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Tempest 4000 is a psychedelic revival of an arcade classic

by Amr (@siegarettes)

Tempest 4000

Developer- Llamasoft Ltd (Jeff Minter)

Publisher- Atari

PC, PS4, Xbox One

By the time I’d got around to playing games, I’d associated Atari more with middling licensed Dragon Ball Z games than their early videogame contributions. By the time the last generation ended, Atari had pretty much become a company failing to capitalize on those early games with middling remakes and reboots. So it's a trip to see the Atari logo on a new game, let alone a new Tempest. Doubly so, considering it was just three years ago that the previous incarnation of Atari had threatened legal action against Jeff Minter for his work on TxK for its resemblance to Tempest 2000, a Tempest remake he created for Atari.

Given that context, Tempest 4000 almost feels like an apology to Minter. It’s recognition of the absurdity of the situation created by the previous holders of the Atari name, and an invitation to make it good by paying Minter to return to the well. And Minter isn’t shy about returning to the source.

For the uninitiated, Jeff Minter’s Tempest games largely follow the format of the original vector arcade game, but with a layer of psychedelic visuals and audio, alongside a few new powerups and nuances. Gunplay takes place across several “webs”, with geometric enemies advancing up the columns, and new variations gradually being introduced. Enemy behaviors and web design tease out dynamic situations, and managing present and near future threats becomes a chaotic pleasure.

There’s a tactical layer to managing this chaos. Enemies can be allowed to loiter on the rim of the web if needed. They can be eliminated by “leaning” one leg of the clawed ship into their lane, but the slow movements needed for this makes letting them accumulate a serious danger. They’ll also block the path to much needed powerups that climb the web, so managing them is critical to giving yourself space to operate. These powerups increase fire rate, allow a life saving jump above the web in order to fire safely down at enemies on the rim, or spawn an intelligent drone that seeks out enemies.

Tempest 4000 closely follows that template. On the surface it could be mistaken for the canceled TxK PC port, but upon closer examination provides a very different vibe. TxK was the series at its cleanest and most vibrant; Tempest 4000 is aggressive and murky. The color palette is darker, the music has a slight edge to it, with a cacophonous rhythm created by its sound effects.  This is enhanced by the ability to go into a powerful state of invulnerability by obtaining the “BEAUTY” powerup. It provides a powerful tool for clearing the board, and brings with it heavy audiovisual distortion that makes it harder to parse and encourages aggression.

It feels incredible, especially when you begin to dial in and get into the zone. Something you’ll have to do, since it quickly ramps up in difficulty. Tempest 4000 performs the impressive feat of building on the structure of the original game in a way that makes it feel modern, if not exactly contemporary. In the process it manages to communicate the appreciation that Minter feels for the design of the original game, while providing its own intoxicating vibe. 

If I’m honest though, I sort of prefer TxK’s approach better. There’s just something about the energy and positivity of it, and the way its clean lines and colors grace the screen of the Vita.

Thankfully, I don’t actually need to choose between the two. Tempest 4000 gets to exist alongside TxK. Both provide a welcome revival for the series, and a smart, strategic shooter in the form of a psychedelic trip. For those who’ve yet to experience any of the games in the series, its definitely worthwhile to submerge yourself in its unique mood and tension. And for those returning, there’s a new vibe waiting for you.

[gamesline]

Hey, we did a video review!

Solon reviewed Tempest 4000 and found it to be a bad experience. But you can watch our first video review, which we hope is a good experience! 

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