Activision Anthology | |
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Developer(s) | Barking Lizards (PS2) Contraband Entertainment (PS2) MumboJumbo (Windows) MacPlay (Mac) Aspyr (GBA) Nikkō Europe (digiBLAST) Digital Eclipse (PSP) Code Mystics (mobile) |
Publisher(s) | Activision |
Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, Windows, Macintosh, Game Boy Advance, digiBlast, PlayStation Portable, iOS, Android |
Release | PlayStation 2 Windows/Mac
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Genre(s) | Various |
Mode(s) | Single player, two player |
Activision Anthology is a compilation of most of the Atari 2600 games by Activision for various game systems. It also includes games that were originally released by Absolute Entertainment and Imagic, as well as various homebrew games. The Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X versions are titled Activision Anthology: Remix Edition, and include the most games. The PlayStation Portable version is titled Activision Hits Remixed.
The game features the original gameplay of the Atari 2600 emulated on modern systems. After achieving high scores in some of the games, the player can unlock special modes [2] 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. [2] The player can select several viewpoints to check high scores, choose a video game cartridge from a rotating stand, change the background music on a virtual tape deck, or change game settings while being zoomed in on a virtual Atari 2600. The virtual tape deck features several licensed 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 , Double Dragon , Ghostbusters , Ghostbusters II , Kung Fu Master , and Rampage , although Capcom 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.
The Game Boy Advance 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 PlayStation Portable version includes three of the Imagic games, Atlantis , Demon Attack , 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 with three titles. It included H.E.R.O. , Pitfall! , and River Raid .
A version for the digiBlast was released on December 31, 2005, which included 5 titles. These titles are H.E.R.O. , Tennis , Megamania , Grand Prix, and Demon Attack .
Activision Anthology was released for Android and iOS 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.
There are a total of 76 games in each version combined. Certain games do not appear in some versions and are mentioned accordingly.
TITLE | Original Release | Windows | Mac | PS2 | GBA | digiBlast | Android | iOS | PSP | Producer | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Activision prototype #1 | — | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Activision | Unknown prototype |
Atlantis | 1982 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Imagic | |
Atlantis II | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Imagic | |
Barnstorming | 1982 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Baseball | 1988 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Absolute Entertainment | Originally titled Pete Rose Baseball |
Beamrider | 1983 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Bloody Human Freeway | — | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Activision | Originally unreleased version of Freeway |
Boxing | 1980 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Bridge | 1980 [3] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Checkers | 1980 [4] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Chopper Command | 1982 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Climber 5 | — | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Homebrew | |
Commando | 1988 [5] | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Activision | |
Cosmic Ark | 1982 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Imagic | |
Cosmic Commuter | 1984 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Crackpots | 1983 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Decathlon | 1983 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Demon Attack | 1982 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Imagic | |
Dolphin | 1983 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Dragonfire | 1982 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Imagic | |
Dragster | 1980 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Enduro | 1983 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Fathom | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Imagic | |
Fire Fighter | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Imagic | |
Fishing Derby | 1980 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Freeway | 1981 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Frostbite | 1983 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Grand Prix | 1982 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
H.E.R.O. | 1984 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Hard Head | — | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Activision | Unreleased prototype [6] |
Ice Hockey | 1981 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Kabobber | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | Previously unreleased |
Kaboom! | 1981 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Keystone Kapers | 1983 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Laser Blast | 1981 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Laser Gates | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Imagic | |
Megamania | 1982 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Moonsweeper | 1982 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Imagic | |
No Escape! | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Imagic | |
Oink! | 1983 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Okie Dokie | — | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Homebrew | |
Oystron | — | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Homebrew | |
Pitfall! | 1982 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Pitfall II: Lost Caverns | 1984 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Plaque Attack | 1983 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Pressure Cooker | 1983 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Private Eye | 1984 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Quick Step | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Imagic | |
Riddle of the Sphinx | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Imagic | |
River Raid | 1982 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
River Raid II | 1988 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Robot Tank | 1983 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Seaquest | 1983 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Shootin' Gallery | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Imagic | |
Skate Boardin' | 1987 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Absolute Entertainment | |
Skeleton+ | — | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Homebrew | |
Skiing | 1980 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Sky Jinks | 1982 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Sky Patrol | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Imagic | |
Solar Storm | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Imagic | |
Space Shuttle | 1983 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Space Treat Deluxe [7] | — | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Homebrew | |
Spider Fighter | 1982 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Stampede | 1981 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Starmaster | 1982 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Star Voyager | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Imagic | |
Subterranea | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Imagic | |
Tennis | 1981 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | |
Thwocker | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Activision | Unreleased prototype |
Title Match Pro Wrestling | 1987 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Absolute Entertainment | |
Tomcat F14 | 1988 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Absolute Entertainment | |
Trick Shot | 1982 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Imagic | |
Vault Assault | — | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Homebrew | |
Venetian Blinds | — | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Activision | Unreleased technology demo |
Video Euchre | — | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Homebrew | |
Wing War | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Imagic | |
TITLE | Original Release | Windows | Mac | PS2 | GBA | DigiBlast | Android | iOS | PSP | Producer | Comments |
The game received generally positive reviews and was mainly praised on the Internet because of its spirited homage to the Atari 2600. [ citation needed ]
Commando, released as Senjō no Ōkami in Japan, is a vertically scrolling run and gun video game released by Capcom for arcades in 1985. The game was designed by Tokuro Fujiwara. It was distributed in North America by Data East, and in Europe by several companies including Capcom, Deith Leisure and Sega, S.A. SONIC. Versions were released for various home computers and video game consoles. It is unrelated to the 1985 film of the same name, which was released six months after the game.
David Crane is an American video game designer and programmer. Crane grew up fascinated by technology and went to DeVry Institute of Technology. Following college, he went to Silicon Valley and got his first job at National Semiconductor. Through his friend Alan Miller he learned about potential video game design work at Atari, Inc. and began work there in 1977.
Starmaster is a video game written for the Atari 2600 by Alan Miller and published in June 1982 by Activision. The game involves the player travelling through space attacking enemy starfighters who are invading starbases. The player traverses through a map called the galactic chart to destroy all the enemies and survive against oncoming enemy attacks and crashing with meteors.
Robot Tank is a first-person shoot 'em up written by Alan Miller for the Atari 2600 and published by Activision in 1983. It is similar in design to Atari, Inc.'s Battlezone tank combat arcade video game and more so to its 2600 port. Robot Tank adds different systems which can individually be damaged—instead of the vehicle always exploding upon being shot—and weather effects.
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Keystone Kapers is a platform game developed by Garry Kitchen for the Atari 2600 and published by Activision in 1983. The game involves a Keystone Cops-theme, with the player controlling police officer Kelly, who traverses the many levels of a department store, dodging objects to catch the escaped thief Harry Hooligan.
River Raid is a video game developed by Carol Shaw for the Atari Video Computer System and released in 1982 by Activision. The player controls a fighter jet over the River of No Return in a raid behind enemy lines. The goal is to navigate the flight by destroying enemy tankers, helicopters, fuel depots and bridges without running out of fuel or crashing.
Pitfall II: Lost Caverns is a video game developed by David Crane for the Atari 2600. It was released in 1984 by Activision. The player controls Pitfall Harry, who must explore in wilds of Peru to find the Raj Diamond, and rescue his niece Rhonda and their animal friend Quickclaw. The game world is populated by enemies and hazards that variously cause the player to lose points and return to a checkpoint.
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The first hobbyist-developed game for the Atari 2600 video game console was written in 1995, and more than 100 have been released since then. The majority of games are unlicensed clones of games for other platforms, and there are some also original games and ROM hacks. With only 128 bytes of RAM, no frame buffer, and the code and visuals closely intertwined, the 2600 is a difficult machine to program. and many games were written for the technical challenge. Emulators, programming tools, and documentation are available.
Oystron is an action game developed for the Atari 2600 by Piero Cavina and released in 1997. It is one of the earliest hobbyist-written games for the console. The game, Cavina's first, was initially made available as a freeware 4 KB binary file designed for use on the Starpath Supercharger and with Atari 2600 emulators. It was later released in cartridge form by XYPE, a group of Atari 2600 homebrew developers.