With its new Atari VCS ushering in rumors of a retro comeback, Atari has doubled down and revealed a handful of new titles coming to the PC/console hybrid this spring. Among the first releases for the Atari VCS will be D/Generation, Jetboard Joust, and Utopos.
To pair with Atari VCS’ marketing as a blend of retro gaming and next-gen capabilities, these three titles run the gamut from truly vintage with D/Generation and Utopos—which are both spruced-up versions of older games—to only superficially retro with Jetboard Joust, which pays homage to the games of old but is itself a new release. These are only the first releases in a wave of games that promises to marry the instant enjoyability of Atari classics with modern gaming elements.
D/Generation is an action-adventure puzzle game that tasks players with stopping a deadly virus by delivering an important package to a scientist at the top of a 90 story building. The original game, oddly enough, is set in the then-distant future of 2021. Jetboard Joust blends both arcade shoot-’em-ups with modern roguelikes to put players atop a jetboard battling a myriad of alien invaders and intimidating bosses. Finally, Utopos pits players against one another in a multiplayer spaceship shooter.
As Atari stays true to its retro roots, it’s easy to forget that this is a console that runs Google Chrome. As far as their claim to blend old and new, these titles and the console’s capabilities seem to suggest that Atari is already moving in the right direction.
The Atari VCS is slated to ship for wide release in early 2021.
