Atari's "Recharged" series has produced numerous sequels/remakes of classic Atari games, often adding co-op in the process. The latest such game will be Quantum: Recharged, which promises a new take on the 1982 arcade game. Atari and developer Sneakybox haven't shared any screenshots or footage yet, but we do know that the game will feature 2-player local co-op when it arrives on consoles and PC later this year.
The original QuantumAtari 50 - Quantum
Quantum was released to arcades in 1982. It features vector graphics and a trackball for controls. Players control a "probe" that emits a trail of light when it moves. The goal in each level is to draw circles around various atomic particles without colliding into the particles themselves. Once all particles in a level have been removed, the game proceeds to the next level.
Quantum is actually a pretty fun game that feels a bit like a precursor to Taito's Qix. The original Quantum is included on the robust Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection. As for the new game...
Quantum: Recharged Key Features: What’s Old is New: Use modernized movesets and powerups to avoid deadly laser attacks from Quarks and stalking Neutrons as you streak across the high-flying battlefield. Mode Madness: Two modes of gameplay — Challenge Mode and Arcade Mode — encourage you to either duke it out across 25 unique levels or just survive as long as you can against progressively dangerous waves of enemies. Power-Ups: Even the odds with randomly spawning perks like unlimited dodges, enemy freezing abilities, and extra life nodes. One powerup might turn the tide of battle, but multiple will pack a serious punch! Co-Op and Leaderboards: Cover more ground with a friend across all modes of play to strategically clear out enemies in tandem and compete in global leaderboards in both Arcade and Challenge modes.In addition to the features listed above, Quantum: Recharged will include new enemies and a soundtrack by Megan McDuffee that will vary its tempo with the gameplay. We're excited for this one, especially since it's building on such a strong arcade classic. For an example of how good the Recharged games can be, see our co-op review of Yars: Recharged.
Quantum: Recharged will be released on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and Steam sometime this year. A playable demo of the game will debut at the Brazilian Independent Games (BIG) Festival in São Paulo, which runs from June 28-July 2.
Update: We've added the trailer above.