Founded back in 1987, Acclaim was a key player in the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. Now, it is back, unveiling nine new titles in an online showcase.
Following a teaser campaign over the summer (coinciding with Gamescom), Acclaim has unveiled a collection of nine titles: Talaka, GRIDBeat!, Pixel Washer, TossDown, Hyper Yuki, Ground Zero Hero, Basketball Classic, and The Prisoning: Fletcher’s Quest. Not all are available straight away, but one additional game Katanaut, is now available on Steam.
Here’s the livestream:
“We’re ecstatic to relaunch Acclaim with a lineup that captures our legacy of bold creativity and delivers fresh, unforgettable experiences,” said Alex Josef, CEO of Acclaim. “These games are just the beginning of our mission to redefine fun for players everywhere.”
Nine new Acclaim games
The nine games are:
TossDown (PC, Developer: Fer Factor)
Run, jump, and dash through chaos, dodging hazards and enemies as you deliver packages. Fight back with wacky power-ups and chaos from a variety of perks to improve your chances of survival. It’s Crazy Taxi meets Jet Set Radio!
Ground Zero Hero (PC, Developer: Rowan Edmondson)
Ground Zero Hero is an action-roguelite with light survival elements set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Battle mutated freaks, absorb their radioactive guts, mutate yourself to gain new powers… and eat a lot of candy.
Basketball Classics (Nintendo Switch, Developer: Namo Gamo)
A 5 on 5 Pro Basketball game born from the golden era of sports games. This spiritual successor to the 8-bit ballers bridges the gap between retro and today’s simulation games. Side-scrolling, sweaty arcade action with simplified 3-button gameplay and retro vibes galore. (Link is to Steam version, which is already available)
Pixel Washer (PC, Developer: Valadria)
Step into the hooves of Pigxel, a plucky pig armed with a powerful power washer, tasked with cleaning up a messy town. Wielding your trusty washer, you’ll spray your way through a variety of exciting challenges, from hosing down stunning pixel art masterpieces in a filthy museum to transforming a muddy pigsty into a shimmering pixelated paradise and more.
The Prisoning: Fletcher’s Quest (PC, Developer: Elden Pixels)
Step into the mind of Fletcher Howie Jr, a game developer on the brink of physical and emotional burnout during the final stages of an intense project. After a visit to the psychologist that goes horribly wrong, you must escape your perilous mental prison in a Metroidvania drenched in anxiety based on a very true story.
GRIDBeat! (PC, Developer: Ridiculous Games)
Step behind the keyboard of a shadowy hacker and move to the beat as you infiltrate virtual dungeons teeming with traps to evade and systems to hack. Featuring more than 50 neon-saturated stages to explore and endless additional content in the form of user-generated stages, GRIDBeat! will put your skills and your rhythm to the test.
Talaka (PC, Developer: Potato Kid)
A fast-paced, combat-driven roguelite that brings Afro-Brazilian mythology to life in a vivid, hand-painted world unlike anything you’ve seen.
Hyper Yuki (PC, Developer: Wabisabi Design, Inc)
A high-speed, trick-fueled snowboarding bonanza wrapped in a slick, retro-futurist Y2K aesthetic. Inspired by 90s legends like Cool Boarders and SSX, you’ll shred through eight over-the-top courses packed with chances to pull off jaw-dropping tricks—all set to an electrifying soundtrack featuring YMCK, Trasto NueveVidas, and more.
Katanaut (PC, Developer: Voidmaw)
An action-roguelite set aboard a massive space station falling into cosmic chaos. With the station slowly spiraling out of control, and its once-human inhabitants twisted into terrors, you’re the unlucky one tasked with uncovering what is going on… assuming you’re able to survive the station’s violent halls with souls-like combat.
When do these new Acclaim titles come out?
These games will be released on the stated platforms over the next few months. That’s with the exception of Katanaut, which is out now, and Basketball Classics, which is coming to Nintendo Switch but is already available on Steam.
With titles aimed at longtime fans of Acclaim (who brought Mortal Kombat, Turok, and NBA Jam to home consoles in the latter half its original lifespan) and new, this is quite the collection. Various indies appear to be working with Acclaim, and they’ve put a call out for more.
For full details and to keep an eye on releases, head to playacclaim.com.
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.