Key Takeaways
1. Seven classic Blizzard games from the 90s are now available on Microsoft’s Xbox Retro Classics streaming service, increasing the total to 95 games.
2. All new titles, including The Lost Vikings 2 and Blackthorne, are accessible to every Game Pass tier, including Game Pass Essential users.
3. The Lost Vikings, a significant puzzle-platformer, influenced cooperative gaming and features three Viking characters navigating an alien spaceship.
4. RPM Racing and its sequel, Rock n’ Roll Racing, are part of the lineup, showcasing isometric racing and chiptune music covers from popular songs.
5. Antstream Arcade plans to introduce more classic retro games in the future, supporting Microsoft’s goal of offering over 100 titles.
Seven classic games from the 90s created by Blizzard Entertainment are now part of Microsoft’s Xbox Retro Classics streaming service, raising the total number of games to 95. These titles come from the early days of Blizzard, when they were known as Silicon and Synapse. All seven new games are available for every Game Pass tier, even Game Pass Essential users.
Returning Titles and New Additions
The revamped library also reintroduces the PlayStation version of The Lost Vikings 2, a puzzle platformer from 1997, which was not featured in the Blizzard Arcade Collection. These retro games predate Blizzard’s rise with Warcraft. Among them is Blackthorne, a platformer with rotoscope animation that resembles Prince of Persia, where players take on the role of Kyle “Blackthorne” Vlaros. Xbox Retro Classics includes both the 1993 Sega Genesis and 1994 SNES versions.
Exploring The Lost Vikings
The Lost Vikings, released on the SNES in 1993, lets players control three Vikings named Erik, Baleog, and Olaf as they navigate through an alien spaceship in a puzzle-platforming adventure. This game had a significant impact on cooperative gaming, influencing titles like the Trine series.
The sequel, The Lost Vikings 2: Norse by Norsewest, was launched in 1997 and comes in two versions: the SNES edition retains the classic 2D style, while the PlayStation version showcases pre-rendered 3D sprites for a more refined appearance.
Racing Through The Classics
Completing the lineup is RPM Racing, a 1991 isometric racing game for the SNES that includes 128 upgradeable tracks, along with its sequel, Rock n’ Roll Racing, released on the SNES in 1993. This sequel is known for its amazing chiptune versions of songs like Black Sabbath’s Paranoid and Steppenwolf’s Born to Be Wild.
Back in the day, Blizzard was in its early stages as Silicon and Synapse, a small team focused on creating ports and original games before they moved on to iconic projects like Diablo, StarCraft, and World of Warcraft.
Gamers can enjoy this expanded selection of classic titles from the SNES, Genesis, and PlayStation through Game Pass on Xbox consoles, the Xbox PC app, or via cloud streaming on LG and Samsung Smart TVs or Meta Quest headsets.
Future Classics on the Horizon
This is only the start, as the team at Antstream Arcade has hinted at plans to bring back even more classic retro games in the upcoming year. This could help fulfill Microsoft’s promise of ‘100+ titles over time,’ with support from Activision Blizzard’s recent releases.
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