''Activision Anthology'' is a compilation of most of the

Atari 2600 The Atari 2600 is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977 as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS), it popularized microprocessor-based hardware and games stored on swappable ROM cartridg ...

games by

Activision Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one o ...

for various game systems. It also includes games that were originally released by

Absolute Entertainment Absolute Entertainment was an American Video game publisher, video game publishing company. Through its video game developer, development house, Imagineering (company), Imagineering, Absolute Entertainment produced titles for the Atari 2600, Ata ...

and

Imagic Imagic ( ) was an American video game developer and publisher that created games initially for the Atari 2600. Founded in 1981 by corporate alumni of Atari, Inc. and Mattel, its best-selling titles were ''Atlantis'', '' Cosmic Ark'', and '' De ...

, as well as various homebrew games. The

Microsoft Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

and

Mac OS X macOS, previously OS X and originally Mac OS X, is a Unix, Unix-based operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple since 2001. It is the current operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. With ...

versions are titled ''Activision Anthology: Remix Edition'', and include the most games. The

PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...

version is titled ''Activision Hits Remixed''. The game features the original gameplay of the Atari 2600

emulated In computing, an emulator is hardware or software that enables one computer system (called the ''host'') to behave like another computer system (called the ''guest''). An emulator typically enables the host system to run software or use perip ...

on modern systems. After achieving high scores in some of the games, the player can unlock special modes where the colors are distorted, or the game is projected on a rotating cube as added difficulty. ''Activision Anthology'' uses a virtual child's bedroom as the main menu. The player can select several viewpoints to check

high score In video games, score refers to an abstract quantity associated with a player or team. Score is usually measured in the abstract unit of points, and events in the game can raise or lower the score of different parties. Most games with score ...

s, choose a video game cartridge from a rotating stand, change the background music on a virtual

tape deck An audio tape recorder, also known as a tape deck, tape player or tape machine or simply a tape recorder, is a sound recording and reproduction device that records and plays back sounds usually using magnetic tape for storage. In its present ...

, or change game settings while being zoomed in on a virtual Atari 2600. The virtual tape deck features several

license A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...

d 1980s music tracks. The music from the virtual tape deck can be mixed with the Atari 2600 game audio so both are audible to simulate playing the game on TV while having the tape running in the background. Six Activision-produced Atari 2600 titles were not included in ''Activision Anthology'', likely due to outside ownership of their respective licenses. The excluded games are ''

Commando A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...

'', ''

Double Dragon is a beat 'em up video game series originally developed and published by Technōs Japan. It began with the release of the arcade game '' Double Dragon'' in 1987. The series features twin martial artists, Billy and Jimmy Lee, as they fight again ...

'', ''

Ghostbusters ''Ghostbusters'' is a 1984 American supernatural comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler, three eccentric ...

'', ''

Ghostbusters II ''GhostbustersII'' is a 1989 American Supernatural fiction, supernatural comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Ramis, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson ...

'', '' Kung Fu Master'', and '' Rampage'', although

Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...

did give Activision rights to put ''Commando'' in the PlayStation 2, Windows, and Mac OS X versions of ''Activision Anthology''. ''Ghostbusters II'' was cancelled before Activision could release it, but Salu released it in Europe under their name in 1992. The Absolute Entertainment title '' Pete Rose Baseball'' was renamed ''Baseball''.

Portable versions

The

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...

version has the most games out of the portable versions, including seven homebrew games that do not appear in any of the other versions. It does not include the 19 Imagic games or ''Commando'', nor does it play music during gameplay. It does have four custom 1980s-style music tracks that play in the menu screens, however. The

version includes three of the Imagic games, ''

Atlantis Atlantis () is a fictional island mentioned in Plato's works '' Timaeus'' and ''Critias'' as part of an allegory on the hubris of nations. In the story, Atlantis is described as a naval empire that ruled all Western parts of the known world ...

'', ''

Demon Attack ''Demon Attack'' is a fixed shooter video game created by Rob Fulop for the Atari 2600 and published by Imagic in 1982. The game involves the player controlling a laser cannon from the surface of a planet, shooting winged demons that fly down an ...

'', and ''Moonsweeper'', nearly all of the Activision games, full-speed emulation, and the 1980s songs featured in the PlayStation 2 and computer versions, but does not include ''Commando'', the four Absolute Entertainment games, games exclusive to the other releases, or the homebrew titles. The PSP version also lacked the possibility to save high scores and unlocked extras, so when the player quits out of the game, all progress would be lost. There was also a version released on

mobile phones A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This radio ...

with three titles. It included '' H.E.R.O.'', ''

Pitfall! ''Pitfall!'' is a video game developed by David Crane for the Atari 2600 and released in September 1982 by Activision. The player controls Pitfall Harry, who has a time limit of 20 minutes to seek treasure in a jungle. The game world is popu ...

'', and ''

River Raid ''River Raid'' is a 1982 shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Activision for the Atari 2600. Designed by Carol Shaw, the player controls a fighter jet over the River of No Return in a raid behind enemy lines. The goal is to navig ...

''. A version for the digiBlast was released on December 31, 2005, which included 5 titles. These titles are '' H.E.R.O.'', ''

Tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

'', '' Megamania'', '' Grand Prix,'' and ''

''. ''Activision Anthology'' was released for Android and

iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...

devices on August 30, 2012. The game '' Kaboom!'' is offered as an initial free game, while the rest of the games were offered as an in-app purchase. These versions include the Imagic game '' Dragonfire'', but do not include the homebrew games, the games by Absolute Entertainment, or ''Commando''. These versions also do not contain any of the licensed 1980s music.

Game list

There are a total of 76 games in each version combined. Certain games do not appear in some versions and are mentioned accordingly.

Reviews

The game received generally positive reviews and was mainly praised on the Internet because of its spirited homage to the

Notes

References

* *

External links

Official PSP version website
* * http://ps2.ign.com/objects/491/491542.html IGN's page of the game
Activision Anthology
review at IGN {{Activision compilations 2002 video games Activision video game compilations Android (operating system) games Aspyr games Atari 2600 Barking Lizards games Code Mystics games Digital Eclipse games Game Boy Advance games IOS games MacOS games Multiplayer and single-player video games PlayStation 2 games PlayStation Portable games Video games developed in the United States Video games scored by Alexander Brandon Windows games MumboJumbo games Contraband Entertainment games