Atari Anniversary Advance

[rolenta]

I received this today.

 

The graphics were good, the best versions of these games to hit the Gameboy (Super Breakout, Centipede, Missile Command, Tempest, Battlezone, and Asteroids). The problem is that the screen is so tiny, that it's very difficult to see the action. I had the most trouble with Missile Command and Asteroids. Asteroids was the most difficult because of the black & White and vector appearance. The white lines on black are just difficult to see on the Gameboy. And the glare made it even more difficult.

 

Super Breakout, Tempest, and Centipede can be played in two modes: Portrait and Widescreen.

 

The trivia questions were fun and some very difficult. You are scored by how long it takes you to answer a question correctly. If you answer three wrong, the game ends (and it doesn't tell you the correct answer). There are questions based on the six games included as well as on Atari in general. Unfortunately the questions tend to repeat themselves after a few plays. I don't know how many questions there are but I was seeing dupes.

 

In all, the cartridge is fun but not really recommended unless you want to play Tempest and Battlezone on the Gameboy. I found that other editions of Asteroids (from Nintendo, not Activision), Super Breakout (especially Nintendo's Alleyway), Centipede (Majesco), and Missile Command (Nintendo) may not replicate the original graphics like this one does, but they were more fun to play without straining my eyes as much.

[Albert]

Hi Leonard,

 

Thanks for the review, I wasn't even aware this was coming out on the GBA! I enjoyed the Dreamcast version and also have the PC version, although I haven't fired that one up yet. I'll probably pick this up for the GBA once some kind of viable lighting solution is available, or Nintendo releases their own backlit GBA.

 

..Al

[NE146]

Don't forget about the Konami Arcade Classics for GBA as well.. Now you can play Time Pilot on the crapper.. a feat previously only available by having the cocktail version in front of your toilet.

[ubersaurus]

Well, I heard of this new light called the Floodlight for the GBA, I'll get one sometime and let ya know how well it works with the test game, Castlevania ;p

[King Atari]

That's what confused me when the GBA came out, why didn't the thing have a built in light? More money for Nintendo, I guess.

[Albert]

quote:

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Originally posted by ubersaurus:

Well, I heard of this new light called the Floodlight for the GBA, I'll get one sometime and let ya know how well it works with the test game, Castlevania ;p

---

 

I'm interested in hearing your opinion, but I must remain skeptical as I've seen several GBA lights and they all pretty much suck. Sure, most of them will light the screen, but they'll usually do so unevenly and create a hot spot. I'm really hoping the portablemonopoly.com light is as good as the pictures and videos look (if you haven't gone there yet, go now!!)

 

I'm willing to bet that Nintendo announces a backlit GBA at E3.

 

..Al

[Lady Jaye]

Vector Asteroids?!? See, this is where the whole Infogrames vs. Midway thing regarding Atari confuses me. Does Infogrames' property include pre-split Atari coin-up games? I thought they had to stick to the console versions (ie. a port of 2600 Asteroids instead of the vector original).

 

BTW, this collection boasts the exact same lineup as Midway's Arcade's Greatest Hits: The Atari Collection 1, published in 1997 for the SNES.

 

the problem with the small size of the GBA window (so tiny that you can't see anything) seems to plague most classic games being ported as is for the GBA. I have Midway's greatest hits (Defender, Robotron 2084, Joust and Sinistar). Although I love Defender, I can't play it in this version. It's just too small (but it's kinda ok with Robotron). And I noticed the same problem with the Namco Museum: forget about Galaxian/Galaga. The aliens are so tiny you are more likely to miss than hit.

[NE146]

quote

I have Midway's greatest hits (Defender, Robotron 2084, Joust and Sinistar). Although I love Defender, I can't play it in this version. It's just too small (but it's kinda ok with Robotron  

 

Perhaps the fact that you can't play Defender on GBA Midway's Greatest Hits has less to do with it being small, than the fact that GBA Midway's Greatest Hits SUCKS TOTAL ASS. Good lord that collection is absolutely horrible. I can't believe they actually released it as it is a total travesty to the games represented on there. Everything about it is wrong. It is one of the WORST classic game re-releases of all time in my humble opinion.

 

As far as a portable Defender goes.. even the older gameboy color ""Joust & Defender"" is almost 100% better than the ones in the Midway collection. (And if you play them in a GBA, the screen stretches out so it's even better). Just my 2 cents.

[Retro Rogue]

quote:

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Originally posted by Phoenix:

Vector Asteroids?!? See, this is where the whole Infogrames vs. Midway thing regarding Atari confuses me. Does Infogrames' property include pre-split Atari coin-up games? I thought they had to stick to the console versions (ie. a port of 2600 Asteroids instead of the vector original).

.

---

 

Infogrames has the sole right to the Atari name and logo, as well all console and computer appearances of pre-split coin-ops. This includes use of the actuall arcade roms or code ported over to those platforms. Such as with the PC Anniversary Edition.

 

Midway has the rights to all arcade/coin-op appearances of the pre-split coin-ops.

[mos6507]

Tempest emulated on a PC at 1024x768 res is actually better than the original since color vector tubes are essentially TVs with the 3 pixel elements and a poor dot pitch.

 

However, vector games on a portable screen are going to be much worse.

 

For instance, Gravitar's ship can't wind up being more than a single pixel on a GBA. I haven't seen this package yet but I would bet that the small saucer and the small asteroids can't take up more than a couple LCD pixels.

 

I think PORTS to portables of classic games makes more sense than emulations so you can tailor the sprites to that resolution rather than software scaling them into an unintelligble mess.

 

That's also why I think ultimately 2600 emulation is going to look like crap on the GBA since its resolution doesn't match up evently to the GBA's resolution.

 

If you were to PORT pitfall you could just make Pitfall Harry and the other sprites a little bigger.

 

I do wonder whether emulation is being done on the GBA just for the novelty of having the processing power to do so for the first time on a portable--rather than doing it specifically to provide the best gaming experience.

[NE146]

quote

Tempest emulated on a PC at 1024x768 res is actually better than the original since color vector tubes are essentially TVs with the 3 pixel elements and a poor dot pitch  

 

You think so? Although it would obviously be far more reliable I would think that no current monitor can fully recreate a vector monitor's look and feel. Well.. now that I think about it I guess Tempest doesn't have any outstanding vector elements unlike say, Asteroids - where the ability to max the brightness of a single pixel was used effectively for the shots. You just can't get that effect outside of a true vector monitor. But you're probably right in the case of Tempest.

 

As far as porting vs. emulation into the GBA, rather than straight software scaling do you think it would it be possible to perhaps add another layer of code into an emulator that effectively functions as a translation interface between what the actual game code outputs for graphics into a custom mapped layout for the GBA's resolution? That way you could theoretically have custom sprites (or a simulated 'vector' ship etc.) yet have it controlled by the actual game code. Perhaps I didn't articulate it too well but I'm sure it's possible... however the effort involved and processing speed would probably be the sticklers there.

 

Anyway, I'm just rambling some tired thoughts here at 2:00 am