Page 28 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #6

I I mada, Space Battle, Space Hawk, Super Pro and 1980’s have already appeared in col-
n case you’ve been living in a cave for
Volleyball, Stadium Mud Buggies, Star Strike,
lections. Most of those that haven’t reap-
the past few months, you’re probably
Sub Hunt, and Tennis.
peared (Venture, Berzerk, Star Castle,
aware that Sony released its Play-
Station 2 game system in October. Un-
panies. Or, in the case of games like
fortunately, due to manufacturing problems ACTIVISION CLASSICS included: Atlantis etc.) were products of now-defunct com-
and delays, very few people—namely, hard- (yeah, we know it’s an Imagic game), Barn- Xenophobe, often the company responsi-
core gamers who preordered in April, spoiled storming, Boxing, Chopper Command, Cosmic ble (Midway, in this case) didn’t bother to
kids whose parents were willing Commuter, Crackpots, retain the original source
to plunk down $500 on eBay, and Dolphin, Dragster, code. I guess they never
Saddam Hussein—have man- Enduro, Fishing figured there would be an
aged to get their hands on one. Derby, Freeway, interest in preserving these
The supply will eventually catch Frostbite, Grand Prix, old games, but fortunately
up to the demand, of course, but H.E.R.O., Ice Hockey, their creations still live on
there is no denying that the origi- Kaboom!, Keystone thanks to MAME.
nal PlayStation is now on its last Kapers, Laser Blast, Secondly, coin-ops were-
legs. As it begins the long march Megamania, Pitfall!, n’t as popular or plentiful in
into history, it’s worth taking a Plaque Attack, River the 1990’s, and those
look at the many classic video- Raid, River Raid II, games that did attract a
games that were re-introduced to Seaquest, Skiing, Sky large audience (Street
a new generation thanks to Sony’s 32-bit gray Jinks, Spider Fighter, Stampede, Star Master, Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and Virtua
machine. and Tennis. Fighter, to name a few) have already
Whether due to the fast chip speed, or to been released for the 32-bit and 64-bit
the use of CD-ROM as a storage media, the Computer game compilations haven’t seen generation of systems. And finally, now
PlayStation saw more classic videogame col- the light of day on the PlayStation, even though that 3D games are the established norm,
lections and remakes than any system that Activision released Commodore 64 and Infocom just about every classic concept that could
came before it. Until recently, emulation game collections for the PC. The only classic make the jump to 3D has already done
(running the original code from an arcade PC games I’m aware of that were released on so, even if under a different name. What
game) wasn’t even a possibility because the the PlayStation were LEMMINGS and LODE would be the point in creating a true 3D

home systems weren’t as powerful as the RUNNER (COMMAND AND CONQUER isn’t Battlezone update, for example, when
coin-op games they were trying to emulate. quite old enough to be a classic in my opinion). there are already tank combat games on
With the PS One’s appearance in 1995, devel- Although this accompanying list is focused the market? And, as we’ve seen in the
opers finally had a system that was up to the on PlayStation, the N64 and Dreamcast were case of Missile Command and Centipede,
challenge. A handful of companies came to not without a few classic collections of their updating some 2D games to 3D elimi-
realize that there was profit to be made from own. THE NEXT TETRIS, MS. PAC-MAN nates whatever it was that made the origi-
capitalizing on feelings of nostalgia. Not sur- MAZE MADNESS, FROGGER 2, CENTIPEDE, nal fun in the first place.
prisingly, the companies that are the most in- and Q*BERT are all available for Dreamcast. No, the retrogaming phenomenon has
volved in the new genre known as retrogam- TETRIS, PAPERBOY, MS. PAC-MAN MAZE largely run its course. Even though there
ing” are many of the same ones that made the MADNESS, LODE RUNNER 3D, ROBOTRON will continue to be interest in old games,
original games in the first place. 64, and GAUNTLET LEGENDS are available for as evidenced by the CGExpo and this
Classic home videogames also received the N64, along with DONKEY KONG 64 magazine you are holding in your hands, I
the emulation treatment thanks to Activision, (containing a version of the original coin-op) and don’t expect future systems to offer as
although the names of the licensed sports EXCITEBIKE 64 (also containing a version of much in the way of classic games as the
games had to be changed for the the original). Midway original PlayStation did. But,
Intellivision collection. The most released one volume thanks to the fact that the
prevalent classic was PITFALL! of its arcade clas- PS2 is backwards compati-
Not only did the original game sics—Defender, Ro- ble, the above-listed games
appear as part of the ACTIVISION botron, Sinistar, Joust, can live on…if only for one
CLASSICS compilation, but it was Bubbles, and De- more generation of home
also hidden inside Activision’s fender II—for both systems.
update entitled PITFALL: BE- N64 and Dreamcast.
YOND THE JUNGLE (with Bruce Similarly, Namco Unable to start a classic gam-
Campbell providing the voice of made one volume of ing magazine of his own,
Pitfall Harry). its museum— MARK ANDROVICH “sold out”
containing Pac-Man, and now writes PlayStation
reviews for PSE2 magazine
INTELLIVISION CLASSIC GAMES included: Ms. Pac-Man, Galaxian, Galaga, Pole Position, and Prima strategy guides for the latest
Armor Battle, Astrosmash, Auto Racing, Base- and Dig-Dug—available for both N64 and games. Once in awhile, however,
ball, Basketball, Boxing, Checkers, Chess, Dreamcast. he blows the dust off his old
Football, Frog Bog, Golf, Hockey, Hover The emergence of the retrogaming genre on Atari 2600 and becomes inter-
Force, Las Vegas Poker and Blackjack, Night the original PlayStation is not likely to be re- ested in submitting articles to
Stalker, Pinball, Sea Battle, Shark! Shark!, peated on the PlayStation 2. For one thing, the CGM.
Sharp Shot, Skiing, Snafu, Soccer, Space Ar- most popular classic coin-ops from the late 70’s
Classic Gamer Magazine Spring 2001 28