Activision Anthology (PlayStation 2)

Activision Anthology
Developers: Barking Lizards Technologies, Contraband Entertainment Publisher: Activision Platform: PlayStation 2 Released in US: November 22, 2002 Released in EU: November 19, 2002 This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused modes / minigames. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused text.

Yo dawg, I heard you liked Atari, so we put Stella on your PlayStation 2 so you can play Pitfall while you listen to "Take On Me"!

Disabled Games

There are two unused games on the disc. Archive files for Rampage (a licensed game) and Skate Boardin' (the only game by Absolute Entertainment that was left out) remain in the CLASSICS\rpf2 directory, under the names rampage1.rpf and skatebo1.rpf, respectively.

You can play the games and see their box art and manuals by renaming some files.

Download Activision Anthology PS2 Unlocker File: Activision_Anthology_PS2_Game_Unlock.rar‎ (728 bytes) (info)

The above PPF patch will re-enable the games by replacing Megamania and Pitfall in the game list. Apply this patch to an ISO of your game disc (NTSC version only) and play.

• 

  Rampage cart texture.

• 

  Rampage preview screen.

• 

  Skate Boardin' cart texture.

• 

  Skate Boardin' preview screen.

Cartridge artwork and TV screens for the games are loaded into RAM, but are not used due to them being loaded from other files.

• 

  Unknown Game cart texture.

• 

  Unknown Game preview screen.

Additional artwork intended for use with downloaded games is also loaded into memory, but is not used due to the feature being removed at the last minute.

Unused Patch

There are 41 different patches earned through completing various objectives, generally in line with the objectives to get said patches back in the 1980s... but a 42nd patch, named PitfallI.rtt, is located in the CLASSICS\ptext1 folder.

The really odd thing about this patch isn't that the disc already contains an unlockable patch for Pitfall — it's that this patch was given to players who scored 20,000 points in the Intellivision version.

Early Development Graphics

An image that says "Action".

A big X.

A placeholder high score screen. The game doesn't record your high scores, sadly, rendering this unused.

A poster that went unused due to featuring licensed games that are not in this compilation (such as Double Dragon, Ikari Warriors, and Kung-Fu Master), some Atari-published games (none of which were planned for inclusion on the disc), and cover art for some CCE (Brazil) releases of Atari games.

A total of 50 thumbnails of the game cartridge art, arranged in alphabetical order, is loaded into memory. This includes the two disabled games and thumbnail artwork for the Unknown Game, but the artwork for Atlantis is not present. Baseball is located between Oink! and Pitfall! due to its full name being Pete Rose Baseball. For some reason, the artwork for Skate Boardin', F-14 Tomcat, Thwocker, and Title Match Wrestling are blurred out.

The images are separated by a small header in RAM, and are displayed in the image without it for ease of viewing.

Unused/Early Lists

Game List

Located at 0x1BC3D0 in SLUS_205.88, with all entries separated by 0x00 bytes:

atlantis.bin
Atlantis
atlantis.rtt
/classics/rpf1/atlanti1.rpf
barnsto1.bin
Barnstorming
barnstor.rtt
/classics/rpf1/barnsto1.rpf
/classics/comm/C_Barnst.pss
beamrid1.bin
Beamrider
beamride.rtt
/classics/rpf1/beamrid1.rpf
boombang.bin
Boom Bang
unknown.rtt
/classics/rpf1/default.rpf
boxing1.bin
boxing.rtt
/classics/rpf1/boxing1.rpf
/classics/comm/C_big4.pss
bridge1.bin
bridge.rtt
/classics/rpf1/bridge1.rpf
checker1.bin
Checkers
checkers.rtt
/classics/rpf1/checker1.rpf
chopper1.bin
Chopper Command
chopperc.rtt
/classics/rpf1/chopper1.rpf
/classics/comm/C_Chopp1.pss
/classics/comm/C_Chopp2.pss
command1.bin
Commando
commando.rtt
/classics/rpf1/command1.rpf
cosmic1.bin
Cosmic Commuter
cosmicco.rtt
/classics/rpf1/cosmic1.rpf
crackpo1.bin
Crackpots
crackpot.rtt
/classics/rpf1/crackpo1.rpf
decathl1.bin
Decathlon
decathlo.rtt
/classics/rpf1/decathl1.rpf
demon.bin
Demon Attack
demonatt.rtt
/classics/rpf1/demonat1.rpf
dolphin1.bin
dolphin.rtt
/classics/rpf1/dolphin1.rpf
double1.bin
Double Dukes
/classics/rpf1/double1.rpf
dragste1.bin
Dragster
dragster.rtt
/classics/rpf1/dragste1.rpf
enduro1.bin
enduro.rtt
/classics/rpf1/enduro1.rpf
fighter1.bin
Fighterp
default.rtt
fishing1.bin
Fishing Derby
fishingd.rtt
/classics/rpf1/fishing1.rpf
freeway1.bin
freeway.rtt
/classics/rpf1/freeway1.rpf
/classics/comm/C_Freewa.pss
frehuman.bin
Freeway (Human)
frostbi1.bin
Frostbite
frostbit.rtt
/classics/rpf1/frostbi1.rpf
ghostbu1.bin
Ghostbusters 2
/classics/rpf1/ghostbu1.rpf
grandpr1.bin
Grand Prix
grandpri.rtt
/classics/rpf1/grandpr1.rpf
/classics/comm/C_GrandP.pss
hero1.bin
hero.rtt
/classics/rpf1/hero1.rpf
icehock1.bin
Ice Hockey
icehocke.rtt
/classics/rpf1/icehock1.rpf
/classics/comm/C_IceHoc.pss
kabobbe1.bin
Kabobber
kabobber.rtt
/classics/rpf1/kabobbe1.rpf
/classics/comm/C_Activi.pss
kaboom1.bin
kaboom.rtt
/classics/rpf2/kaboom1.rpf
/classics/comm/C_Kaboom.pss
keyston1.bin
Keystone Kapers
keystone.rtt
/classics/rpf2/keyston1.rpf
laserbl1.bin
Laserblast
laserbla.rtt
/classics/rpf2/laserbl1.rpf
/classics/comm/C_LaserB.pss
megaman1.bin
Megamania
megamani.rtt
/classics/rpf2/megaman1.rpf
/classics/comm/C_Megama.pss
moonswep.bin
Moonsweeper
moonswee.rtt
/classics/rpf2/moonswe1.rpf
oink1.bin
oink.rtt
/classics/rpf2/oink1.rpf
peterose.bin
Pete Rose Baseball
peterose.rtt
/classics/rpf2/peteros1.rpf
pitfall1.bin
Pitfall!
pitfall.rtt
/classics/rpf2/pitfall1.rpf
/classics/comm/c_pitfal.pss
pitfall2.bin
Pitfall 2
pitfall2.rtt
/classics/rpf2/pitfall2.rpf
plaque1.bin
Plaque Attack
plaqueat.rtt
/classics/rpf2/plaque1.rpf
pressur1.bin
Pressure Cooker
pressure.rtt
/classics/rpf2/pressur1.rpf
private1.bin
Private Eye
privatee.rtt
/classics/rpf2/private1.rpf
prowrest.bin
Title Match Pro Wrestling
titlemat.rtt
/classics/rpf2/titlema1.rpf
rampage1.bin
rampage.rtt
/classics/rpf2/rampage1.rpf
riverr1.bin
River Raid
riverrai.rtt
/classics/rpf2/riverr1.rpf
/classics/comm/C_RiverR.pss
riverr2.bin
River Raid 2
riverr2.rtt
/classics/rpf2/riverr2.rpf
robott1.bin
Robot Tank
robottan.rtt
/classics/rpf2/robott1.rpf
seaques1.bin
Seaquest
seaquest.rtt
/classics/rpf2/seaques1.rpf
skatebd.bin
Skateboardin
skateboa.rtt
/classics/rpf2/skatebo1.rpf
skiing1.bin
skiing.rtt
/classics/rpf2/skiing1.rpf
/classics/comm/C_Skiing.pss
skyjink1.bin
Skyjinks
skyjinks.rtt
/classics/rpf2/skyjink1.rpf
spacesh1.bin
Space Shuttle
spaceshu.rtt
/classics/rpf2/spacesh1.rpf
spider1.bin
Spider Fighter
spiderfi.rtt
/classics/rpf2/spider1.rpf
spidman.bin
Spider-Man
stamped1.bin
Stampede
stampede.rtt
/classics/rpf2/stamped1.rpf
/classics/comm/C_Stampe.pss
starmas1.bin
Starmaster
starmast.rtt
/classics/rpf2/starmas1.rpf
/classics/comm/C_Starm1.pss
/classics/comm/C_Starm2.pss
tennis1.bin
tennis.rtt
/classics/rpf2/tennis1.rpf
/classics/comm/C_Tennis.pss
thwocke1.bin
Thwocker
thwocker.rtt
/classics/rpf1/thwocke1.rpf
tomcat.bin
tomcat.rtt
/classics/rpf1/f14tomc.rpf

This is very likely an early file list, for several reasons:

• The inclusion of Ghostbusters 2, which was not included due to licensing reasons. It also mentions the two dummied-out games and Pete Rose Baseball, which was renamed in this package.
• fighterp.bin likely refers to Fighter Pilot, the overseas name for F-14 Tomcat.
• An unknown game called Double Dukes (possibly a modified Double Dragon) is also listed.
• Spider-Man was not published by Activision, but by Parker Brothers.
• Boom Bang was the name given to the CCE release of Crackpots in Brazil.
• Finally, "Freeway (Human)" refers to Bloody Human Freeway, the original version of Freeway, which had the player controlling a human instead of a chicken. It was later included in the Game Boy Advance and PC releases.

Music List

Starting at 0x1C7288 in SLUS_205.88, with all entries separated by 0x00 bytes:

\CLASSICS\AUDIO\99REDBAL.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\AFTFIRE.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\ALWAYS.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\AXELM.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\BANK01.MSB;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\BANK01.MSH;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\BIGCOUNT.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\BLONDIE.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\DEDALIVE.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\DEFLEPP.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\EILEEN.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\GOGOS.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\HUMNLEAG.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\JENNY.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\MADNESS.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\MEXRADIO.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\MNATWORK.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\NOTHINGM.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\QUITRIOT.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\RELAX.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\SIMPLE.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\TAINTED.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\TAKEONME.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\TALKTALK.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\THEFIXX.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\THEKNACK.MSV;1
\CLASSICS\AUDIO\WHIPITM.MSV;

The final game included 12 songs, but it looks like it originally had 25! Judging from the file names, these songs included 99 Red Balloons by Nena, Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners, 867-5309/Jenny by Tommy Tutone, Whip It by Devo, and other songs by Dead or Alive, After The Fire, Def Leppard, Men At Work, Quiet Riot, Talk Talk, The Fixx, The Gogos, and The Knack.

Unlock List

Starting at 0x1BDCB8 in SLUS_205.88, with all entries separated by 0x00 bytes:

"The Bad Music Video"
"Music Video #1"
"Music Video #2"
"Music Video #3"
"Music Video #4"
"Music Video #5"
"Music Video #6"
"Music Video #7"
"Music Video #8"
"Music Video #9"
"The Bad Patch!"

It appears that at one point it was planned for ten different music videos, and an additional patch.

Disabled Internet Access Leftovers

When the game was announced, the developers said that you would be able to download additional games from the Activision Anthology website and play them on your system... but according to the game's producer, Sony requested that the feature be removed at the last minute. Despite that, the web browser was kept in-game to render the game manuals, and some leftover graphics are loaded into RAM.

Note: The palette in the first three images is incorrect.

These two font banks are similar to the main game font, but use a different palette. The order of the letters also matches the one present in the configuration file listed below.

There are also pointer graphics for a mouse interface.

Plus there are textures for an old-school modem, with a little 1980s gag. Presumably, you'd select the modem to go online. That's most likely why the final game has a phone in the menu that cannot be selected.

Browser.ini

The contents of the file are shown below.

###############################################################
#Browser stuff

[PREFS]
home=http://www.activisionanthology.com/ps2/downloads/test.html

fontpath=/classics/fonts/
urlFont=twcent.rtf

[FONT]
base=twcent.rtf
bold=twcent_b.rtf
italic=twcent_i.rtf
monospaced=twcent.rtf

[CONTROLLER]
up=13
down=15
click=7
url=9
exit=5
back=8

[CURSOR]
arrow=arrow.rtt
arrowX=4
arrowY=4

hand=hand.rtt
handX=8
handY=8


###############################################################
#Keypad stuff

[DIMENSIONS]
numRows=4
numColumns=12
rowSize=60
columnSize=40
xorigin=16
yorigin=16
urlSections=7

[PREFS]
repeatDelay=500
repeatTime=50

[BACK_BUTTON]
xPos=5
yPos=10
xSize=36
ySize=60

[HOME_BUTTON]
xPos=65
yPos=10
xSize=46
ySize=60

[MOVE_BUTTONS]
up=13
down=15
left=16
right=14
select=7
shift=17
return=12
insert=9

[KEYS]
row1=~1234567890-
row2=abcdefghijk;
row3=lmnopqrstuv:
row4=wxyz/.@_     //Note : the last three characters will always be backspace, space, and enter

The Activision Anthology website, as it was originally planned, was abandoned shortly before the game was released. Some captures of the site can be seen via the Internet Archive, although most of the pages captured prior to 2003 contain placeholder text. The website was overhauled in 2003 with a Flash-based interface and the old pages were removed, leaving no trace of the original site design.

Leftover Configuration Files

stella.pro

A copy of Eric Kobach's Stella Properties File (stella.pro), dated April 21, 2002, is present in the CLASSICS\data\ folder. The Atari 2600 emulator on the disc is based on Stella, a well-known 2600 emulator. Releases from 2002 used the contents of stella.pro to identify games based on their CRC data, and applied display settings where needed, startup settings, and other game notes.

The file does not appear to be used.

vis.ini

A configuration file for the unlockable visualization effects.

[CLASSIC]
name=Classic

[3D PIXELS]
name=3D Pixels
depth=10

[PERSPECTIVE]
name=Perspective
depth=100

[VIEWSHIFT]
name=View-Shift
depth=100

[SHADOW]
name=Shadow
depth=10

[EERIE]
name=Eerie
depth=100
sysTex=/classics/texture1/rain.rtt

[MULTISCREEN]
name=Multi-screen

[PSYCHEDELIC]
name=Disco

[WARPED]
name=Warped

[ESCHER]
name=Distortion

[CUBE]
name=Cube

[RICOCHET]
name=Ricochet

[DEPTH BLUR]
name=Depth Blur

[RETRO]
name=Retro

[ZOOM]
name=Zoom

[CHANNELS]
name=Channels

[EDGES]
name=Edges

[SPLATTER]
name=Splatter
texture=plat.rtt

[LED]
name=LED
texture=led.rtt

[CLOUDS]
name=Cloud-Cover
texture=/classics/texture/clouds.rtt

[PULSE]
name=Pulse
texture=/classics/texture/pulse.rtt

[VHOLD]
name=V-Hold

[STARFIELD]
name=Starfield
numSystems=1
sysTex0=testpart.rtt

[HYPERSPACE]
name=Hyperspace
numSystems=1
sysTex0=testpart.rtt

[WHIRL]
name=Whirl
minSpeed=0.005    //Min speed                                              ( 0.0 - 10.0 )
maxSpeed=0.05     //Max speed                                              ( 0.0 - 10.0 )
maxTime=30        //Time in seconds at which the speed reaches maximum     ( 0 - ? )

[BUNGIE]
name=Bungee   
minHeight=100     //Closest distance the camera moves toward the screen    ( 0 - 1000 )
maxHeight=200     //Farthest distance the camera moves from the screen     ( 0 - 1000 )
minFrequency=0.1  //Minimum rate at which the screen moves                 ( 0.0 - 10.0 )
maxFrequency=0.5  //Maximum rate at which the screen moves                 ( 0.0 - 10.0 )
maxTime=240       //Time in seconds at which the frequency reaches maximum ( 0 - ? )

[TILT]
name=Tilt-O-Vision
xRange=30.0f      //Amount screen can tilt in degrees                      ( 0.0 - 90.0 )
yRange=30.0f      
speed=10.0f       //Speed at which screen tilts                            ( 0.0 - 100.0 )

[MOTION BLUR]
name=Motion Blur
blurAmount=80     //Amount the screen is blurred                           ( 0 - 100 )

[FISHEYE]
name=Breathing 
amplitude=25     
frequency=1       
xSegments=11      //Number of segments in the mesh in the x direction      ( 1 - 100 )
ySegments=11      //Number of segments in the mesh in the y direction      ( 1 - 100 )

What's curious about this file is that it mentions several effects that are not used in the game! 3D Pixels, Perspective, Viewshift, Shadow, Eerie, Depth Blur, Retro, Zoom, Channels, Edges, Splatter, LED, and Pulse are not available. All the other effects can be unlocked in the game.