The gaming giant Atari has recently made a big announcement, stating that it has acquired the rights to more than 100 games (for PC and console) from the 80s and 90s. The company has plans to revive these classic titles, including remasters, re-releases, and even new entries in old series. According to Atari, the acquisition will allow it to “expand digital and physical distribution of the classic titles, create new games based on the IP, and explore brand and merchandising collaborations.” Although the full list of titles has not been revealed, it includes games from Accolade, Infogrames, and Microprose; some of the names that Atari mentioned specifically are Bubsy, Hardball, and Demolition Racer, as well as the flight simulators 1942: Pacific Air War, F-117A, and F-14.
Of course, one game that stands out from the list is Bubsy; in the 90s, Bubsy was a mediocre platformer who failed to compete with Mario and Sonic, however, the orange cat and his games have surprisingly remained relevant. Bubsy had three games released across different platforms, (SNES, Genesis/Mega Drive, PC, and Atari Jaguar) and there was even an unsuccessful pilot for an animated TV series, as we can see in the video below:
In 1996, Bubsy’s popularity took a big hit with the release of Bubsy 3D, which received very negative responses from critics and players. However, more than 20 years later, Bubsy made a comeback with two modern sequels, The Woolies Strike Back in 2017, and Paws on Fire! in 2019, both of which received poor reviews. Despite this, Atari has included Bubsy in its “classic titles” list and is threatening to revive the character again for yet another sequel.
It remains to be seen if the new Bubsy game will be a success or a flop, but Atari’s acquisition of classic games is sure to stir up nostalgia among older gamers and introduce these classic titles to a new generation of players. What game from the 80s and 90s would you like to see coming back?