Tempest 4000 (Switch) Review
Release Date: March 22, 2022
Publisher/Developer: Atari/Llamasoft
Platform: Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, Ataribox, Windows, Xbox One
Price: $19.99
Original arcade games provided a particular kind of thrill that never has been replicated in modern consoles. The thumping soundtracks, the minimal graphics (that were bleeding edge at the time), and the goal of simply getting the highest score possible. Tempest was one of the granddaddies of the genre, piloting a strange, crablike spaceship around mysterious planes and dimensions fighting off alien menaces and watching your score crawl upwards.
I reviewed Tempest 4000 when it came out in 2018 on the PlayStation 4. Now released for the Switch, Tempest 4000 can be found on all platforms, and while this essentially is the same release, the lack of extreme graphics means that Tempest 4000 gets all the benefits of the Switch and none of the detriments.
Vector graphics drop your little crabship on a plane, with each level representing a different morphed landscape. There may be a flat plane, mountains, horseshoe dips, or even full circles. You slide or rotate around the cusp of the battlefield, taking out enemies, collecting powerups such as a jump and an AI support. All this goes along with a thumping soundtrack that keeps you in the zone.
Tempest 4000 keeps the classic vector graphics and updates with plenty of special effects. This is where you see the benefits of the Switch, especially the OLED model, as the vibrant colors contrast with the deep black background for a crisp, easy to see screen on the road, with the ability to pop it up on the TV to be just like the others as well. The Switch may have been late to the party, but those who waited ended up with the best version at a cheaper price than it was four years ago.
Overall, the only real detriment is the same thing as it’s benefit: it is an excellent recreation of classic arcade gameplay. Therefore, what you see is what you get. There are over a hundred levels, and each one is a variant on the same premise. Also, I still feel there needs to be adaptive control schemes allowing more of a paddle style control system. Allow the player to, on more circular levels, to twist the analog stick instead of using right and left, which get mixed up depending on which side of the cylinder you are on.
Tempest 4000 brings the classic arcade action to the modern age with enough flash and special graphics to put those rose-colored glasses on and make it feel like you thought it did in the 80s. With the Switch, you can get the full-fledged hyper neon experience on the OLED or swap up for big screen arcade play. Despite being about shooting down a chasm at enemies, there isn’t a lot of depth to the actual gameplay. Traditional arcade quarter-munching didn’t need that though, and the trancelike music will pull you back to the classic arcade experience.
Pros:
-Classic arcade action
-Portability of the Switch
-Slick design on the OLED
Cons:
-Straight arcade action doesn’t have a lot of depth
-Would benefit from different control schemes
-Controlling the ship is a little loose, making for some accidental deaths
Special thanks to Llamasoft/Atari for providing a code for review!