Atari Anniversary Edition

Anniversary Edition contains full versions of Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Battlezone, Centipede, Millipede, Crystal Castles, Gravitar, Missile Command, Pong, Super Breakout, Tempest, and Warlords. All feature cabinet screen border artwork straight from the arcade (you know, like the flying space debris that was painted onto the Asteroids screen), and the game programmers have coded an alternate mode for each game that spiffs up the graphics and alters the levels a bit.

The games play just about how you remember them, with a couple of exceptions. Battlezone is awkward without two arcade joysticks, Tempest is difficult to control without a dial interface, and Crystal Castles is darn near unplayable on PC hardware. One also wonders why Gravitar was even included, as it's hardly a classic. However, Missile Command, Asteroids, Centipede, and Warlords are each worth the asking price of the collection.

For convenience's sake, the game plays straight from the CD or can be installed. Installation yields better performance overall and gives you all the extras, such as mouse pointers, desktop themes, a screen saver, and Atari wallpaper. Unfortunately, antipiracy programming means you can't play the game without the CD in the drive. The CD also features some 38 minutes of interviews with Atari founder (and Pong creator) Nolan Bushnell. His remarks are enlightening and interesting, to say the least. The developers also crammed a bunch of artwork and promo material on the disc that'll drive the retro archivists nuts.

Atari Anniversary Edition is the perfect way to fill your office with coin-op classics without throwing out your back, or breaking your bankbook, by collecting the arcade cabinets themselves. It's tailor made for the retro fan but accessible enough for anyone to play, and it's the perfect introduction for kids today who are ignorant of video gaming's glorious past. --Bob Andrews

Pros:

• 11 of the 12 are bona fide classics
• Perfect emulation, plus artwork and screen borders
• Almost 40 minutes of interviews with Atari founder Nolan Bushnell

• Gravitar still isn't very good
• Crystal Castles, Tempest, and Battlezone are all difficult to play using non-arcade controls