Halomay be one of the most popular video game series ever, but there’s still a game most fans probably haven’t heard of. WhileHalo: Combat Evolvedmay be the oldest game in the series,Halo 2600is by far the most retro. Developed for the Atari 2600,Halo 2600is a “demake” of theHaloseries, in which players battle Covenant enemies in 8-bit style.
Ever since the release ofHalo 2600in 2010 by a former Microsoft employee, major gaming franchises have seen a rise in the trend of “demakes”. Pixel-art games thatcall back to an earlier era of gamingdefined by arcades and more limited hardware have been more common in recent years, like withNinja Gaiden: Rageboundand the upcomingTerminator 2D: No Fate.
Halo 2600 Was An Unusual Halo Game
An Atari 2600 Game Made In The Modern Era
Gameplay-wise,Halo 2600most resembles Atari titles likeBerzerk,as players move throughout the 64 screens, shoot Covenant enemies, and pick up power-ups. Shields are a particularly useful power-up, as one shot from an enemy will insta-kill the player.The gametakes players through four distinct zones – basic outdoors, ice zones, Covenant bases, and boss stages – filled with classic Covenant foes like Elites and Grunts.
Halo 2600was released in 2010 by Ed Fries, best known for his time as vice president of game publishing at Microsoft from 1986 to 2004. Fries was inspired to program after reading more in-depth about the Atari system andfound the challenge of adding complicated characters like Master Chiefto such a limited system to be fun.
Halo’s Demake Set The Stage For More To Come
Modern Pixel Art Spin-Offs Are Increasingly Common
Ever since Ed Fries’ 2010 project, throwback pixel-art“demakes” have become increasingly common for popular series. As graphics get more and more realistic,AAA franchises are looking backto simpler times, with simpler graphics, to entice audiences who want something different. The most recent of these isNinja Gaiden: Ragebound, a platformer that allows players to mow through demons with classic hack-and-slash gameplay.
Just beforeNinja Gaiden: RageboundwasFive Nights at Freddy’s: Into The Pit. As another pixel-art style game,Into the Pitused the throwback look to connect to its time-traveling plot, as the main character is thrown back in time to when William Afton was on his murderous prowl.
Game franchises aren’t the only ones getting into the retro action, asTerminator 2D: No Fateis set to release this October. Following the plot ofTerminator 2: Judgement Day, this demake feels exactly like the type of movie tie-in arcade cabinet one might’ve seen in the late 90s.
While the pixel-art style certainly isn’t unique in modern gaming, as indie developers often use it to craft beautiful worlds, likeStardew Valley, it is interesting how many large franchises have followed inHalo 2600’s footsteps to reimagine a modern title for an earlier age of gaming.
