Tempest 4000 Hands-On Impressions: Eat Electric Death
Atari has been responsible for some of the better old-school franchises still making the rounds [...]
Excellent Power-Ups
But it's not the same old "shoot everything" approach that worked with the original arcade game (although the one-time-use superzapper is back, in case things get a little too hectic – and yes, it recharges after each stage). You can actually pick up power-ups that are left behind by the enemies which provide a bit of an advantage. Some of them are point-based ("Pleasure!"), while others can lend you a hand.
The particle laser, for example, increases your firing rate; the AI droid shoots at enemies automatically in one section while you can keep guard on another; and then there's the awesome "jump" ability, which lets you leap off the track in case an enemy is trying to grab you, or you just need to get some height in a dire situation. All of these are remarkable features carried over from the fan favorite Tempest 2000.
Since the game is being made with new hardware in mind, Minter and company have gone all out with the visuals in Tempest 4000. Effects explode across the screen like a fireworks display as enemies turn into sparks, and little flashes of light glow around the track. There are also some enemies – in this case, stars – that actually create a weird drug-like effect when you blast them, making the screen warp and wave. It's not distracting, though. As a matter of fact, it added a bit of flare to the overall presentation that we appreciated very much.
Tempest 4000 has a few modes, including a "Pure" mode where you get the traditional three lives, as well as a hardcore mode, where you have one life and no continues, shooting for the highest score possible before you die. All of these modes are also backed by leaderboards, so you can challenge your friends and other players around the world.
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There is one thing worth noting, though. In the middle of each stage, you get to fly through space on the heels of what appears to be a comet, and the closer you get to its trail, the more bonus points you'll be able to score before getting to the next stage. We've seen this in previous Tempest games, but for some reason, Minter and company made this part require the use of motion control, having to lean your hands in a certain way to follow the trail.
I wasn't a big fan of this particular feature, mainly because it was so hard to steer where you were going. We're hoping the final version will include an option to turn this off and just control where you go manually. At least, that's how it worked in previous Tempest games.
That's a minor complaint, though. Tempest 4000 is already looking as dazzling as its counterpart, and while it does follow the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" sort of logic, it's still a delight to play, with plenty of goofy quotes and flashy presentation to go around. It's just the kind of old-school bliss that'll come in handy for breaks between other AAA titles.
Tempest 4000 will release later this year for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.
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