The Atari VCS continues its offering of retro-inspired indie games with several new releases this month. The console, which hit store shelves officially in June after months of backer exclusivity, is a jack of all trades that combines an exclusive digital storefront with access to Antstream Arcade, cloud gaming support, and even the ability to run Steam, Google Chrome, and other PC programs. While it's certainly not in the same league as offerings from any of the major three console manufacturers, Atari's hardware does have its fan thanks to its quirky under-the-radar release and the promise of unique indie releases and retro revivals.
Unfortunately, while the Atari VCS store is open for business, the offerings are still rather meager. While owners of the system may not be too out of sorts considering the recent additions of Xbox Game Pass and GeForce Now to the lineup, games made specifically for the VCS have been hard to come by. The official website lists just over twenty releases, and Atari has been quiet in the past about what's coming down the pipe. The games that are there are usually retro arcade callbacks like the excellent Jetboard Joust, and the vast majority are also available on PC marketplaces like Steam.
Today's announcement changes that slightly, with Atari taking the opportunity to highlight six games that will all be available on the VCS either now or in the near future. Perhaps the most notable is a sequel to Guntech, a mobile game developed by Jani Penttinen that has made quite a splash among VCS owners. The newly available Guntech 2.0 boasts five new worlds, twice as many enemies, and support for the Atari Classic Joystick's spin action. This emulates the dial controller of the original 2600, providing a nostalgic twist to the game for those old enough to remember Atari's golden era.
Other highlighted releases include a new entry in the Aery series coming to the VCS for the first time. Aery - Sky Castle lands on the console on September 24, providing another unknown world for players to fly through as a crimson avian. Elsewhere on the store, 2D run and gun game Bite the Bullet is a Contra-style sleeper hit from Mega Cat Studios that's coming soon to VCS. It adds the ability to eat enemies rather than shoot them down, giving the game's heroes new abilities and an ever-expanding waistline.
Bite the Bullet is coming soon, but Pixel Cup Soccer by BATOVI Games Studio is also available right away for the interested sports fans. Evolving from a 2016 PC release, Pixel Cup Soccer takes inspiration from 8 and 16-bit translations of the world's game. Players can compete in a worldwide competition or take things down a notch on North American shores, all while enjoying easy to learn controls and a wide range of features.
A new batch of games is great news to Atari VCS owners, and that's in addition to several retro revivals currently under development by Atari themselves. With a new Food Fight and other games currently in the works, there's every chance in the world that retro-minded gamers will want to head to retail and pick up the VCS as a side piece to their main living room machine.