The recently revived Acclaim hosted its first Play Acclaim video presentation, revealing nine games that will be published under the Acclaim label. One of them is Katanaut, a Metroidvania-inspired action roguelite available today on PC. In fact, eight of the nine titles revealed today are PC games from a variety of indie developers, which is quite different from the Acclaim of old, best known for games like NBA Jam and Mortal Kombat. The gaming industry, though, has changed significantly over the past few decades, so it’s no surprise Acclaim’s revival mirrors Atari’s approach of helping indies publish their games. Here’s a breakdown of today’s debuts:
TossDown – Deliver packages while having to run, jump, and dash through chaos to avoid hazards and enemies. The game features wacky power-ups and perks, with Acclaim describing it as Crazy Taxi meets Jet Set Radio. Developer: Fer Factor.
Ground Zero Hero – An action roguelite with light survival elements set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The game comes from Rowan Edmondson and features mutated freaks, radioactive guts, and a lot of candy.
Basketball Classics – In a way, this seems like Acclaim’s nod to publishing the original NBA Jam. Basketball Classics is a five-on-five basketball game designed as a spiritual successor to classic 8-bit side-scrolling arcade basketball games. It comes from developer Namo Gamo and is headed to Nintendo Switch.
Pixel Washer – From developer Valadria, Pixel Washer casts players as Pigxel, a pig armed with a power washer. Tasked with cleaning up a messy town, players will spray their way through a variety of challenges. It’s like PowerWash Simulator, but starring a pig in a pixel world.
The Prisoning: Fletcher’s Quest – A Metroidvania adventure starring Fletcher Howie Jr., a game developer on the brink of physical and emotional burnout. A visit to his psychologist goes horribly wrong, forcing Fletcher to escape a perilous mental prison.
GRIDBeat! – A twist on the rhythm genre, GRIDBeat! comes from Ridiculous Games and puts players behind the keyboard as a shadowy hacker who moves to the beat while infiltrating virtual dungeons filled with traps.
Talaka – Another roguelite, Talaka brings Afro-Brazilian mythology to life in a vivid, hand-painted world. This one comes from developer Potato Kid.
Hyper Yuki – Inspired by Cool Boarders and SSX, Hyper Yuki is a snowboarding game wrapped in a retro-futurist Y2K aesthetic. The game features eight courses for pulling off crazy tricks and a soundtrack with contributions from YMCK, Trasto NueveVidas, and more. It’s currently in development by Wabisabi Design, Inc.
Katanaut – Available now on PC, this action roguelite takes place on a space station that’s falling into cosmic chaos. Featuring fast-paced soulslike combat, Katanaut comes from developer Voidmaw.
