Developer Digital Cybercherries has just released NewRetroArcade, a brilliantly detailed 80’s arcade that’s built in Unreal Engine 4. Inside, players are taken on a nostalgia trip, able to play any one of many working arcade machines representing classic titles. The game supports the Oculus Rift as well as standard monitors.
Developer Digital Cybercherries released the title late Sunday evening during a stream of the game hosted on Twitch. NewRetroArcade, which is free to download, was built as a learning experience in UE4 VR development, says the developer.
NewRetroArcade features a number of playable arcade machines with games from the 80’s and early 90’s. There’s also a playable Gameboy, bowling alley, basketball arcade machines, and even a working dart board. To really take you back, cassette tapes scattered throughout the arcade can be inserted into a boom box to play popular music from the era. Players can even choose to stream internet radio from retro stations within the game.
The developer says that ample use of Substance Designer, a UE4 plugin, was employed to develop the title’s brilliantly detailed surfaces. The developer says that there has been some initial optimization for keeping framerates high in virtual reality, but players will still need some meaty hardware for smooth playback in VR; the game includes several options for toggling graphical fidelity.
The game utilizes the Gearboy emulator, a multi-platform Game Boy and Game Boy Color emulator. For legal reasons, the ROMs are not included in the download of NewRetroArcade, but the game automatically downloads them to make the arcade machines playable.
Arcade machines buzz, neon lights glow, and the sounds of the 80’s float through the air. This is one you don’t want to miss!
