What does it mean to re-make a classic 80's game for modern times? Well, many things... Not just what platforms it needs to be on or how to revamp the art style, but also how to pinpoint what parts of the classic game are most iconic, and what new elements can be introduced to expand the classic experience. Exploring challenges and thought process behind Atari: Recharged series.

1. Do you remember your first game?

3. Classic games and
challenges of recharging
them for modern times
Tadas Migauskas

4. In this presentation
▶ Challenge 1 We didn’t know anything
▶ Challenge 2 SDK problem and running out of time
▶ Challenge 3 Dollar signs
▶ Challenge 4 Starting a NEW game

5. We didn’t know
anything

6. Getting our feet wet. We didn’t know anything.
▶ We had no prior experience
with these classic games
▶ We knew we had to break this
challenge into smaller
challenges or pillars

7. Getting our feet wet. We didn’t know anything.
First pillar
Artwork

8. Getting our feet wet. We didn’t know anything.
▶ Reusable code base for 4 games
▶ Had to work on all our supported
platforms
▶ Pull requests and code reviews
Second pillar
Development

9. Getting our feet wet. We didn’t know anything.
● Creating a sense of progression
in an arcade game
● Challenges with individual
leaderboards with a focus on
speedrunning
● Achievements with a nod to rock
stars
Third pillar
Game Design

10. SDK problem and
running out of time

11. SDK problem and running out of time

12. SDK problem and running out of time
▶ We had to ask for more time but it
wasn’t comfortable
▶ Atari trusted us enough to extend the
timeline

13. Dollar $igns

14. Dollar Signs
▶ Original dollar signs in
Black Widow
▶ Why they didn’t fit us, but
we still liked it

15. Dollar Signs
▶ Collect dollars signs
for the Deadly Web
▶ What did we find
when playtesting

16. Starting a
NEW game

17. Starting a NEW game
▶ We had to estimate a new game
▶ What the players were expecting of the
next Recharged title to be?
▶ Our challenge was clear - come up with
something new

18. First Pillar - Artwork
▶ What we like about the original
▶ The concept art that started it all
▶ Planetside levels - its own look for
beauty and for communication

19. Starting a NEW game

20. Second Pillar - Game Design
▶ Introduction of new environments
▶ How we played with the controls
▶ Challenging environments

21. Third Pillar - Development
▶ Rewriting the codebase
▶ Fixes from one game instantly transfers
to another game
▶ Restructuring our repository

22. What was the
reception

23. Reception

24. Reception

25. Summary

26. Summary
▶ We didn’t know what we were doing at first
○ Breaking down a challenge into smaller chunks helps
▶ SDK issue that was out of our control
○ Keep an open and honest line of communication
▶ An iconic feature that doesn’t fit not necessarily needs to be cut
○ Think outside the box how you could use it to your advantage
▶ How doing the same thing for too long starts getting stale
○ Getting inspired by the original to try something new

27. The team

28. Sneakybox.biz
Tadas Migauskas
Project Manager
tadas.migauskas@sneakybox.biz