Atari and Mega Cat Studios have released Food Fight: Culinary Combat, a multi-player reimagining of the somewhat bizarre 1983 arcade game, into Early Access. The catch is that, right now, it’s exclusively available on the Atari VCS.
As a note of disclosure, I did a stint with Mega Cat Studios writing for their blog and for a still unannounced (and maybe canceled?) game. They weren’t working on Food Fight at the time, as far as I know.
By the looks of things, Food Fight: Culinary Combat doesn’t really have anything to do with the 1983 arcade game. Maybe. It’s hard to tell. It’s the type of trailer that cuts so frequently that you don’t get a very good look at things. There is a single-player mode, and maybe you fight chefs, or perhaps instead, it’s zombie food.
What I do know is that there’s multi-player. There are four modes across six different maps, all with food-related names like King of the Cone, Buffet Brawl, Cookie Collector, and Crumbling. There are shades of Splatoon in all of this, though I don’t think the formulas are related. There’s also a hub world where “you can play classic arcade games, purchase new gear, and interact with the locals.”
It’s interesting to see an Atari VCS exclusive release, even if it is early access. It will supposedly be released on PC and other platforms at a later date. Released in 2020, the console – or “home entertainment computer” – has had trouble establishing a place in the market. It has a seemingly loyal fanbase but hasn’t seen much mass market adoption. However, Atari continues to work to not only support it but also see if they can gain some traction.
On the other hand, Food Fight: Culinary Combat isn’t for me. I’m not much of a multiplayer person, and I don’t own an Atari VCS. On top of that, a lot of the early footage seems rough, not only in terms of gameplay but also in fidelity for some reason. I guess that’s what Early Access is for.
Food Fight: Culinary Combat is currently available in Early Acces on Atari VCS. PC and console versions will be coming at a later date.
