 2600 games with just one copy of the game, and can even engage in some multiplayer action if the title allows for it. Finally, a chance to knock someone on their ass with a simply animated boxer! Oh, those were the days.
The game plays just fine, and the number of options available feel like you're really tweaking a wood-based Atari 2600 unit. Along with the number of games available, there's also unlockables, including a variety of collectible patches and 80's TV commercials. You haven't lived until you've seen the aspect of River Raid's advertising campaign.
We'll be back to review Activision Hits Remixed later in the month. For now, let's just say it's a must-buy, especially at $20. That's like fifty cents a game, folks...and you get the cheesy commercials on top!
