Atari is rereleasing Missile Command: Recharged, a 2020 reimagining of one of its classic franchises. The game will receive a significant “2.0” overhaul that features a challenge mode, new visuals, and more. It’ll launch on November 1 for PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Atari VCS.
Missile Command: Recharged was the first game in Atari’s recent Recharged line, which aims to modernize its properties. The original release, which retailed for a low $3, gave the classic game a neon visual boost and a power-up system. In a somewhat unusual move, Atari has reworked the game to the point that it’ll be rereleasing it as a new product entirely at a $10 price point.
“The more Recharged games we released, the farther we pushed them, adding challenges, boss battles, creating more of a progression and storyline,” Atari CEO Wade Rosen tells Digital Trends. “The Recharged Series has evolved. When we look back at Missile Command: Recharged, we see an opportunity to revisit the game and apply everything we had learned over the last six Recharged releases to one of our favorite classics.”
The biggest addition to the new release is a challenge mode, which brings 32 new levels to the game, as well as a new final boss. The aesthetics have also been reworked, with expanded visuals and a new soundtrack by composer Megan McDuffee. The release will also bring the game to Xbox and PlayStation consoles, and Rosen notes that it’ll come to “a few subscription services” as well.
Those who bought the original $3 release will get a 30% discount on the new version. Users won’t lose access to the original version when the new one launches.
The Atari Recharged series continues to expand with games like the recently released Yars: Recharged. According to Rosen, Atari plans to continue the game line over the coming years. The CEO noted the appeal of the games and their classic pick-up-and-play nature.
“I think people are craving a return to that kind of gameplay,” Rosen says. “That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a place for epic campaigns that require 100 hours to complete. But I sense that there is also a need for games that allow you to jump into a session with a friend, or a family member, and enjoy, no matter if you play for 20 minutes or two hours.”
Missile Command: Recharged launches on November 1 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Atari VCS.
