If you were gamer in the 1980s or 90s, Acclaim Entertainment will be a familiar brand name. The publisher had a spree of hits thanks to big sports and entertainment partnerships with the WWF, NBA, NFL and Marvel alongside ports of Midway arcade games like Mortal Kombat.
The company declared bankruptcy in 2004 but now it's back. With the same name and a now very retro-looking logo design (still with the 'Cs' that look like 'K's), the brand is being relaunched as an indie publisher. And it even has a former pro wrestler on its advisory board (see our pick of the best retro consoles if you're feeling the nostalgia).
The new Acclaim has an entirely new team led by CEO Alex Josef, who founded the publisher Graffiti Games. Greg Fischbach, who founded Acclaim in 1987, is not involved in the project.
In the announcement, the company says it intends to support indie developers and reignite classic franchises" by providing funding, marketing and PR support. One of the key goals is to "resurrect and revitalize its beloved portfolio of classic IP enjoyed for years by millions of players," it says.
To guide that process, Acclaim has assembled an advisory board that comprises Russell Binder at Striker Entertainment, Mark Caplan at Ridge Partners, and Jeff Jarrett of Global Force Entertainment. Yes, that's Jeff Jarrett the wrestler known for posing as a country music star and smashing guitars over opponents heads in the WWF back in the early 90s.
He says his involvement with the old 16-bit WWF titles and TNA Wrestling series showed him the "impact great games can have on players and fans". "Resurrecting Acclaim is an opportunity to impart the same degree of passion and love to a new generation, and I'm excited to be involved," he says.
The fact that the logo now looks so retro adds to the nostalgia value of the brand relaunch, but I can't help wondering if that will enough to make it a success. The company says it will be focusing on original new IP, but there's a strong emphasis on revivals. It will be interesting to see what Acclaim starts with.
For now the 'Games' section on its website reads 'coming soon', and some of the big Acclaim franchises are now with other companies. Warner Bros now has Mortal Kombat, EA has NBA Jam and Universal Studios owns Turok. Several old Acclaims games have already seen revivals, such as Nightdive Studios' Shadow Man remake. Other options could include Judge Dredd, Wizards and Warriors and – er – BMX XXX (see above). Will they be enough?
