Activision Hits Remixed

"The next best thing to having a portable Atari 2600."

Activision, one of the biggest developers of video games, has once again given us a compilation of their classic Atari 2600 games. Many modern game players may look at this and shake their heads at the crude graphics and simplistic sounds, but for those who grew up playing these games, it's a trip down memory lane that's complemented with classic memorabilia for nostalgia's sake.

Graphics: 9/10
The only problem I have with the in-game graphics is that sometimes the movement goes so fast that there's a motion blur on the screen. Other than that, everythng's still the same as you remember it, even if they are simplistic for this day. The crocodiles in Pitfall! still open and close their mouths, the Mad Bomber still smiles when you miss a bomb in Kaboom!, and the river still has all the things you remember encountering in River Raid. The menu interface is similar to that of the bedroom of a child or teenager in the 1980s, with a television with an antenna, and a tabletop with a metallic lunchbox to view unlockable extras in.

Sounds: 10/10
Sure, the sounds are simplistic as well, but they still sound the same as you remember them sounding. The simple things, like scoring indicators in Stampede and Megamania, are spot on, and the musical bits, like the jingling bell in River Raid when you refuel and Pitfall Harry's Tarzan yell are recreated perfectly. Even the music in Pitfall 2 sounds exactly as it did on the Atari 2600, something that has never been perfectly emulated before.

The game also features some classic 80s tunes from artists like a-ha, Missing Persons, Berlin, and Men Without Hats. All of the tunes sound exactly like you remember them, and can be listened to while playing a game, or you can turn them off through the options menu.

Controls: 8/10
Most of these games were played using a joystick with a single button, so purists may feel a little awkward working with the directional pad or the analog joystick at first, but it will become natural after a little practice. However, there are some issues that still exist. Most notably with Kaboom! and The Activision Decathlon, in that no matter how hard you try, you just can't replicate the feel of an Atari Paddle controller with an analog joystick or a directional pad, and the directional pad and analog stick aren't exactly suited for the joystick wiggling (like Track and Field) in The Activision Decathlon. Another problem is that while the game includes a built in HUD for each game, you can't use the console switches (e.g. reset, game select, etc.) or the difficulty switches unless you have the HUD turned on, meaning that games like Space Shuttle and Starmaster can't be enjoyed in fullscreen mode. On the other hand, the HUD does specifically state what each switch does in the games, which is a big help for Space Shuttle since you know what you're doing without having to refer to the manual every so often to figure out what you did wrong. The ability to read the manuals with the control instructions rewritten for the PSP is also a big help.

If you have a friend who has a PSP but doesn't own the game, you can share a two player game with them with ease, meaning that you can play two players with only one copy of the game. Another nice bit is how you can stop playing a game and return to it exactly where you left off, even if you play another game. You can also save the status of all your games and unlockables, meaning you could stop playing a game for awhile and then return to where you left off.

Replay: 9/10

The compilation features a total of forty games, including two Imagic games (Atlantis and Moonsweeper,) and even two prototype games (Kabobber and Thwocker.) For the standard Activision games, I could list them all, but it would take too long. While some games aren't included, like their arcade ports of games like Commando and Double Dragon, namely due to licensing issues I'd think, just about every game that Activision released during their Atari 2600 days, from Boxing to Pitfall!, to Beamrider and Robot Tank, is included and is emulated perfectly. Some games contain unlockables including patches that were awarded for beating certain high scores, and even commercials for some of the games. Each game also includes a built in high score list for each of the games and their variations, where applicable.

Overall: 8/10

Despite a few minor issues with graphics and controls, Activision Hits Remixed is a retro video game player's dream come true for on the go retro fun. The fun is intact, and the retro unlockables and the classic 80s soundtrack make for a true blast to the past. Activision Hits Remix is one hit you'll want in your mix for sure.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/23/06