Episodes

Earlier this year, when Atari acquired Thunderful Games, it came with talent that led to its sterling reputation as an indie games publisher. One example of that is Andreas Beijer, creative director at Atari (formerly at Thunderful). Having contributed to hit games like this year's Planet of Lana II and REPLACED, he has a clear, if not so obvious, impact on a plethora of critically acclaimed indie games released over the last decade. How did he get to this point? What goes into making a game fun...

One month after a certain "tactical espionage action" game debuted, Thief snuck its way onto PC with a radically different approach.. Its tough-as-nails stealth systems demand you take your time and plan the perfect heist as you sneak through the shadows, leverage low-tech gadgets like fire arrows, and only resort to combat as a last resort. It was successful enough to lead to many sequels across generations and inspire countless games that followed. So here we are now, 28 years after its initia...

Hot on the heels of our last Toy Story podcast, we're back to cover the other half of our upcoming double release: Toy Story: Retro Roundup! Developed by Digital Eclipse, doing what they do best, the title features a collection of classic titles across generations, in addition to a plethora of behind-the-scenes footage and game documents to explore the history behind the games from your childhood. Returning to the podcast is the legendary Chris Kohler (editorial director at DE) to run through al...

In 2010, Toy Story 3 shocked the gaming world with an incredible game that served as a perfect companion to the film of the same name. Not content with a dynamic campaign that took players through the events of the film (and then some), the title included an innovative "Toy Box" mode that was practically another game in and of itself, letting you explore various zones, accomplish missions for franchise characters, and customize the world to your liking. Fast forward to today, and we're on the br...

Bubsy 4D has been out since May, and we know you love it. We know the biggest problem you all had with the game was one thing: you wanted MORE. More Bubsy. More levels. More challenge. More skins. Just more everything. And you didn't want to pay anything for it. Fortunately for you, we heard your demands and just dropped the Black Hole update for Bubsy 4D. For a small fee of zero dollars, you're getting more levels. You're getting more challenge. You're getting more skins. You're getting more ev...

Dinosaurs: you love 'em. Tycoon games: you love 'em! Mash those two together, and you have a delightful peanut-butter-and-chocolate-like combination that is Parkasaurus. Under the bright and whimsical presentation lies a deep park builder with sci-fi twists and endless opportunities to build your dream Jurassic destination. While the title has been out for a few years on Switch and Steam, we partnered with Washbear Studio to bring the title to current-gen consoles with all DLC in tow. Joining me...

If you know anything about Atari, you know about Centipede. The legendary arcade game's timeless gameplay has remained a fixture in Atari's catalogue that's persevered through generations. The title has appeared on multiple platforms in different iterations, but never quite like this. Enter Centipede Swarm. Recently launched exclusively on Amazon Luna GameNight, Centipede Swarm reimagines the classic title as a bullet heaven co-op experience that takes cues from the original, but is built from t...

If you're a fan of fast-paced boomer shooters, you should know CULTIC. Influenced by classics like Blood, but with faster and more visceral gameplay, AND it was developed by one guy in Kansas, Jason Smith. While Jason was gracious enough to join the podcast and tell us the story behind the game's development, he was even more gracious to allow Atari to bring his title to consoles. And so, we find ourselves here. Joined by Atari producer Kay Bell, the three of us get deep into Jason's journey to ...

Nightdive is synonymous with meticulous remaster work. Be it for their treatment of System Shock, the Turok trilogy, Blood, or countless others, the name means something. That all started with one guy: Stephen Kick. CEO of Nightdive, his story is an entertaining one that starts with a bit of hustle, but is backed up by passion and dedication to every product that's come out since the company's inception. We talk about the journey, we talk about some fun anecdotes before Nightdive, and, of course...

One of the most competitive sides of the games industry is music composition. There are so many talented musicians and not enough games for them all, so it says a lot about the select few who can make a full-time career out of it. Fat Bard is one of those examples, and being hot off the heels of composing the Bubsy 4D OST, there was no better time to have them on to discuss their journey and the wide range of titles they've contributed to. The duo, Patrick Crecelius and Zach Fendelman, have been...

Bubsy 4D is finally here. Not only is it an important release for us at Atari, but it marks the SECOND important release for developer Fabraz in the span of about three months. This would be a feat for a large studio, so it's even more impressive that it was accomplished by a team of less than ten full-time developers. How did they do it? How did they get here? I wanted to dive deep into all of it, so I invited Ben Miller and Fabian Rastorfer, co-founders of Fabraz, to join me to talk all about ...

You've heard a lot about Bubsy 4D since it was announced back at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026, but have you asked yourself, "how?" Or "why?" Or "who?" If you had any of these questions, then this episode is specifically for you! I've gathered some key folks involved in getting the word out, including Sam Robertell (Social Media and Influencer Manager), Shah-Rukh Faridi (Asset Manager), and Fabian Rastorfer (Head of Marketing at Fabraz). We walk through all levers pulled to get the word out, ...

September 4, 2025 marked the launch of the beautiful pixel art metroidvania, Adventure of Samsara. On that same day, one other highly anticipated title came out that averted the gaze of many fans of the genre. Fast forward to now, and we've put the spotlight on Adventure of Samsara yet again with the massive 2.0 Update, including combat improvements, quality of life changes, a beastiary, and so much more! Joining me to go through all the details are Mark Perloff (Producer), along with developer ...

Everyone knows about Half-Life; it revolutionized first-person shooters and dominated the gaming landscape upon release. One of the many victims of this unfortunate release timing, SiN, is finally making its rightful comeback. While it garnered respectable reviews from critics, it never quite reached the commercial success that it was arguably due. Fast forward nearly 30 years, and SiN is about to make a triumphant return to PC and, for the first time, consoles, courtesy of Nightdive Studios and...

It's been a long time coming, but the release Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch is finally upon us! Deeply entrenched in Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse, the title sees its titular heroes brawl their way through classic and absurd locations alike, fighting a cavalcade of enemies that are as beautifully drawn and animated as they are dark and twisted. It's a love letter to Smith's world and characters, while also being a hilariously fun time for non-fans alike. To dive into how this project...

In 2021, Sad Cat Studios announced REPLACED during one of Microsoft's Xbox showcases. The reveal immediately put the title on players' list of most-anticipated titles thanks to its striking visuals and narrative premise in a unique dystopian world. Fast forward to today, when the game is less than one month away from release as part of the Atari family following the acquisition of Thunderful Publishing. This came as great news to me, as it opened the opportunity to chat with Sad Cat Studio's co-...

Localization is rarely a consumer-facing process. While we're far removed from the days of "all your base are belong to us", it's a critical component of any international game release. How do you make sure things make sense in each language? What's the difference between translation and localization? What's up with German? All of these questions and more are covered with our guest, Claudia Ricciuto (localization project manager), as we dive deep into what it takes to make a game comprehensible ...

Starting around mid-2025, VernNotice started streaming weekly on Atari's Twitch channel, playing new, old, and really old releases from Atari's library. Outside of that, he's a full-time streamer for his own channel. It's a world that's alien to me, so I've had my eye on this interview for a while to pick Vern's brain on all things streaming. We cover quite a few topics, including Vern's intro to streaming, what makes a good streaming game, neon lights, and so much more! YouTube: https://youtu.b...

During the mid-90s, a unique and unlikely mascot platformer emerged from Ubisoft: Rayman. 30 years and many entries and spin-offs later, the game that started it all is back via Digital Eclipse in a rather unique collection of titles. Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition gathers multiple versions of the original title across all platforms with the expected reverence that only Digital Eclipse can deliver, plus plenty of documentary footage and documents to tell the story of how the beloved limbless m...

[Recorded on March 26th, 2026] Way way WAY back in 2017, Digital Eclipse and Disney partnered to bring The Disney Afternoon Collection to Xbox One, PS4, and Steam, featuring classic retro Disney titles like Ducktales and TaleSpin among a handful of others. Fast-forward to now, and DE is back at the helm to bring the title to Switch and Switch 2 with some surprise additions. Noteable: Bonkers and Shinji Mikami's Goof Troop. Joining me to discuss the development of the original release and what's ...

We're back after our holiday hiatus! Game previews will be coming soon and often, but to kick things off, here's a bit of a self-indulgent treat for you all. AtariAge officially joined the Atari family in 2023, but it has been a staple in the homebrew community for decades before that. Albert Yaruso, one of the cofounders, continues its operations today, but has a much longer history in the game industry that crosses paths with some legendary titles. I'm not going to mince words: this one's for ...

If you've been following the happenings of Atari for the last few years, you've likely taken note of some of our frequent collaborators. One of them, Graphite Lab, has been delivering killer new titles like Kombinera, Mr. Run and Jump, and Qomp 2, while also serving as the current steward of RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic. That's in addition to fostering a number of other projects with various partners. At the center of their operation is Matt Raithel, Studio Director of Graphite Lab. Following th...

NOTE: This was recorded on October 30th. Please follow Atari and Digital Eclipse for the latest news and updates about our games. Mortal Kombat! This series needs no introduction, but it does have a story to tell. No, not the one about its kombatants, but rather its origins and rise to prominence. Mortal Kombat changed the gaming industry forever, so it would be no small undertaking to both tell the tale and deliver a wide collection of the classic series emulated to painstaking perfection. Fort...

Surprising you like a good ol' jump scare, the Atari and Apogee partnership rolls on with a shadow drop of Total Chaos on PC and consoles yesterday, November 20th. This one comes from the one-man shop, Sam Prebble/Trigger Happy Interactive, and is a follow-up to the commercial and critical success, Turbo Overkill. What you may not know is that Total Chaos came first, starting as a Doom 2 mod before being remade in its current terrifying form. I'm not going to spoil any more than that here, as Sa...