They've been talking about it for months, but now it's official - Acclaim are back, and they've got a bunch of new games to celebrate their return! For those of you who don't know the name, they were a tour de force throughout the 90s as I was growing up and ruled the roost for over two decades. Their return is a major win for retro gamers around the globe, and things are very much just getting started.
I know what you're thinking, and it's probably the same as all of the people in the comments as the video was loading up - was a new Turok or Shadowman game announced?
Well... no, not yet, but they do have some slick side-scrolling games that channel the spirit of the arcade and the many Metroidvania titles that we've come to love over the years.
While there were games with a mix of retro and modern graphics, games like Basketball Classics stood out to me with their old-school gameplay. It's clear that Acclaim are trying to appeal to fans of all ages with their release schedule, and I think from watching the Play Acclaim live stream that they've done a pretty good job at canvassing their audience.
Talaka stood out to me as being like a cross between Prince of Persia and Ōkami, while Katanaut had all of the intensity of the Shinobi series. And then there's The Prisoning: Fletcher's Quest, which felt like a Fever Dream I might have had while playing on the Atari 7800, complete with dancing reptiles. Whatever's going on, I want to play more of it!
Games like Talaka and Katanaut (both showcased in the featured image of this article) are coming at the right time, thanks to the revival of Shinobi with Art of Vengeance over at Sega HQ, and I'm hoping a whole new bunch of fans will discover Acclaim through the newer releases like Ground Zero Hero and HYPERYuki: Snowboard Syndicate, the only fully 3D game in the company's relaunch titles. It's important to me that more people check out Acclaim's back catalogue too, and hopefully, I'll have a new Turok adventure in my hands in 2026.
Acclaim, if you're reading this, on behalf of all gamers everywhere, please make it happen!
Check out the full Play Acclaim stream below to see all of the games in action!
