Nearly 30 years ago, before Nintendo, Sega, Sony, and Microsoft were big in the game industry, Atari was king. Their 2600 video game console was THE system to have, and the name Atari was synonymous with video games, but some Atari employees were not happy and left to form their own company called Activision. They continued to make some of the most memorable and fun Atari 2600 games around, such as Pitfall and River Raid. In this way, Activision became one of the first third party video game developers ever, and they're still around today.

The Tide is High
Now you can play more than 40 Activision 2600 favorites with Activision Hits Remixed for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). For those who have already played Activision Anthology on the PlayStation 2, this version on the PSP will seem very familiar, as it is nearly the exact same thing. The menu screen where you select your games, view media, and toggle options is set up to look like a classic gamer's bedroom. Some of the more memorable games in this collection include Pitfall 1 and 2, River Raid, Kaboom!, Frostbite, Chopper Command, Fishing Derby, and Keystone Kapers.

Always Something There To Remind Me
Players can unlock special goodies by getting high scores in the games, some of which include old commercials for these 2600 games and special patches. Back in the 1980's, most Activision 2600 games had a challenge in the back of the instruction booklet that said if you could reach a certain score in the game and took a picture of the screen and sent it to them, they'd send you a special achievement patch in return. When I was little I wanted that River Raid patch so bad. Now you can have virtual patches that look like the old ones, but you have to be an expert player to get some of those high scores! The menu screen lets you view each unlockable and requirement to unlock goodies, and you can view the box and instructions of each game at any time as well as change the music and save your progress. Through wireless ad-hoc with someone nearby, players can also enjoy the two-player simultaneous games as well.

We're Not Gonna Take It
Naturally, the graphics in all these games are dated by today's standards, but they do look just like their Atari 2600 counterparts, even on the PSP's bright, wide screen. One small, tiny, nitpicky problem is that sometimes the characters in the games 'ghost' when moving around. This means that sometimes when the sprites are moving, they leave a slight blurry trail. This doesn't really affect the gameplay though, and would only annoy a very picky Atari purist. The bleepy bloopy sound effects are dead on, and would probably become annoying if it weren't for the classic 80's soundtrack that plays in the background, including tunes like Tainted Love, Safety Dance, and Take on Me,. That can be a good or bad thing, depending on how you feel about 80's music, but luckily you can turn off the songs if you want. Play control is simple and basic for most titles, but some games like Dragster are impossible to figure out. However, even the most fun games are very simplistic and players looking for a deep gaming experience won't find it with Activision Hits Remixed.

No More Words
Activision Hits Remixed is meant for classic game fans and anyone who doesn't mind an oldie but goodie. Players who already have Activision Anthology may want to pass up on this PSP port, as it is practically the same thing. However, these kinds of games are great for short, quick, on-the-go playing sessions, which makes having them on a portable system even better. And 20 bucks isn't bad for a PSP game anyway.

- Klonoa