Centipede Infestation from Nintendo

Remember that old video game from the dusty recesses of your childhood? You know, the one in the back of the pizza parlor. Remember? It was in between the Operation Wolf and the cockpit version of Star Wars. Remember now? Yes, I'm talking about that arcade classic; Centipede. It had a giant trackball and you just held down the fire button for all you were worth.

Well friends, it seems that it has had a rebirth. An update if you will. I never knew that Centipede was an apocalyptic game at all. Apparently though it was/is. Or at least its update is.

This comes from Nintendo:

Twelve years after a nuclear war, the world has turned into an uninhabitable wasteland with mutant insects and humanity holding onto survival in outposts hidden from the poisonous air and killer Centipedes. This Fall, Nintendo fans can become humanity's only hope for survival as Atari, one of the world's most recognized publishers and producers of interactive entertainment, and developer WayForward re-imagine the legendary video game franchise Centipede for a new generation of gamers with Centipede: Infestation.

"Centipede: Infestation modernizes one our most popular brands for Nintendo's youthful audience," said Jim Wilson, President and CEO of Atari S.A. "This game and other games to follow, further define Atari's strategy to build upon our library of celebrated IP and reimagine them for next generation game platforms."

Centipede: Infestation is a post-apocalyptic action experience that features run-n-gun shooting style gameplay with tower defense-style objects, paying homage to the original Centipede while bringing the brand into the 21st century. Players assume the role of an orphaned teenager hero named Max as he trudges through the wasteland, fighting off giant bugs. During Max's travels he encounters a young teen named Maisy who possesses a collection of seeds that hold the secret to bringing plant life back to the wasteland. Max and Maisy join forces to grow these gardens and protect the last natural resources on earth.

Players will be swarmed by mutated spiders, beetles, grubs, caterpillars, moths, and boss insects across the game's expansive world of seven environments and 40 stages. To defeat these mutant species and restore mankind, players will have to use an array of weaponry - Lightning Orb Gun, Nuke Cannon, Freezethrower, Mine Launcher, and more - as well as power-ups to fight through the invasions.

Like the toadstool of the original Centipede game, each insect has a unique defensive object that it can leave behind, as a 'special' variation. These defensive objects are short-lived combat tools that distract, attack, or block insect assaults during battle.

Additionally, the game allows players to team up with friends to fight off even more bugs with 2 player co-op multiplayer features. Nintendo 3DS players will be able to take advantage of unique StreetPass features that enable them to uniquely share content between passing Nintendo 3DS users. Centipede: Infestation for Nintendo 3DS will also feature gooey 3D visuals and ad-hoc multiplayer for 2 player co-op.

For more information, please log onto http://www.atari.com/.


And here's a small taste of game play. For the record, I'd have liked to see more ruins.