WHERE TO GET YOUR RETRO FIX
WHERE TO GETYOUR RETRO FIX
JAKKS
This company specializes in packing retro titles in classic gaming controllers that plug directly into a television. Its top products include an Atari joystick with 10 games including Pong, Missile Command and Asteroids, and a Namco arcade joystick packed with five arcade hits including Pac-Man, Galaxian and Dig-Dug.
NINTENDO
The granddaddy of modern home gaming, Nintendo has an extensive library of classics. The company recently released a line of Nintendo classics for the Game Boy Advance that includes Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda and Pac-Man.
MIDWAY
One of the top arcade companies of the '80s, Midway recently released Midway Arcade Treasures and Arcade Treasures 2 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Gamecube. The original includes 24 classic arcade games such as Joust, Smash TV and Paperboy. The sequel sports a more modern selection of 21 arcade hits. The compilation games also have bonus features such as artwork from the original arcade systems and interviews with some of the programmers.
MICROSOFT
The Xbox Live Arcade, due out this fall, will allow gamers to permanently download classic game titles for play on their Xbox in three- or four-game packs at a "reasonable" price.
STARROMS
Software available for download allows you to play classic games on your home computer. StarROMS is one of the only services around that went to the trouble of actually obtaining the licensing to legally sell these classic hits. For $2 to $6 a game you can download a single Atari great and play it as much as you want on your PC. The site has more than 50 titles to choose from, including most of the Atari greats.
TECHNO SOURCE
This company has an excellent modern game controller stuffed with 25 classic hits from the Intellivision home gaming system. The controller plugs directly into your television to let you play such games as Astromash, Hover Force and Space Armada. The Intellivision, released three years after the Atari 2600 in 1980, started the first video game war by touting its superior 16-bit graphics. Atari had a mere 8 bits.