Activision Anthology lands on iOS and Android

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

For those of us finding our gaming fix on iOS and Android devices these days, Activision and the gang at Code Mystics (who have done some very excellent classic collections and ports for iOS, DS, and PS3/360/PC) have given us another great classic collection to add to the ever growing list on mobile devices.

The venerable "Activision Anthology" has made its way over, and while it's not currently AS robust as some of the earlier various offerings, (notably missing a few licensed and homebrew games like Commando, Skeleton+, etc.) it's also one of the least expensive - Kaboom comes included at no charge with the free version of the app and unlocking all of the other 45 titles included will cost you $7.

Yes, yes, the ever present stance against touch screen controls is acknowledged before you even bring it up, and where it's passable to excellent on some games in the collection, on others it's not completely responsive.

The good news is that on iOS the game is compatible with the iCade and iCade Mobile right out of the gate and it's totally responsive with those, so you can twitch away with Megamania, dodge bats & grab gold bars in Pitfall II and score world records in Decathlete with no worries.

Also, as far as I know, on Android it's fully compatible with game controllers via the latest Android firmware.

With the excellent Atari's Greatest Hits on iOS Code Mystics have proven that they listen to community feedback and make updates as needed, so, if there are issues with this V1 release, you can rest assured that they'll be listening and looking to make updates/corrections.

There are already several varied options for controls that can be independently applied to each game in the collection including customizable on-screen d-pad and buttons as well as swipe to follow and tilt controls, and you similar to other versions of the collection on other systems you can pull open the 2600 "console" to adjust difficulty and change A/B settings.

Sadly, there's no 80s boombox "soundtrack" in this version.

Check it out check it out check it out ... at the very least, download the basic app for free for Kaboom! (which plays better on an iPad with more screen real-estate IMO).

[AceAerosmith]

Kaboom! should work great on a touch phone. A lot better than on an analog PS2 controller. I'd buy that for a dollar.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Kaboom! should work great on a touch phone. A lot better than on an analog PS2 controller. I'd buy that for a dollar.

Works okay with slide to touch, unfortunately it doesn't track as fast as it needs to for faster rounds, though I suspect Code Mystics can fix that with updates. Better on the iPad with the bigger screen real estate IMO.

And Kaboom is totally free, all you need to do is download the app.

[Robocop2]

Code Mystics is great at what they do. At least as far as the Atari collections they have made which are really most of my experience with them but I'm sure this would be just as awesome.

[Leo_A]

Only get this if you own something like an iCade. It's virtually useless with touch screen controls.

What I don't like is the game select interface (Give me back my cartridge tower instead of this scrolling thing with floating cartridges) and the fake and low quality digital box and cartridge recreations. About time they do those properly on a display with a high resolution. At least the option to bring up the text from the back of the box is included but it would be nice to actually be able to read the back of the boxes if one wanted to. Don't they have the technology to do a 3D scan of the real deal by this point?

And I haven't played it yet, but apparantly the color reproduction in Dolphin is completely screwed up and makes it difficult just to see your character.

What I do like is what seems to be the real manual scans (Versus the digital recreations of them that the PS2 version used), patch goals seem to be restored to their correct values (Either the PS2 or GBA version lowered them... maybe both... although I hope Kaboom's was lowered to reflect the obvious crippling of the controls), and I like how they implimented the 2600's controls for the various switches. I don't think you had anyway to even tell on the PS2 version which difficulty setting you had the switches set to.

And it has high score support. I forget what my issue with it was, but I remember something about how it was implimented in the PS2 version left something to be desired (Did it even save high scores?). Seems okay so far from little I've spent with this so far.

Are the tv commercials still there? Haven't noticed them.

The venerable "Activision Anthology" has made its way over, and while it's not currently AS robust as some of the earlier various offerings, (notably missing a few licensed and homebrew games like Commando, Skeleton+, etc.)]

I'd have to check again, but I don't remember the Absolute games being in it either. Not that it's a huge loss or anything.

What I'd love to know is why only a select few Imagic games are ever included in these things when they supposedly bought the entire lineup. Things like Cosmic Ark are always missing. I'm sure it's not a Code Mystics issue so I'm guessing Activision is in a bit of doubt just what the status is on a few of the Imagic games. Hopefully someday the entire set will get through Activision's legal department.

At least they seem to have decided it's okay to now include Dragonfire...

[RJ]

This Kaboom! iOS version is VERY playable via touch control, so much so a 4 yr-old can play & enjoy it (as mine did). the PS2 version has control problems where the bucket(s) snap back to the center of the screen when the stick is released, so they dont stay where you want them. AFAIK this didn't happen on the original VCS version (& why would it, it's pointless & stupid).

A few other probs. w/ the AA iOS I've noticed- definite sound issues on Demon Attack, & coloring on Seaquest makes it difficult to see the divers against the blue background. I didn't see any coloring problems on Dolphin as said above. It has a gameplay element where the squid changes color, maybe that's the issue- turns the same blue as the background?

I bought game packs #1 & 2, I dont expect pack 3 to sell much despite having Pitfall 2 & H.E.R.O. But those 2 need precise joystick control that iOS control can't offer.

& Dragonfire's 2nd screen where you collect treasure is great w/ touch control, but the 1st drawbridge screen is unplayable using it. I couldn't get it to swipe/jump AT ALL. A messy method would be to switch control options at each screen but that's tedious.

As far as playing on an iCade, doesn't the iPad have to fit vertically in it? Seems horizontal play would be more like a classic TV.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

And I haven't played it yet, but apparantly the color reproduction in Dolphin is completely screwed up and makes it difficult just to see your character.

Nope, been playing the crap out of Dolphin. Not 100% certain if the color reproduction is "perfect", but there's no difficulty seeing the dolphin or the squid whatsoever on the iOS version.

Here's a screen capture directly from my phone:

As far as playing on an iCade, doesn't the iPad have to fit vertically in it? Seems horizontal play would be more like a classic TV.

A very popular (though understandable) misconception. The iCade also has a horizontal holder that runs across the front and the iPad fits perfectly across the length of the device (nothing sticking out).

Also, no the joystick doesn't obscure anything.

[Leo_A]

How do you have Outrun running on this? Some homebrew emulation program?

I bought game packs #1 & 2, I dont expect pack 3 to sell much despite having Pitfall 2 & H.E.R.O. But those 2 need precise joystick control that iOS control can't offer.

I suspect most are buying the entire package deal. I think it's only $7.99.

...coloring on Seaquest makes it difficult to see the divers against the blue background. I didn't see any coloring problems on Dolphin as said above.

Shows you how fond I am of both games, I must've meant Seaquest. Like I said, I hadn't tried this particular game out just yet and had just read about the color issue elsewhere and was passing along the info (From AtariAge, I presume).

They're among my least favorite Activision titles.

Edit - Here we go, this is what I read.

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic.../#entry2589188

And reading further, it sounds like there might be some more color reproduction issues at hand. But it sounds like Code Mystics is committed to fixing it.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

How do you have Outrun running on this? Some homebrew emulation program?

That's actually not a photo of my setup, I just googled "iCade horizontal" and found that photo, however, I can tell you that's MAME.

MAME was released "officially" on the iOS APP store for 48 hours last year and I like many not interested in running jail-broken firmware was lucky enough to snag it before Apple yoinked it. A pretty good MAME rom set (I believe the same that runs on Dingoo) can be side-loaded with iexplorer.

Or, alternately, you can jailbreak your iPad and put MAME and many other emulators on there.

[RJ]

Looks like 2 similar topics were posted on this over on AA, the OP (Flojomojo) covered his bases by posting in the Atari 2600 forum AND Modern Gaming forum. Seems CodeMystics (JeffVav) even chimes in on the Atari 2600 one. I wrote in the MG one & didn't see the other- I would've seen Parrothead/SoCal Mike's iCade review w/ the horizontal iPad (& answered my own question).

I didn't buy pack 3 as most of my faves weren't in there. Not jonesing for Bridge, Checkers, Decathlon, Fishing Derby, River Raid 2, Sky Jinks, Space Shuttle, Tennis or Thwocker anytime soon. Plus my son was right there & it was a good opportunity to show him you don't have to spend $$$ unnecessarily on things you don't want/need. You know, the good parenting route & all that. What I didn't buy, I have in original cartridge form & on PS2 Activision Anthology.

But yeah, overall quite satisfied w/ the whole final product!

[Leo_A]

Sounds like a good lesson.

For most though, it looks like the complete collection was $6.99 while each of the three packs retailed for $2.99. Pitfall II and H.E.R.O. are worth the extra dollar I imagine for most Activision fans as long as they're also buying pack 1 and 2. That is if they're playing with proper controls since I suspect neither one translates very well to touch screen controls.

For me though, I also enjoy Sky Jinks and Checkers (Carol Shaw's version is my favorite videogame adaptation of the game thanks to having owned the cartridge most of my life). So 4 out of 11 wasn't too bad and made the decision to pay $6.99 instead of $5.98 an obvious one to have them available on the iCade.

[Nature Boy]

The thing I always loved about the PS2 version was the music. I get that they don't do that anymore, but that doesn't mean I can't make my own playlist and listen to mp3s while I play the games. For those likewise inclined, here's the list of songs I think:

Walking in L.A. - Missing Persons
We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister
It's My Life - Talk Talk
Mexican Radio - Wall of Voodoo
Tainted Love - Soft Cell
The Tide is High - Blondie
Always Something There - Naked Eyes
Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) - Squeeze
Take On Me - A-Ha

(I might swap the Blondie song for something else, like Come On Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners. Anybody else have changes they'd make to the soundtrack?)

[AceAerosmith]

(I might swap the Blondie song for something else, like Come On Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners. Anybody else have changes they'd make to the soundtrack?)

Come On Eileen is quite possibly the absolute worst fucking song of the 80's. And the 1980's is a decade quite devoid of any really good music. It really sucked and that song is the shittiest of the shit.

[Nature Boy]

Come On Eileen is quite possibly the absolute worst fucking song of the 80's. And the 1980's is a decade quite devoid of any really good music. It really sucked and that song is the shittiest of the shit.

Ohhhhhhkay....

I take it you prefer AA without the music then? Or do you just enjoy trolling?

[RJ]

...the 1980's is a decade quite devoid of any really good music...

Wrong.