Atari Announces Tempest 4000

Building off of their announced updated Atari VCS Operating System yesterday, Atari is back in new today as the company announces Tempest 4000.  In Tempest 4000 the powerful Claw spacecraft returns.  It is fully equipped to destroy deadly creatures and other obstructions with rapid-fire shots.  Tempest 4000 is a collaborative project from legendary game designer Jeff Minter and Atari.

The original Tempest burst on to the scene in 1981 as an arcade game by Atari.  Tempest is a game where the player controls a Claw spacecraft that moves around geometric levels and blasts the targets coming at them.  It was one of the first video games to use 3D vector graphics and was early in adapting that the level design would change for the player versus the same layout with increased difficulty.  The original was also a pop culture legend with the inclusion in the novel by Ernest Cline Ready Player One.

Some features of Tempest 4000 include:

  • A Blast from the Past – Annihilate 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.  You can read more about leaderboards in our article yesterday by clicking here
  • Get Bass Boosted – Enjoy the beats of a thumping soundtrack inspired by early 1990’s techno
Tempest 4000
Screenshot of Tempest 4000

Tempest 4000 is now available on Nintendo Switch and Atari VCS.  It is also available for purchase on Steam for PC, Playstation 4 and Xbox One for $19.99.  What are your thoughts on this game?  Will you be picking it up for some update nostalgia?  Let us know your thoughts by interacting with us in the comments here or on our Twitter account.

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