Bosconian has been ported to the Atari 5200

Namco's 1981 multi-directional scrolling shooter Bosconian has been ported to the Atari 5200 in what is billed as an "ultimate" version:

New R-Type brings new trailer, REbootEROIDS back in stock

With R-Type Final 2 on the way, the team has produced a new trailer:



The team behind Rebooteroids, unsurprisingly an Asteroids knock-off, for the Atari Jaguar tells us the game is back in stock. Also Asteroids fans will have a blast playing Rebooteroids with its rocking soundtrack and a variety of gameplay options, including simultaneous 2-player modes. We had another run of boxes printed since we exhausted the first run. New and updated manuals as well!

Some retro news (C64 & Atari 2600)

Blastopia DX is a new shmup for Commodore 64 out now.

That Galaga for Atari 2600 I rambled about earlier is now known as Galagon (I think the name change is for copyright reasons) and available to download for both PAL and NTSC machines. The creators state: PLEASE NOTE: If you plan on playing this in an emulator, you must use the latest version of Stella (6.0.1) or Stellarator.  The game works on the Harmony (and Encore) with BIOS 1.0.5 or higher.

Vacation update number 2

I'm two weeks into my vacation with two weeks to go. But the news keeps coming!

1. I hope you got your order in for a copy of the Vasara Collection this weekend because it sold it quickly, all platforms. There is a japanese physical release coming by the end of the year, but only for PlayStation 4.

2. Galaga is coming to Atari 2600. It's a homebrew, but still!


3. Shmups on Switch has a review up for Pawarumi.

4. M2 is working on a new game in the Aleste series, Aleste Branch.

HeliCommander released for old-school Ataris

Atari XL/XE owners can get HeliCommander 2018 right now with an Atari 5200 release coming. New game for ancient machines, on cart, for 40$. What's not to like?

Scramble for Atari 2600(!) gets reviewed

It's a homebrew, modern-day port and very impressive:



I know i'm on the wrong side of history here but since I first played Scramble on Vectrex that's the only version that looks just right to me.

The Atari ST gets a new shooter

The Atari ST line of computers were made in the mid 80s up until the mid 90s and are still remembered fondly. I was a Commodore man myself back in the day but I did own an Atari ST 1040 briefly.

But more significantly (and on-topic!), a new shooter has been released for it: r0x zero.
It may be time to get another ST then...

Tempest 4000 gets retailed!

The reason why Tempest 4000 never actually appeared on the online stores of Sony and Microsoft may have been what Amazon surprisingly just listed: a retail version for both consoles.

Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions have both appeared.

At this point it's not clear why, what or how Atari managed to bungle such a slam-dunk release but let's hope we get those retail versions. Seeing is believing I guess.

Cancelled Atari Jaguar shooter surfaces in early demo version

The failed Atari Jaguar had a lot of announced games drop off the radar when Atari folded and was liquidated. The easily spelled shmup Zzyorxx II was one of them.

Now, thanks to preservationists, a ROM of an early demo has been dug up from the digital graveyard and made available.

The Atari Jaguar, much like SEGAs Dreamcast, is a great "what-if"-machine. When seeing Rayman or Tempest 2000 (a game series very much still alive) running on the Jaguar it's easy to see that the machine had potential that was just never fulfilled.

Tempest 4000 out today!

I just learned that Tempest 4000 for PlayStation 4 will launch today!

This latest Tempest will surely satisfy your psychedelic cravings!

EDIT: It was pulled immediately from the store.

New Tempest 4000 footage

The Last Strike

Here's something you don't see every day: a new shmup for Atari Jaguar (we've seen ports of old shmups though).
The Atari Jaguar was the home console that sunk Atari into bankruptcy at the time and is generally considered awkward because of its small library of games and the controller having a (unfair) reputation of being awful.

New Jeff Minter interview

The legend behind convulsion-inducing shooters like Tempest, Jeff Minter of Llamasoft, in a new interview for Arcade Attack.


You might remember that he's working on a sequel to Tempest.

Xenoslaive Overdrive out on Steam now, also Tempest 4000 coming

Xeonslaive Overdrive is a bullet hell/danmaku shooter out on Steam now.

And in other, possibly more exciting, news: Atari has confirmed that a sequel to Tempest, Tempest 4000, is being developed by Jeff Minter. Yes, that Jeff Minter. Expect sensory overload to the max!

Or, as Atari puts it:

About

Developed by legendary game designer Jeff Minter, Tempest 4000 remains faithful to the original fast-paced gameplay while adding exciting new features and gorgeous graphics for audiences on the most popular contemporary platforms.

The original Tempest, one of the first video games to use 3D vector graphics, represents one of Atari’s hallmark titles and is considered one of the most popular arcade games of all time. It has been featured prominently across pop culture – including in Ernest Cline’s dystopian Ready Player One novel.

Just as in the original game, players are once again in 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, aiming for the coveted spot at the top of the leaderboards.

Key Features

• Arcade Style Shooter: Blast down hordes of enemies in this fast-paced arcade style shoot ‘em up.
• Unparalleled Graphics: Experience Tempest 4000’s mind-blowing graphics in beautiful 4K resolution.
• Multiple Game Modes: Pick from three different game modes including Standard, Pure and Endurance that will push your skills to the limit.
• Level Up: Progress and clear through 100 unique geometric levels by destroying enemies with various weapons and power-ups, and earn upgrades through bonus rounds.
• Climb to the Top of the Leaderboards: Post your high score in your quest to be recognized as number one on the leaderboards.
• Retro Techno Soundtrack: Enjoy the beats of a thumping soundtrack inspired by early 1990’s techno.
• Old School Gameplay: Feeling nostalgic? Relive the traditional gameplay of the original Tempest with enhanced graphics on current generation consoles.

That was quick

Xenon 2 Megablast has gotten a run as a cart for Ataris home console swan song Jaguar, it was just opened for orders a few days ago but has already sold out.

I guess I have to press the buy button faster next time or get ready to pay those sweet, sweet ebay prices when copies end up there.