It’s always interesting when Atari‘s name pops up in gaming news these days. As a company they have a long and storied history – and, paradoxically, are responsible for both birthing the idea of the home console experience as we know it, and for a time, utterly murdering it. Dead. Cold. In the ground. Its Atari 2600 system redefined the medium for an entire generation, and laid the foundation for heavy hitters like Nintendo and SEGA to follow in its wake, but a series of gross mismanagement and poor business decisions turned the average consumer firmly off the concept.
The late mid-80s were hence characterised by a ‘video game crash’, with much of the Western market considering gaming to be a childish fad that had passed; and while a certain plumber would ultimately trot along and pull it out of the fire, Atari themselves has had a far spottier track record since.
A smattering of attempted revival consoles, like the Jaguar and the Lynx, fell flat, and they were never able to reassert themselves to the level of dominance they once enjoyed. Today, you’ll find the brand name slapped on a wide variety of products and licenses, as it’s been passed around from owner to owner over the years, and currently resides with a French company who used to operate under the name Infogrames. If that sounds familiar, you probably grew up on classic 90s Humongous Entertainment PC puzzlers like Spy Fox and Freddi Fish, as Infogrames published ’em.
Atari re-enters the hardware business (sort of)
However, this organisation – now called Atari SA – have of late decided to take another crack at the hardware market, bringing us the Atari VCS. This retro/modern hybrid system aims to bridge the generational gap, offering a selection of both old and contemporary games, all presented in a classic boxy package (chunky joysticks and all). Today, Atari have announced a new arcade outing inspired by ‘way back when’ will be hitting the VCS pretty soon, along with the Nintendo Switch. It’s called Tempest 4000, and it’s a visually dazzling shooter.
In an official announcement (thanks GamesPress) Atari states: “Tempest 4000, the critically-acclaimed sequel to the classic arcade game Tempest, will launch on Atari VCS and Nintendo Switch on March 22, 2022. Developed by Llamasoft and legendary game designer Jeff Minter, [it] remains faithful to the original while adding heart-pounding new gameplay features.”
Perfect marriage between old and new
The original Tempest, to which 4000 is the critically acclaimed follow-up, represented a number of firsts for the arcade format. It made heavy use of 3D vector graphics, a rarity at the time, and presented tangibly navigable environments in a way few contemporaries were doing. So popular was the game that it’s now considered a mainstay favourite in retro communities, was a hallmark title for Atari, and even cropped up in Ready Player One. The book, or the kitschy Steven Spielberg IP-fest? You choose.
The game’s addition to the VCS, then, marks another perfect marriage between old and new that is right at home on the unique console. It’s also a good fit for Switch, which is routinely well-serviced in this regard by Arcade Archives. “In Tempest 4000,” says the report, “players once again face screaming electric death as they take control of the Claw, a powerful spacecraft equipped to destroy deadly creatures and other obstructions with rapid-fire shots on vibrant geometric prisms. With three game modes to choose from and 100 levels to conquer, players must eliminate all enemies as quickly as possible to survive and achieve that coveted spot at the top of the leaderboards.”
Tempest 4000 on Switch and VCS: Broken down
Here’s the official list of features for this new version of Tempest 4000, courtesy of Atari:
- A Blast from the Past: Take down hordes of enemies in this fast-paced, retro-arcade style shooter.
- Pick a Mode, Any Mode: Pick from three different game modes including Classic, Pure and Survival that will push your skills to the limit.
- Level Up: Progress and conquer 100 unique geometric levels by destroying enemies with various weapons and power-ups, and by earning upgrades through bonus rounds.
- Scale the Leaderboards: Show off your high score in your quest to be recognized as number one.
- Get Bass Boosted: Enjoy the beats of a thumping soundtrack inspired by early 1990’s techno.
Of course, if you don’t fancy waiting til March (and own literally any other major gaming platform), Tempest 4000 is already available for purchase on Steam for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One for $19.99.
As for the patient among you? Not long to wait; just under a month and you can bang your head to those funky 90s laser-blastin’ beats til your baggy neon pants fall off.
Do you own an Atari VCS? Will you be purchasing this new version of Tempest 4000? Let us know!
Via, GamesPress.
