Atari isn't shy about digging into its vast back catalog of titles to resurrect its old games if it thinks there is money to be made.
So far, this year, we've seen the company release a bunch of new games in its ongoing Recharged and Atari XP series, as well as stage a revival of the Atari 2600 game Haunted House and the unfinished prototype Akka Arrh. And now it appears that it has one final revival up its sleeve before we all kiss 2023 goodbye: a third-person multiplayer take on the 1983 arcade cabinet Food Fight (thanks Destructoid!).
Mega Cat Studios is the developer of the title, while Atari is responsible for its publishing. It recently launched in Early Access but is unfortunately only available currently on Atari VCS.
From what we can tell from the trailer, the game doesn't appear to have a whole much to do with the arcade original besides the overall theming around food. There is a single-player mode but much of the trailer and marketing materials are dedicated to showing off the various multiplayer modes, which can be played online or locally.
Here is a description of the project taken from Atari's website:
"Food Fight: Culinary Combat is a third-person shooter based on the classic Atari game Food Fight. Charley Chuck is back, and this time the world is bigger and better than ever before. Enter the Atariverse, where you’ll meet developers of the original Food Fight, as well as characters from classic Atari games like Centipede, Yars’ Revenge, and more! You can also practice your skills at the shooting range, check out Atari artifacts in the museum, or head over to Antonio’s for a slice. The real meat of this feast is the combat. Fill your fork with multiple game modes, like the winner-takes-all Buffet Brawl, or the floor-destroying Crumbling mode. That’s not all! Find circuit boards to unlock fully playable Atari arcades. Get new outfits for your characters and customize their look. Climb your way to the top of the leaderboards to prove you’re the head chef in the kitchen! This is Food Fight like you’ve never seen it before!"
If you happen to own an Atari VCS, you should be able to download the Early Access version now. A PC and console release is expected in the future.