Before the days of high-tech gaming as we know it, it was all about a simple matter of lines, made up of simple drawings or animations. These are known as the "retro" days, when gaming in the late 1970's and early 1980's was simple yet enjoyable. Now you can see what all the fuss was about with this new release for the Nintendo DS, Retro Atari Classics. This latest Atari repackaging of old-school favorites features ten games in all their arcade glory, from the rock-blasting Asteroids to the fast and furious Tempest.

The package includes original versions of ten different games, and also includes "remixed" versions of these games, touched up by grafitti artists. The style may suit some, but to me, it seemed more like a distraction. The original versions, however, are pretty good, if not what I'd call arcade perfect. Missile Command, for instance, was rather frustrating. However, they use the touch screen for top-of-the-line controls, which work pretty well.

But the fact that the package ends at ten is a bit of a disappointment, as more games could have easily been included to replace the "remixed" versions. There are no signs of such favorites as Battlezone and Space Duel, which is a shame. However, what's here is still worth checking out, and also gives you the chance to challenge other players in Wi-Fi multiplayer in such games as Pong and Warlords, always a favorite.

If you're interested in the older days of gaming, you might want to check out Retro Atari Classics. It's not perfect by any means, and relies a bit more on style than substance than I would have liked, but it still somewhat works.