Should you be down with how Antstream run their retro Arcade, then you’ll no doubt look forward to the newest library additions each and every week. That’s the case again this time around, as a couple more old-school classics land on Antstream Arcade, across Xbox, PC, mobile and more. We think they are two games you won’t want to miss out on either.
More Antstream games!
No matter whether you have a 12-month subscription to Antstream Arcade, or a full lifetime of retro glory, if you’ve got a hankering for some classic gaming, the Antstream library is one to check out. This week we see two new – old – games land, with Centipede the standout option for us. Alongside that though is the arrival of The Lords of Midnight.
Oh yeah, and as with every week, there’s a new challenge for Antstream players to enjoy too. Think you have what it takes to conquer Double Dragon? It’s time to prove it in the “C’mon Then, If You Think You’re Hard Enough” challenge. All you need to do is nab the highest score possible, on the highest difficulty. No pressure.
That may well appeal to many, but for us it’s the arrival of the new games which most excites…
Centipede (Atari 8-bit)
Previously sitting as a VCS exclusive, the Atari 8-bit version of Centipede joins Antstream.
We probably don’t need to tell you what this one is all about, but we’ll do it anyways. An iconic game that proved incredibly popular in the arcades, Centipede originally launched in 1981. From there, it has launched on multiple platforms, as well as hitting hard onto Xbox in the form of Centipede: Recharged.
A fixed shooter, the titular centipede moves left and right across the screen, getting lower with each crossing. From there, your goal is to shoot all of the centipede segments before it reaches the bottom. However, mushrooms litter the screen, increasing as the player advances through the levels, but they can also be shot and destroyed. The centipede will move until it hits the edge of the screen or a mushroom, and will then turn around. Shooting the middle segments of the centipede will cause it to split in two, and the player is scored depending on what they manage to shoot.
A true classic from the golden age of arcade games? We think so, and for that reason alone Centipede is not a game to miss.
The Lords of Midnight (Spectrum)
The Lords of Midnight is a fantasy strategy/RPG hybrid game that launched originally for the ZX Spectrum in 1984.
Pushing out a couple of sequels in later years, in The Lords of Midnight, players are charged with destroying the Witchking Doomdark and bringing about the end of the perpetual winter that hangs over the Land of Midnight.
This one plays very much like a graphic adventure, and The Lords of Midnight employed an innovative 3-D effect to immerse the player in the fantasy world. Players initially begin with four characters, but can recruit many other characters to their cause as they progress. The game has two different goals that change how the game is played. Players can either choose to destroy the source of Doomdark’s power, which plays as an adventure, or raise enough armies to storm Doomdark’s citadel, which is more wargame.
For the most adventurous, combining both objectives into one game is the way to go. The Lords of Midnight is a classic example of early strategy games and still has a devoted following even now.
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“When it comes to arcade games, it doesn’t get much more classic than Centipede. The Lords of Midnight, on the other hand, is the sort of game that would give hours of thoughtful entertainment to home computer enthusiasts. Either way, these are both great titles and we are proud to have them both coming to the Antstream library this week.” – Steve Cottam, CEO of Antstream.
Want in on the Antstream action? Get yourself over to the Xbox Store right now. You’ll be able to play on Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S.
Alternatively, Antstream Arcade is on PC, mobile, Linux and more. £39.99 (£29.99 on Xbox) will sort you out with a 12-month sub, whilst £99.99 (£79.99 on Xbox) is all you’ll need to pay for access forevermore.
