Akka Arrh, arcade wave shooter, announced for Switch

Atari today announced that it has teamed up with Jeff Minter on Akka Arrh, a new game from Jeff Minter. It will be coming to Switch in early 2023.

Minter has worked on nearly 100 games spanning almost every generation of console. He created two dozen titles for Atari and Atari hardware, including Tempest 2000, Tempest 3000, and Tempest 4000.

Akka Arrh is an arcade wave shooter described as a “chaotic explosion of synthwave madness”. The game “completely encapsulates creator Jeff Minter’s sense of humor, his love of psychedelic color and light, and his ability to create pure arcade bliss.”

Here’s some additional information:

Akka Arrh combines the intrigue of an incredibly rare Atari arcade cabinet with the unique creative vision of Jeff Minter. Akka Arrh is based on an arcade prototype that was released in 1982 to a small test market. Unfortunately, the project was scrapped because players found the game too difficult. Due to its exceptionally short production run, only three Akka Arrh cabinets are still known to exist. Now, players have the chance to experience not just one of Atari’s rarest games, but one of the rarest games of the arcade era!

Key Features

• A Whirlwind of Electrifying Color: From the mind of Jeff Minter, players will experience a cascade of words, color, shapes and sound flows as they mount the Akka Arrh and fend off attackers. An explosion of dazzling neon graphics, Akka Arrh is a visually stunning, action-packed arcade shooter.
• Ready, Aim, Fire!: Akka Arrh shares the name with the game’s titular star cannon, in which players control from a fixed turret called the Sentinel. Featuring fast-paced wave-shooter action, players will prevent enemies from penetrating the Sentinel’s perimeter, zooming into close range combat and beat them back if they penetrate their defenses.
• Mystifying Modes to Master: With two modes of play, pilots can start from the beginning and battle their way through 50 unique levels, or pick up where they left off to power through to the end.
• Accessibility is Key: Though Llamasoft is known for mind-blowing and vivid visual effects, not everyone is able to enjoy them. Luckily, in the remake, players are able to toggle the visual effects to a more suitable level.

Source: Atari PR