Antstream, the first cloud gaming platform dedicated to retrogaming, has managed to raise the necessary funds on Kickstarter to become reality. Given the uproar aroused in every part of the world for this new reality and the relatively small amount required (58,000 dollars) to reach the goal, it would have been easy to bet, perhaps with a MI lottery promo code, on the success of this crowdfunding.

Antstream will grow step by step. Initially it will start with an Early Access for all those who have paid something on Kickstarter and will be able to try the service on PC, Mac, Xbox One and Android. Then it will also arrive on Playstation 4 (where a lot of people are waiting for Streets of Rage 4), whose support was linked to one of the secondary objectives of the Kickstarter campaign. During 2019, the beta version should also arrive, although its release date has not yet been announced with precision.

More than 400 playable titles will be available at the launch, but the list will continue to grow over the months. Clicking here you will find the complete list of 400 games and as you can see there are video games from ZX Spectrum, Commodore Amiga, Commodore 64, obviously arcade titles and the 16-bit console of Sega, the Megadrive. Among the many names we could list, we’ll mention Athena, Burger Time, Grand Prix Simulator, Ikari Warriors, Joe & Mac, California Games, Zool, Speed Ball 2 and Double Dragon. The funds from the Kickstarter campaign will be used to further expand the collection of games of the service.

Taking advantage of the latest cloud-based game technology, Antstream is very simple: install the app, create an account, choose a game, and then use it to create your own… games. It’s not a coincidence that Antstream called itself the Netflix of retrogaming. On the other hand, the Netflix of today’s videogames seems to be destined to become Google Stadia.

Antstream’s unique multiplayer challenge system adds something new to some of the most iconic games ever created, allowing players to challenge their friends to Score Attacks, Speed Runs and Boss Rushes among others. Players can beat their friends or user base around the world, play alone, win medals or set records.

“Giving instant access to fantastic games is at the heart of our work. Finding and securing rights to titles is not an easy task. We’re sure that Antstream will be the retro gaming experience we’ve been looking for since the beginning,” explains Steve Cottam, CEO of Antstream.

“The video game industry has suffered greatly from the absence of a way to play some titles years after the original platform had disappeared from the markets,” adds Koichi Toyama, CEO of SNK. “We are working together with Antstream to find a solution to this problem and allow everyone to play and challenge their friends in their favorite games of the past.”

Those who have already tried Antstream talk about a decidedly well optimized service with no lag problems in the response time between giving a command on a controller and its reception by the software. So, are you dear readers interested in Antstream? Let us know your opinion in the comments!

Carl Williams

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