Each month, Antstream Arcade adds more brilliant new games to the platform. Today, we proudly
present a glorious sextet of games that have all debuted over the last few weeks. From arcade
classics to 8-bit legends, these are the new stars of Antstream Arcade from August and September.
Missile Command – Atari, 1980
We begin this round up with a genuine legend from the golden age of arcades, Atari’s Missile
Command. Forged during The Cold War, Missile Command takes the threat of nuclear annihilation and puts the player in charge of repelling an unending surge of enemy missiles with their own arsenal. Protect the vulnerable cities and fire with care – there’s a limited number of missiles at your disposal!
Ant-Fact: Missile Command features in the movie Terminator 2, presaging the film’s own theme of nuclear war.
Ant-Tactic: Use the left and right banks of missiles for the early part of a stage, saving the central
missiles for when things get a little close for comfort.
Ant-ernative: Available on both the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 on Antstream Arcade,
Aftermath is a loving home tribute to Missile Command.
Bristles – First Star Software, 1983
We step away from the slightly depressing theme of nuclear war now with First Star’s Bristles, the
jolly little Atari 8-bit paint-‘em-up that’s also available on Commodore 64 on Antstream Arcade. Written by First Star co-founder Fernando Herrera, the objective is to guide Peter The Painter
throughout a series of houses, slapping a new coat of paint on each wall while avoiding hazards such as brush-stealing buckets and Brenda the Brat, who unhelpfully leaves sticky handprints on the freshly-painted walls.
Ant-Fact: The music to Bristles is adapted from The Nutcracker Suite and reacts to the player’s
situation, a rarity in 1983.
Ant-Tactic: Learning to negotiate the lethal elevators is key in order to move quickly around each
house.
Ant-ernative: There’s more paint-based antics with the Commodore 64 game Crazy Painter from
1985.
Noah’s Ark – Source Research & Development Ltd, 1992
Loosely based upon the Biblical tale of the same name, Noah’s Ark is the tale of the jovial animal fan, rescuing pairs of creatures from around the globe in order to safely ensconce them within his giant wooden boat. Playing across several countries and time zones – hey, we did say loosely – Noah’s Ark is a neat and colourful platform game for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Ant-Fact: A US release of Noah’s Ark was withheld by Nintendo Of America back in the Nineties due to its self-imposed ban on games containing religious references.
Ant-Tactic: Power ups such as the feather and fish bones give Noah specific abilities such as being
able to fly or swim.
Ant-ernative: For more cute platform action which may – or may not! – be based on true events,
check out Taito’s The Fairyland Story.
Castles – Interplay, 1991
It’s strategy game time with this resource management game from developer Interplay and
publisher Electronic Arts. Celebrating the magnificent structures that dominated medieval lands, in Castles, the player builds, maintains and populates these stone defences while making Kingly
decisions about your population. Disasters, blood-thirsty enemies and political unrest are just some of the challenges awaiting you in this feudal Amiga game.
Ant-Fact: Castles’ manual amusingly notes five reasons not to be a peasant in the middle ages
including violent neighbours and crap food.
Ant-Tactic: One of the key decisions in Castles is how much tax to levy against your population. Too much and they’ll rebel; not enough and you won’t have the funds to build your castles.
Ant-ernative: Sensible Software’s Mega-Lo-Mania is another great world-building strategy game on Antstream Arcade.
Space Gun – Taito, 1990
We’re back to the arcades albeit ten years after the horrific apocalyptic scenes of Missile Command. Taito’s Space Gun treats you to horrific scenes of a different nature, as the player boards a crippled space station that’s infested with slobbering razor-clawed aliens. A first-person on rails shoot-‘em-up, Space Gun features gory graphics, a range of weapons and an alien horde that’s sure to give even the bravest space explorer nightmares.
Ant-Fact: One of Space Gun’s designers, Hiroyasu Nagai, had a hand in another first-person arcade shooter, Operation Thunderbolt – also available on Antstream Arcade!
Ant-Tactic: While ammunition is unlimited, keep a careful eye on the heat meter; if your gun gets
too hot, it won’t fire, usually when an alien is about to attack.
Ant-ernative: The xeno-blasting theme is virtually identical in Xenophobe, released into arcades a
year prior to Space Gun.
Boulder Dash – Data East, 1990
Following the success of First Star’s home versions of this timeless diamond collecting game, an
arcade game appeared in 1990, produced by Data East. The addictive gameplay is similar to the
earlier 8-bit games only with superior graphics and sound and some cunning new levels. It was
followed up by Boulder Dash Part II, complete with even more hazardous caves and devious levels.
Ant-Fact: Since the release of the first game in 1984, there have been a further 15 games in the
Boulder Dash series across a variety of platforms. It’s also one of those rare home computer games to be converted into an arcade game, rather than vice versa.
Ant-Tactic: Use the preview segment at the start of each level to study the layout and note where
the exit is – it could save you valuable seconds!
Ant-ernative: Check out the original Atari 8-bit game, also available on Antstream Arcade.
Also fresh on Antstream Arcade over the last few weeks: classic Lucasarts adventures Loom, Zak
McKracken and Maniac Mansion; Super Nintendo versions of The Humans and Earthworm Jim 2; the NES port of Epyx’s California Games; and Arc Of Yesod (Commodore 64).
Stay tuned for another new games round up soon!