ARVORE and Atari announced the upcoming sequel to Pixel Ripped is set to arrive on all major headsets next month.
Update (May 22nd, 2023): ARVORE confirmed with Road to VR that Pixel Ripped 1978 is coming to Quest 2, PSVR 2, and SteamVR headsets on June 15th.
We’re sure to see plenty more gameplay between now and then. In the meantime, the studio released a behind-the-scenes look at the game’s development, posted below this update. The original article follows below:
Original Article (March 22nd, 2023): To bring the latest entry in the Pixel Ripped franchise to life, the Sao Paolo, Brazil-based Arvore has struck a major branding partnership with iconic gaming house ATARI.
In the trailer, you’ll see an Atari 2600 and a number of games, such as Crystal Castles (1983), Fast Freddie (1982), and Yars Revenge (1982).
While not the most influential titles to grace the console over its 15-year lifespan (1977-1992), the partnership is essentially allowing the studio to dispense with the ‘Pretendo’ and ‘GearKid’ soundalike consoles and near-beer versions of classic games, offering up a more direct homage to late ’70s and early ’80s gaming.
Here’s how Arvore and ATARI describe Pixel Ripped 1978:
Dot must join forces with “Bug,” the quirky visionary who developed the original Pixel Ripped series. Help Dot maneuver through multidimensional challenges to protect Bug’s childhood memories from the evil Cyblin Lord, a villain able to break through the screen and invade the real world. In the game. The setting? The intense burst of creativity that vibrated through the San Jose suburbs in the late 70s and early 80s. Feel the mighty effects of how the Pixel Stone alters reality itself!
The franchise’s titles are standalone experiences, which also includes Pixel Ripped 1989 (2018) and Pixel Ripped 1995 (2020).
Atari CEO Wade Rosen says Pixel Ripped 1978 is also aimed at “fans of Pixel Ripped and […] the broader Atari community.”
Pixel Ripped 1978 is slated to launch on PC, PSVR 2, Meta Quest 2, and PlayStation 5 at some point this summer.