It’s the new games megablast! From arcade classics to 16-bit legends, these are the latest stars of
Antstream Arcade that have debuted on the platform in October and November, including two new formats in the Amstrad CPC and Atari Lynx. Want something super fresh to play on Antstream Arcade? This is the place to start!
The Great Escape
It’s 1942 and you’re trapped in a remote prisoner of war camp by those dastardly Nazis. There’s only one thing for it – escape! Fortunately the Red Cross are still dropping in morale-boosting bars of chocolate and the enemy have carelessly left useful items such as wire cutters and guard uniforms sitting around the camp. Now you can relive the epic wartime bust with this isometric classic from Ocean Software, newly minted on the Commodore 64 at the Antstream Arcade.
Ant-Fact: Contrary to popular opinion, Ocean’s The Great Escape is nothing to do with the 1963
movie and is instead based on the real-life 1942 event.
Ant-Tactic: Make sure you stick to the daily routine – if you’re off in the tunnels during mealtimes,
your absence WILL be noted!
Ant-ernative: For more legendary isometric gaming, try Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond’s amazing Head Over Heels, also from Ocean Software.
Bug’s Quest For Tapes
It’s new format time with Bug’s Quest For Tapes, a loving tribute to the heyday of the Amstrad CPC computer. Coded by friend of Antstream Arcade, Yellow Belly aka YB Soft, Bug’s Quest For Tapes follows the small insect across a series of increasingly complex caverns in search of, you guessed it, tapes. Fun and frantic platform action and just the beginning for the Amstrad CPC and Antstream Arcade.
Ant-Fact: There are plenty of nods to Eighties gaming and culture in Bug’s Quest. Watch out for
spinning Dizzy characters and a poster for Duran Duran’s Rio.
Ant-Tactic: Take a few goes to perfect Bug’s jump – it’s highly controllable, which is just as well
considering some of the complexity of the latter levels.
Ant-ernative: For famous 8-bit platform action, there’s not much better than Manic Miner.
Kung Food
See, this is what happens when you store a top secret chemical in your freezer – all your frozen food mutates and you turn into a tiny green man, forced to battle against your erstwhile groceries.
There’s silliness abound in this food-based beat-‘em-up in Kung Food, the first Atari Lynx game on
Antstream Arcade!
Ant-Fact: Kung Food was co-coded by Christian Urquhart, author of many excellent early Ocean
Software games such as Cavelon and Hunchback.
Ant-Tactic: Keep an eye out for the power balls, valuable spheres that yield bonuses such as an extra life and invincibility.
Ant-ernative: For more mutant-based mayhem, try SNK’s Mutation Nation.
Millipede
It’s arcade sequel time with Atari’s follow-up to its earlier coin-op hit, Centipede. Again the player
must decimate the rapidly-descending arthropod while fending off an even greater variety of
dangerous insectoid enemies. Thankfully you’ve got a good supply of arrows!
Ant-Fact: The protagonist of Millipede is changed from the Bug Blaster of the original to an archer.
Ant-Tactic: Try and maximise the DDT explosions by taking care not to hit them accidentally.
Ant-ernative: Take it back a few months with the original Centipede, also on Antstream Arcade.
Swords and Serpents
If you like to crawl around dark and dirty dungeons, slaying monsters and grabbing treasure then
this NES RPG from 1990 is the game for you. Take control of four adventurers (split into the classes of warrior, thief and magician) and get exploring / fighting!
Ant-Fact: Swords And Serpents is an early home multiplayer game, capable of supporting up to four players using the NES Satellite device.
Ant-Tactic: If you’re party is looking a little fragile, head to the nearest temple for an energy boost.
Ant-ernative: Another Interplay CRPG, Dragon Wars, is also available on Antstream Arcade.
Defender II
Based on Williams’ arcade game Stargate, this NES version is a colourful update of the rock-hard
shoot-‘em-up. Rescue humanoids and destroy aliens in a race to save mankind!
Ant-Fact: Defender II is set in the year 7211.
Ant-Tactic: Try and hoard your missiles for when things get really hectic.
Ant-ernative: There’s more horizontally scrolling action in Armalyte on the Commodore 64.
Gunbird
Let’s stick with the shoot-‘em-up genre and this bullet hell-style vertical scroller from 1994.
Published in the USA by Jaleco, this is a shooter with strong manga vibes and is stuffed full of
inventive boss fights and power ups.
Ant-Fact: The original US and European version of PlayStation was renamed Mobile Light Force and omits much of the Japanese game’s character content.
Ant-Tactic: Each selectable character has pronounced strengths and weaknesses – pick the one that adapts to your own playing style.
Ant-ernative: Hal 21 is another tough vertically-scrolling shoot-‘em-up.
Klash Ball
Ostensibly a port of The Bitmap Brothers’ Speedball, Klash Ball takes place on a tight court, pitching its players against each other in a violent scrap to the last.
Ant-Fact: As with Speedball, Klash Ball draws unofficial inspiration from the 1975 James Caan movie, Rollerball.
Ant-Tactic: Watch out for the power up tiles that randomly appear – these usually handicap the
opposition or strengthen your own players.
Ant-ernative: There’s more violent sports on Antstream Arcade with Brutal Football on the
Commodore Amiga.
Top Gear 3000
Developer/publisher Gremlin Interactive jettisoned all pretence of serious simulation with this third game in the Top Gear series, available on Super Nintendo on Antstream Arcade. Race across a variety of planets with some bizarre sci-fi upgrades such as warp and jump.
Ant-Fact: Top Gear 3000 was the only SNES game to utilise the DSP-4 chip, allowing for diverse splitscreen tracks.
Ant-Tactic: Successful use of the speed arrows – which temporarily boost your speed by up to 20
miles per hour – is vital for success.
Ant-ernative: Come back down to Earth with Top Gear 2 on Antstream Arcade.
New Rally X
Finally we present another automotive sequel in New Rally X, an upgrade of the Namco classic. The biggest gameplay addition are the lucky flags, special emblems that reward the driver with extra points and fuel. Otherwise, all of the addictive gameplay that makes the original game so compelling is here again with upgraded graphics and a new soundtrack.
Ant-Fact: Despite its esteemed status today, New Rally X was actually an attempt by Namco to
redress the poor sales of the first game.
Ant-Tactic: Don’t get too frisky with the enemy-deterring smoke – it uses fuel!
Ant-ernative: For more overhead racing, there’s Codemasters’ classic BMX Simulator.
Also fresh on Antstream Arcade over the last few weeks: football legend Sensible Soccer appears on the Sega Mega Drive; more SNES racing in Top Racer and Top Racer 2; wintry sports events with the Mega Drive’s Winter Challenge; Amiga strategy title Castles II: Siege & Conquest; arcade update Asteroids Deluxe; and the action-packed NES platformer The Adventures Of Rad Gravity.
Stay tuned for another new games round up soon!