MEMORY LANE--AGAIN
A Review of Atari 2600 Action Pack 2
by Nathan Bruinooge
This is Activision's second collection of old Atari 2600 standbys, precisely recreated for today's PCs. It features such old favorites as Keystone Kapers, Enduro, Plaque Attack, and Oink!
Plaque Attack and Oink!?
The nostalgic potential that did exist in this concept was pretty much used up by the initial Pack, and with this release Activision is milking a dead cow. Action Pack 2 suffers from nothing so much as a dearth of good games. Of the 15 titles included on the CD, I recognized 4, and could remembering playing 2 (Dolphin and Tennis). The rest were a mix of wasted disk space and pleasant surprises.
The entire game is designed around nostalgia. The games themselves are picture-perfect recreations, all the way down to the sound effects. For added nostalgic appeal we find the infamous Mom settings--the voice of your mother in the background of the game, saying things like "go outside!" and "shouldn't you be doing your homework?" Mom is a one-shot gag, of course-- a thing to chuckle at for only the first few times you play, and something to show your friends and have them chuckle at too. But then again, the same can probably said for the games themselves. After having tried each of the 15 games once and sighed a bit at the memories, will you really stick with this stuff? Only if you're a great deal more nostalgia-driven than I am. The entire Action Pack concept is a one-shot gag, and Action Pack II is different only in that it provides less of a punch.
Why on earth the high system requirements? For games which ran on the 2600, an artifact with the computing power of a modern day toaster, why the deuce would anyone need a 486? Or 256 colors? Activision includes in Action Pack 2 a number of features that apparently require the processor power, but are of dubious worth. In addition to the configurable Mom, players can select one of two levels of difficulty for each game, specify black & white or color, and designate specific keyboard configurations for Player 1 and Player 2. There are also some inexplicable sound options (Most Accurate, Fastest, or Disabled), and, most peculiar of all, a slide bar that allows you to choose the Animation level on a scale running from "Smoothest" to "Fastest."
My first question: Why? My second question: Why not smooth AND fast? The game also requires 1 megabyte of hard drive space, and yet is run from the CD. The Windows 3.1 version's installation notes make vague and troubling suggestions about "backing up your system files" before installing in case "critical errors" occur. The Windows 95 version, thankfully, installs and uninstalls easily, although installation is automatic and without any sort of user choices once the CD is in the drive.
Despite the short-term appeal of the Action Pack 2, there are gems hidden in these games, and lessons that modern-day game software designers would take well to learn. I found the sports games on the CD (Tennis and Ice Hockey) to be the best of the bunch. 
These games drive hard an important lesson: for a good arcade game, you don't need fancy controls--four directions and a button will do. You don't need breathtaking sound or graphics, because in play we background those things quickly enough, in favor of the actual play of the game--the goals, the timing, the potential to match wits and dexterity with the computer (or human) opponent. Everything else is just whistles and bells. I sunk a good hour playing Tennis, trying to master the subtleties of hitting the ball in the right place and second guessing the elusive (and surprisingly intelligent) computer player. The basic principles in a few of these games are the same principles that the great action arcade games of today follow, and all the spiffy graphics and sounds in the world won't make up for their lack.
The extensive help files for each game include a Game History section, describing the development for the game and often including a short interview with the game's designer. While such detail seems almost laughable given the crude nature of some of the games, I noted happily that my two favorites were both by the same designer, Alan Miller. The histories reflect one important impression that Activision made to the gaming world: the elevation of the game designer to the status of author.
I had hoped, diving into these games, for an experience similar to that of playing some of the old Infocom text adventures. With those, you realize (with a shudder) that despite all the technological advances, there has been nothing to compare with the gameplay value of Zork and its kindred.
But gameplay HAS advanced in the arcade genre, and the basic principles have been used in better ways than in these games. As a walk down memory lane, Action Pack 2 is a good afternoon leisure activity, which will hold your interest for the duration (maybe) of a single afternoon.
Gamer's Zone Scorecard
| Product: |
Atari 2600 Action Pack 2 |
| Company: |
Activision
|
| Cost: |
n/a |
System Requirements:
486/33, 8MB ram, 256 colors
and CD-ROM drive.
Breakdown:
Fun Factor: 2
Graphics: 2
Sound: 2
Interface: 3
Replayability: 1
Overall Score:
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