Atari has announced it will be relaunching the addictive classic shooter Centipede for the 3DS and Wii. There is no definitive date yet, but it is slated to launch this fall. The Valencia, California based game development company Wayforward Technologies will be in charge of the re-imagining. Wayforward Technologies’ noteworthy game development includes Contra 4 and A Boy and His Blob.
Centipede: Infestation has been given a backstory centered around an orphaned boy in a post-apocalyptic landscape rendered uninhabitable by nuclear war. Instead of the trackball shooter, gameplay will feature a run-n-gun shooting style with defense-style objects. The orphaned boy Max will be joined by a girl named Maisy who has the ability to grow plants to life in the wasteland. Though its not certain how Maisy’s ability will factor into gameplay, Max is tasked with protecting her.
Mutated grubs, beetles, spiders, caterpillars and big boss insects will swarm players in the new worlds and Max gets to tear into them with tasty weapons with names like Nuke Cannon and Lightning Orb Gun. Another feature carried over from the original arcade game alongside killing big bugs is the transformation of dead mutants. Like the mushrooms, dead mutant insects turn into objects which distract, block or attack during battle.
Gamers have the option of two player co-op multiplayer. Nintendo 3DS users can also look forward to enhanced 3DS visuals and ad-hoc Multiplayer. For the Wii, players will point the controller at the screen like a gun while using the nun chuck to control the main character; 3DS players will be using the touchpad.
Atari is hoping that growing a story will invigorate their old line of favorites. Jim Wilson, CEO of Atari S.A. said “ This game and other games to follow further define Atari’s strategy to build upon our library of celebrated IP and re-imagine them for next generation game platforms.”
