By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune

`ATARI CLASSICS EVOLVED'
For: Playstation Portable
From: Stainless Games/Atari
ESRB Rating: Everyone (mild violence, simulated gambling)

MCT

Massive compilations of Atari games on a single disc aren't the novelty they once were, and Atari has responded by going back to the well in as many fresh and inventive ways as possible.

In "Atari Classics Evolved," developer Stainless Games plays it safe by offering 11 games _ "Asteroids," "Asteroids Deluxe," "Battlezone," "Centipede," "Lunar Lander," "Millipede," "Missile Command," "Pong," "Super Breakout," "Tempest" and "Warlords" _ in both their original and "evolved" form. Both forms play identically, with the evolved form offering a prettier coat of graphical paint and a few bonus perks such as achievements, online leaderboards and wireless multiplayer for "Battlezone" and "Warlords."

While the graphical overhauls definitely look nice, the achievements should stand as "Evolved's" greatest contribution to the retro compilation racket. Each evolved game features four distinctive goals to conquer, and knocking out all 44 of them unlocks a library of more than 50 Atari 2600 games. Reaching these goals likely will fall beyond the means of all but the most skilled and dedicated of players, but it's nice to see a retro compilation offer something beyond nostalgia as a reason to pick it up. Having something to work for does wonders for longevity.

It's merely a shame "Evolved" only is available for the PSP, which proves once again why it's the most incapable system on the shelf to handle compilations of this sort. The analog nub isn't precise enough to replicate the experience of playing with a trackball or arcade stick, and fiddling with the sensitivity settings doesn't help much. The system's heavy widescreen orientation also clashes with vertically-oriented games like "Centipede" and "Tempest," which force you to turn the PSP sideways and hold it awkwardly while negotiating with the aforementioned shoddy control inputs.

Atari certainly isn't shy about porting its catalog to as many systems as will have it, so there's hope that "Evolved" eventually will make its way to a system with a better controller. (The Xbox 360's Live Arcade has downloadable versions of some of the games, but that's not quite the same thing.)

At no point is "Evolved" unplayable on the PSP, though. The games are emulated expertly, and if you can find a soft touch with the analog nub, the control issues may pose less of an issue. If nothing else, the inviting $20 price makes it easy to take a gamble if the concept has your attention.

© 2008, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.