Activision Hits Remixed

On a certain level, it's vaguely amusing to see the latest, greatest consoles running software from 25 years ago... all that massive power brought to bear on a game that won't use a thousandth of it. It's wonderful, though, that so many old games, classics and otherwise, are thus preserved through remakes and emulation. Activision Hits Remixed is packed full of the oldest games you could possibly play on your PSP, with 40 or so virtual cartridges from Activision's high-flying Atari 2600 days. Not all of 'em are good, and most are very simple - these games took up less memory than most emails do today - but a solid list of classics, solid presentation, and a budget price tag help make this collection a reasonable value.

Avid retro watchers will notice that Activision Hits Remixed is more or less just a PSP version of 2002's Activision Anthology for PS2. Don't look too hard for the "Remixed" part, as it only refers to the PSP game's new menu system. It's not as cool as the virtual '80s bedroom / cartridge rack of Anthology, but it's also easier to navigate. And as before, you can rock out to a small but enjoyable selection of '80s rock tunes while you play, including songs from Twisted Sister, A-ha, Soft Cell, Blondie, and some less notable acts. Annoyingly, you can't skip tracks mid-game.