Atari Classics Evolved announced for PSP

And so the retro love continues. But then, we've had UMDs crammed full of old-skool gaming gems (partnered, in some cases, by some considerably rougher material) from Capcom, Sega, Namco, Activision, Taito and Midway, to name the first five that come to mind, so why not Atari, too?

After all, it's not like it hasn't got the pedigree, even if the current company bears no relation to the outfit from the late 1970s/early 1980s.

So welcome Atari Classics Evolved, described as a "homage to Atari's landmark catalogue". As such, it includes Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Battlezone, Centipede, Lunar Lander, Millipede, Missile Command, Super Breakout, Tempest, Warlords and Pong.

All titles are presented in their original form, as well as an 'evolved' version which promises to keep the gameplay intact and focus solely on bringing the graphics up to the 21st century.

"We are looking forward to providing gamers with the experience of the iconic Atari catalogue on a handheld platform," said an almost too-engrossed-to-talk Matt Rush, producer at the publisher. "Offering these Atari classics in both their elemental and contemporary forms should excite both old-skool and next-generation gamers alike."

But if you're not excited, then consider the fact that over 60 original Atari 2600 games are also included. Unlike the 11 arcade classics, these have not undergone the evolved process but some fans are most likely to enjoy meeting up with the likes of Yar's Revenge, Night Driver, Canyon Bomber and Crystal Castles again.

And there's nothing like old-skool score boasting. The game promises online leaderboards for the 11 classics for players around the world to measure up to each other, as well as an ad-hoc peer-to-peer multiplayer mode (for the games that support it).

Atari Classics Evolved is due this autumn.