Word on the streets is that Warner Bros is leaving Antstream Arcade, but do not fret retro gamer! For every game, there is an alternative or Ant-ernative; for every legend, another hero is willing to step into the breach. Join us as we look at what you can discover instead…
Shrinking Back To Human Form: Rampage
It’s a hectic, erm, rampage throughout several American cities in this arcade classic. You could choose from three gargantuan monsters (the lupine Ralph, lizard Lizzie and giant ape George) and wreak havoc on buildings, people, cars and more.
Ant-ernative: King Of The Monsters (SNK, 1991)
Like Rampage, SNK’s King Of The Monsters features a range of oversized creatures causing bedlam across various cities. Once more, we have a King Kong homage in the massive monkey Woo, and the Godzilla-like Geon, the buggy Beetle Mania, and more join him. The King Of The Monsters is available on Antstream Arcade now!
Off To Defend Another Galaxy: Defender
Alien invaders are threatening humanity, capturing innocents and diabolically transforming them into mutants. Your mission was to take them out in this fast-paced shoot-‘em-up legend of the arcades.
Ant-ernative: R-Type (Irem, 1987)
If rock-hard space shooters are your thing, then R-Type is the perfect alternative to its illustrious forebear. Blast off and strike the evil Bydo Empire!
The Tournament Ends: Mortal Kombat
Raiden and his chums have packed their bags. The arcade one-on-one beat-‘em-up, often credited with revitalising the genre, is moving to another mysterious island. But fear not – we have plenty of similar retro games on Antstream Arcade.
Ant-ernative: Samurai Shodown (SNK, 1993)
There’s another cast of eclectic characters in this brutal one-on-one fighter from SNK. Choose your character and slice your way across feudal Japan in the brilliant Samurai Shodown.
Rolling Away: Marble Madness
A game of both skill and extreme frustration, Marble Madness was an oddity of the arcades, putting the player in control of a simple marble with just one goal: roll to the end!
Ant-ernative: Spindizzy (Alternative/Electric Dreams, 1985)
Marble Madness and the isometric games of Ultimate inspired programmer Paul Shirley to create this wonderful explore-‘em-up in 1985. Like Marble Madness, your primary enemy is time, and you can play the Amstrad original and ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 ports on Antstream Arcade.
Driving Into The Sunset: Spy Hunter
In Spy Hunter, the player thundered down a series of roads, avoiding civilians while taking out bad guys with a front-facing cannon and rear-pointing oil slicks and smoke clouds.
Ant-ernative: Battle Lane Vol. 5 (Technos, 1985)
It’s Spy Hunter – on a bike! Guide your skittish motorcycle across a series of dangerous locations, each stuffed full of motorised bad guys.
Hoop Dreams: Arch Rivals
It was all about the (basket) brawl in this action-packed two-on-two basketball simulation. You picked your brace of players and fought dirty or clean – without forgetting those baskets!
Ant-ernative: Dunk Dream (Data East, 1994)
Data East added a further player per side to this basketball sim while omitting some of the darker arts promoted in Arch Rivals. Nevertheless, it’s a more-than-capable alternative to the Warner game.
The Season Ends: Championship Sprint
Superfast overhead racing came to the arcades in 1986 as players pitted their driving skills across increasingly bendy tracks. A blistering sequel to Super Sprint.
Ant-ernative: Super Cars II (Gremlin, 1991)
Don’t get road rage – we have another sequel, ideally suited to those Antstreamers looking for more overhead racing action. Gremlin’s violent and exciting Super Cars II should do you nicely and is available to play on Antstream Arcade for free!
Kookistan Konquered: Total Carnage
Total Carnage is so full of pandemonium, it even named one of its characters Major Mayhem. Joining him is Captain Carnage, and they’re on a chaotic mission to destroy the evil dictator, General Akhboob.
Ant-ernative: Metal Dragon (Kai Magazine Software, 2021)
This homebrew Sega Mega Drive and MSX game evokes the spirit of Total Carnage, Mercs, Metal Gear and more and is just as fun as that sounds! Play it now on Antstream Arcade.
Twin-Stick Heaven: Robotron 2084
Eugene Jarvis’s magic dual joystick shooter took the arcades and Antstream Arcade by storm. Your mission: destroy the human-made Robotrons with your mutated eight-direction energy pulses.
Ant-ernative: Llamatron 2112 (Llamasoft, 1991)
Llamasoft’s Jeff Minter loves crazy shoot-‘em-ups, and they don’t come any crazier than this loving homage to the 1982 arcade game. The biggest difference? You’re rescuing sheep instead of humans. Of course.
Heading For The Exit: Gauntlet
Wizard shot the food! If this brings a grimace to your face, you’ll be familiar with the multiplayer legend that is Gauntlet. The ultimate dungeon romp.
Ant-ernative: Dark Seal (Data East, 1990)
It may offer a different perspective, but Dark Seal takes the spirit of Gauntlet in another manic dungeon crawl adventure with four characters to choose from.
The Devil Rides Out: Satan’s Hollow
If you were fed up with taking on hordes of aliens or enemy spaceships, Satan’s Hollow offered up a different, if not ultimate, villain – the dark lord Satan himself and all of his horrific minions. Same process, though – blast ‘em!
Ant-ernative: Centipede (Atari, 1981)
Arcade fixed shoot-‘em-ups are plentiful on Antstream Arcade, and we’ve got the perfect solution for those of you lamenting Satan’s Hollow: Atari’s classic bug blaster, Centipede. Play it now, for free, on Antstream Arcade!
This blog primarily written by Graeme Mason covers retro gaming and offerings of Antstream - and can be checked out at it's original published location of https://www.antstream.com/retro-gaming-news/
