We can hardly believe at Antstream Arcade HQ that it’s been twelve months since Antstream gloriously returned to Xbox owners. Now, from the comfort of the sofa, controller in hand, anyone with this modern console can enjoy hundreds of retro games. What’s more, Antstream Arcade’s constant commitment to bringing a variety of games to fans means downloading Antstream Arcade to your console instantly brings over ten new retro systems to your fingertips.
To learn more about Antstream Arcade, visit our website or check us out on the Xbox Store.
Still on the fence about Antstream Arcade? Since the service returned to Xbox, we’ve added dozens of games; here are ten of our favourites across ten different systems, making Antstream Arcade a whole gaming history inside your console!
System: Arcade
Game: Kung-Fu Master
From the arcades of the mid-eighties comes this classic scrolling brawler from Irem. Heavily inspired by the movies of Bruce Lee and the Jackie Chan comedy “Wheels On Meals”, Kung-Fu Master is the tale of Thomas and his battle to rescue his girlfriend, Sylvia, from the clutches of the evil Mr X. Playable and intense, Kung-Fu Master was a refreshing smash in the arcades back in the eighties and set a new template for the beat-em-up genre. Now, you can play it on the Xbox via Antstream Arcade.
Ant-ernative: The Age Of Heroes: Silkroad 2 is another superb addition to Antstream Arcade’s arcade library.
System: Atari 8-Bit
Game: Henry’s House
Like his peer Miner Willy, Henry lives in a bizarre house full of deadly creatures and everyday items. Our hero just wants to shrink back into his bed, but he needs to clean up all the mess, and he’s been literally shrunk, making his house even deadlier. Loosely based upon the recently-born Prince Harry, Henry’s House is a challenging platform game with a twist.
Ant-ernative: Henry’s House – on the Commodore 64!
System: Commodore 64
Game: Way of The Exploding Fist
It’s time to break out the crunching punches and high-flying kicks with this famous beat-‘em-up from down under. A complex set of athletic moves is at your disposal in Fist, from the gut-wrenching mid-punch to a low sweep and the dramatic round-house kick. Way Of The Exploding Fist is a C64 game that’s as playable today as it was almost 40 years ago.
Ant-ernative: Battle Yaemon, the Grand Master of Flame in Gremlin’s gamebook adaptation, Avenger: Way of The Tiger II.
System: Commodore Amiga
Game: First Samurai
Vivid Image’s brilliant Eastern adventure is another recent addition to Antstream Arcade. The player is the titular swordsman thrust across time in pursuit of the evil Demon King. Fast-paced, beautiful, and smooth, this technically impressive effort by Mev Dinc and his team is the perfect slice of Amiga gaming.
Ant-ernative: Take on the Demon King again in Second Samurai.
System: Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
Game: Nightshade
The violent Sutekh has Metro City in his vice-like grip. The city’s heroic defender, Vortex, is vanquished. Up steps the mysterious Nightshade, ready to track down and foil Sutekh in this remarkable platform/point-and-click hybrid. First, however, he needs to free himself from his chair, preferably before that fizzing bomb goes off…
Ant-ernative: Explore a magical 8-bit kingdom as a famous 18th century author in the fantastic homebrew NES game, Jane Austen’s 8-Bit Adventures.
System: Nintendo Game Boy
Game: BurgerTime Deluxe
This renowned arcade platformer got a smart handheld upgrade in 1991, and you can play BurgerTime Deluxe on Antstream Arcade now! Chef Peter Pepper stars once more as the under-fire cook, and this Game Boy game features most of the gameplay that made the original such a compulsive experience, now with greater variety in its levels.
Ant-ernative: Another arcade-to-handheld upgrade: Super Hunchback
System: Sega Mega Drive
Game: Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe
Welcome to the manic, vicious and violent world of Speedball! Based in spirit on the 1975 James Caan movie, “Rollerball”, Speedball 2 is one of the finest futuristic sports games of all time. The objective is simple: catch and throw the ball into the opposition’s goal. But watch out: the other team is likely to slide tackle or even punch your players – all within the game’s rules!
Ant-ernative: Super Kick Off. More football, less violence.
System: Sinclair ZX Spectrum
Game: Saboteur!
Clive Townsend’s heady mix of ninjas and James Bond is a true ZX Spectrum legend that we’re honoured to host on Antstream Arcade. Your task as the eponymous mercenary is to infiltrate the enemy HQ and steal a set of computer disks before escaping in a helicopter. Free-roaming and boasting huge graphics, Saboteur! has rightly become revered among 8-bit fans.
Ant-ernative: You can also play the C64 and Amstrad CPC versions of Saboteur! on Antstream Arcade.
System: Sony PlayStation
Game: Glover
Gaming decisively entered the third dimension in the nineties with the advent of powerful new consoles such as the PlayStation. Antstream Arcade is proud to present one of the finest arcade adventures on the Sony machine, the story of a cute four-fingered glove named Glover, who’s on a mission to collect lost crystals and restore his kingdom to its former glory.
Ant-ernative: Re-Loaded. Slightly less cute 3D action.
System: Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
Game: Rival Turf!
Fans of Final Fight and Streets of Rage will find plenty to get their pulses going in this scrolling brawler from Jaleco. In a totally unoriginal development, rival gang The Street Kings has kidnapped your girlfriend Heather, forcing Jack and his friend Oozie to take to the streets to get her back. Punch and kick past a horde of dangerous gang members before facing off against their leader, Big Al. Let’s fight!
Ant-ernative: Brawl Brothers, also from Jaleco.
To keep up to date with all things Antstream Arcade, check us out on Discord, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) @AntstreamArcade. Pick up Antstream Arcade on Xbox today.
Antstream Arcade
Antstream Ltd
$29.99
Your ultimate gaming arcade is here with over 1300 classic games from the 80s, 90s, and 00s. Get a full year’s access to the world’s largest official retro gaming catalog of games. Antstream Arcade gives you unrestricted access to some of the best games ever made and new games are added every month. Feel the nostalgia by playing games from your childhood or discover new gems you never knew existed. Experience a world of gaming in a new way with:
* Over 600 original mini-game challenges, with new challenges every month. Take on your friends or the global leaderboards, or just try to earn gold in your favorite games.
* Participate in global weekly tournaments. Take on the world and show everyone your elite gaming skills.
* Set a community challenge with Giant Slayer. Take on the global community of retro gamers by setting a high score and challenging them to beat it. Will the community slay your score or will you be a giant amongst them?
* Pick up that second controller and enjoy some classic couch co-op action with some of the best Beat’em ups, Shmups, Fighters, Platformers, and more at your fingertips.
* Save your game at any point and pick up where you left off. Multiple people playing the same game? No problem, you have 4 save slots on every game to play with and a continue to pick up wherever you left off.
* Leave your mark by immortalizing yourself in the high score table of any game or challenge.
* Challenge a friend in Duel. Play any challenge and see if they can beat you.
Antstream Arcade is the largest Retro Gaming platform with the biggest catalog of classic games that can be streamed straight to you. The Arcade is constantly being updated with new games, challenges, features, and game modes. This purchase gives you a full year’s access and can be extended with 1-year subscription.
