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1,300 retro games land on iPhone and iPad soon - here's how to get them
It's time to relive the glory days of our youth.
Antstream
- Joshua Lamb
Published: Wednesday, 19 June 2024 at 9:41 am
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Fans of retro games will soon be able to access a library of more than 1,300 titles from a range of consoles including the Sega Genesis, SNES and PlayStation 1 on an iPhone and iPad.
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Owners of Apple devices have been able to revisit classic titles via the App Store for some time now, with games in Sega’s back catalogue such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Streets of Rage being available to officially download for free.
Games like Final Fantasy VII and Metal Slug are also playable - but at a cost.
More recently, Apple also changed its policy to allow game emulators to be downloadable on its App Store. This resulted in certain apps which emulate games from publishers like Nintendo topping the digital storefront’s charts.
A wave of such apps have continued to crop up since, but they usually require users to download ROMs for games online, which is technically classed as piracy.
However, Antstream will now release on the App Store on 27th June 2024, which will give players legal access to a raft of older titles such as Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, Asteroids and Super Star Wars.
It is set to become the first cloud gaming service to officially launch on Apple’s store.
Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on Antstream. Antstream
Some may already be familiar with Antstream, as it is currently available on both PC and Xbox, with the latter launching just last year.
It is a subscription service that allows members to play games from consoles that span generations, including early systems like the Commodore 64 all the way up to the PlayStation 1 via a heap of vintage titles that were found in Arcades.
As with other subscription services such as Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, titles are added and removed frequently, so there will often be something new to play. Originally-developed arcade games will also land on the platform.
Steve Cottam, Antstream’s CEO, said in a statement: "One of the main goals at Antstream is to allow gamers access to many of the greatest retro titles anytime, anywhere." He added that by launching the service on the App Store, their goal is "edging one step closer to reality".
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Prospective players in Europe, the United States and Brazil will be able to sign up when the app becomes available later this month.
Aside from the big library of games, Antstream also hosts weekly tournaments, allows people to take on a variety of in-game challenges and has global leaderboards for gamers to grind their way to the top of.
Users will also be able to save their progress mid-game and pick up from where they left off on other devices such as a Mac, Samsung TVs or an Xbox.
A subscription is set to cost £4.99 per month, or an annual bundle can be bought for £39.99. For a limited period at launch, Antstream is cutting the price for newcomers, with costs being reduced to £3.99 and £29.99 respectively.
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With a library as deep as Antstream’s, it can be tough to know where to begin, so check out our top five retro games on the service below:
- Super Star Wars (SNES): a notoriously challenging side scrolling action game based on 1977’s A New Hope.
- Re-Loaded (PS1): a bonkers and violent top-down shooter that uses multidirectional controls for maximum carnage.
- Centipede (Atari 8-Bit): The classic 1981 game that is a must for fans interested in video-game history.
- Day of the Tentacle (DOS): An early point and click adventure from LucasArts that boasts oddball characters and a stunning art style.
- Zombies Ate My Neighbours (Sega Genesis): Another LucasArts game, this one involves running around a neighbourhood that is overrun by grizzly zombies.
Antstream’s full line-up of games can be found on the service’s official website.
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Authors
Joshua LambFreelance Writer
Joshua Lamb is a freelance writer at Radio Times Gaming, covering news and guides. He is also a games journalist and critic at The Times where he reviews the latest titles, having also previously reported on events such as Gamescom and the BAFTA Game Awards.
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