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    Antstream Arcade review: affordable arcade game streaming


    Two-minute review

    Antstream Arcade is a cloud gaming service geared entirely towards retro titles. It offers an extensive library of more than 1,300 games from across a wide variety of genres and many of the best retro games consoles including arcade classics like Pac-Man, Galaga, and Dig Dug. Unlike many modern retro collections that you can find on the Nintendo Switch or cheap retro handhelds, a lot of these iconic titles are available in their rare original arcade versions, which is a huge selling point for serious retro enthusiasts.

    The vast majority of the games that I tested performed very well over cloud streaming, presumably due to their simplicity, and are perfect for the kind of pick-up-and-play sessions that cloud gaming services encourage. Being able to instantly boot up Antstream Arcade for a cheeky game of Space Invaders or Metal Slug X on almost any device is super convenient and a brilliant way to kill time. I did find, however, that more complex titles like the PlayStation version of Worms suffered from substantially longer loading times and so lost some of the appeal. 

    While unlimited solo play is included with the premium subscription, you can spend and earn bonus gems in a range of optional challenges, online tournaments, and even a score-based player vs player duel mode. Trying to beat Pac-Man without eating any dots or having to survive five bosses from Gunbird 2 in as few lives as possible can be a refreshing diversion every now and again and is an interesting way to recontextualize these old games. 

    The main menu of Antstream Arcade.

    (Image credit: Antstream)

    Unfortunately, the cumbersome UI detracts from the overall experience. It’s an overwhelming mix of game cover art, multiple tabs, and huge banners that is functional enough to get you into the most popular titles without much hassle but makes navigating through the wider catalog a pain. There’s also the fact that a lot of the library’s titles are, to put it bluntly, not really worth your time. The likes of The Official Father Christmas or Operation Fireball are great inclusions for the sake of presentation but aren’t likely to become anyone’s new favorites.

    Still, there are enough big hitters to justify the price of admission, and, considering the fact that simply no other cloud gaming service offers the breadth and variety of old titles that you can find here, it’s easy to recommend Antstream Arcade to those interested in retro gaming.

    Launching a challenge in Antstream Arcade.

    (Image credit: Antstream)

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    dash.wood@futurenet.com (Dashiell Wood)

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