Green Man Gaming has made a new friend! They’re called Antstream Arcade and they help you play some of the best retro games ever released. If you love to dip into gaming’s rich past, as well as some newer games designed along retro themes, then Antstream Arcade is the service you need to be looking at.
We could tell you who they are and what they do but we thought we’d just ask them instead – so without further preamble, here’s Anstream in their own words:
What is Antstream?
Antstream Arcade is a streaming platform focusing on retro games that is available on PC, Mac, Epic Games Store, Android, Nvidia Shield, Amazon Fire and Atari VCS. There are currently over 1500 games available on the platform with more being added each week. We all remember the impact that games such as Mortal Kombat, Pac Man, Asteroids and Earthworm Jim had on us. With Antstream you can experience these titles again on modern devices, fully optimised in moments. There’s no set up hassle, simply create an account, sign in and play.
The Importance of Game Curation to Antstream
When the company was formed in 2013 one of the key motivations behind the product was preservation. There are decades of incredible games which are no longer available legally. Sure, many of these titles can be downloaded and played through the use of emulators and ROMs but that experience is uncomfortable. The configuration of Emulators and ROMs is a technological barrier for many gamers. Antstream’s easy ‘pick up and play’ mechanic makes these games accessible to everyone. I’ve had emails from six year old kids telling me that they’ve had a blast playing Double Dragon. Another recent email was from a 72-year-old who needed help completing Dizzy. Antstream is incredibly easy to use.
Coming back to the preservation aspect. It’s painful to see games lost to time. Antstream is a fantastic platform for people to experience games that they had never played before. Also, to find and discover games that were cancelled or not released. We are crafting a catalogue of titles which raises awareness of gaming history and keeping the spirit of their creators alive.
This has been recognized by TIGA, Anstream has won an award for games curation.
‘New’ Retro Games on the Platform
A unique aspect to Antstream’s approach to game curation is how we support independent developers who are continuing to release games on retro platforms. For example ‘Turbo Tomato’ which was a game I worked on, is an Amiga game released last year. It has become hugely popular thanks to Antstream. We also include these in our challenges and tournaments.
Challenges and Tournaments
Antstream is also creating longer lasting appeal with classic games with our unique challenge system. These titles are back-engineered to create a competitive system which allows you to experience these well loved titles in new ways. These are ‘game modes’ such as ‘one-life challenges’ that extend the life of these titles and create new interest in the community.
In the past 12 months we have introduced a new mode called ‘Giant Slayer’. This is centred around our growing community. One person sets up a challenge and then it’s presented to the community. They have to try and beat the challenger for kudos and precious gems. Giant Slayer challenges are created by the players for other players. This keeps our community constantly engaged and involved in the product in a greater way than other streaming services.
We also feature tournaments. Here you can pit your high scores and feats against others in games like Dig Dug, Marble Madness, Double Dragon and Mortal Kombat. Scoring highly in these contests payout gems that you can spend on other games or for entering future tournaments.
The ‘power’ of Antstream
Simply put – Antstream is the authentic arcade experience in your living room. I grew up in those halcyon days of big box cabinets, challenging your mates on Street Fighter or playing co-op on the X-Men arcade. Antstream delivers that experience with its emphasis on community and fun. That’s actually an aspect in modern gaming which seems missing now. Fun. Antstream delivers that in spades as well as a sense of achievement.
Check out Antstream Arcade on the Green Man Gaming Store
If you’re itching to dive into the retro action then look no further than our very own store. Save on the 4 month taster pass or the 12 month annual pass when you shop with us. Retro games have never been more accessible and easy to play than with Antstream – check them out now!
