Retro releases return to '80s

Victor Godinez

July 29, 2004 – After spending a large chunk of my Sunday afternoon on the couch gorging on VH1's I Love the 80s show, it seemed appropriate to romp through some newly released collections of '80s video games.

But nostalgia is a dish best served in small portions.

These retro releases are encoded in vintage-style controller casings, so you don't need a separate console to play. Just unwrap the controller, insert four AA batteries and plug the controller into your TV.

I tested the Ms. Pac-Man stick, Classic Arcade Pinball controller and Atari Paddle from JAKKS Pacific Inc. and the Intellivision 10 Video Game System from Techno Source. Each system has several games hardwired into its guts, but quantity doesn't always equal quality.

Still, each system has at least one decent title that should entertain you for more than 30 seconds.

Space shooter Galaga is also a pleasant inclusion on the system and illustrates how the industry was already evolving beyond the simple mechanics of Space Invaders.

Xevious, Mappy and Pole Position are also included. I couldn't get my car to turn at all in Pole Position, even though the controller seemed to work fine on the other games.

The Classic Arcade Pinball controller ($20) is exactly what it sounds like – three pinball tables loaded into the circuits of a standard controller. One cool innovation: The controller has a built-in mechanical plunger that you have to pull to release the ball.

The Atari Paddle ($20) was the biggest disappointment of the bunch. Although it has 13 games built in and even comes with two controllers for multiplayer fun, it doesn't have the essential paddle title, Kaboom!

Breakout and Super Breakout are OK, but I want my water buckets and insane bomb thrower.

Finally, the Intellivision system ($13) has a library of 10 hit-or-miss games.

Astrosmash, Football and Baseball are dandy. But Skiing , where you guide a stick man down a monotonous mountainside, and Shark! Shark!, in which you are a fish eating smaller fish to turn yourself into a big fish, will make your brain rot.

You do have to award moxy points for Space Armada, an astoundingly shameless but amusing rip-off of Space Invaders.
Note: A $20 Intellivision controller is also available with 25 built-in games.

All these systems have their moments and would make a great gift for any longtime gamer over age 25.

Although it's hip to denigrate modern games as shallow eye candy, these systems show just how far the industry has come.