Atari Brings back the Dead

This generation has been full of game series being brought back from the depths of the unknown into the known. Revitalizations such as A Boy and his Blob, Bomberman, Bonk, Blaster Master, Mega Man, Son(let's not get carried away, just yet...), and Kid Icarus have been arriving over the last few years and into the future. Well, it seems Atari is coming back with its own revitalizations.

From the Old...

To the New...

Haunted House, one of the more remembered titles from the 2600 days, is coming back through Wii, Xbox Live Arcade, and PC. It appears to take the core elements of the original and throws it on its head, as a good re-imaging should. It even stars the original game's grandchildren. How odd that a series this old has continuity. Either way...

Enter the Haunted House if you dare. Atari's classic groundbreaking game has returned with more chills, cool new unlockables and plenty of spooky new enemies. The terrifying fun that lies within Graves Mansion is back as Atari, one of the world's most recognized publishers and producers of interactive entertainment, scares up its legendary classic, Haunted House - re-imagined for a new generation of gamers in celebration of the title's 30th anniversary. Haunted House will take control of Wii, Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Windows PC Download this fall, with suspense filled challenges, new chilling environments and more frightful enemies than ever before.

Haunted House pays homage to the classic favorite as players fight for their lives in Graves Mansion as the grandchildren of the original character that disappeared without a trace in the evil mansion over 30 years ago. Chased by pesky poltergeists, haunted by scary skeletons and exhausted from battles with creepy creatures, players are in a goosebump-educing fight to explore the dark and creepy depths of Graves Mansion in search of the four lost pieces of the magical urn. The player's goal is to reassemble the urn and defend their family's legacy with the aid of mystical tomes, powerful light sources and multiple keys.

"The glowing eyes and mysterious urn of Haunted House still resonates with gamers who made the original franchise a blockbuster hit," says Jim Wilson, President of Atari. "Atari looks forward to introducing a new generation of gamers to the fun and suspense of Graves Mansion and bringing families together with the magic that is Haunted House."

The pick up-and-play arcade-style adventure allows players to jump right in and begin battling for their family's legacy and explore the dark and mysterious levels. An eerie, 3D rich environment of towers, basements and catacombs draws players into the haunted world and cursed story. Find hidden treasures, solve puzzles, fight bosses, and navigate through the spooky mansion and multiple levels on the way to a showdown with Zachary Graves.

The title is expected to spook gamers early Fall (September) 2010. As for pricing, I sure hope the versions are at least within ten dollars together, but who knows? That's the scary part.

FURTHERMORE, while not entirely proven, it appears that Centipede and another old Atari favorite are coming to Xbox 360 and PS3 as well, if Gamefly is correct. We'll keep you up to speed on any official announcement.

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