Yars: Recharged
Yars: Recharged is the latest title from Adamvision Studios and SneakyBox, the team behind the Atari Recharged series, infusing elements of arcade, shoot-em up, and bullet hell into the classic's formula. Yars: Recharged requires players to remain acutely aware of visual and audio cues that hint of impending danger, and to master rhythm of each boss as they navigate increasingly complex enemy defenses, all to epic soundtrack by Megan McDuffee.
SCREENSHOTS
HISTORY
Yars: Recharged is a twin-stick shooter developed by Vancouver-based company Adamvision Studios and published by Atari. It is a remake of Yars' Revenge, a 1982 Atari 2600 shooter. It was released on August 23, 2022, for Atari VCS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. Unlike the previous remake, Yar's Revenge, it stays significantly closer to the source material, with top-down neo-retro style graphics and its Yar protagonist being an anthropomorphic fly. The player must charge a meter that powers the Zorlon Cannon, the only thing that can penetrate the shields of the Qotile, while defeating other enemies and dodging the Qotile's devastating lasers. The game received positive critical reception, citing how it built upon the original game while maintaining its classic arcade feel. The game is part of the Atari Recharged remake series.
Reception
The game received an aggregate score of 83/100 for its Switch version on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Shaun Musgrave of TouchArcade rated the game 9/10 points, calling himself a "big fan". Saying that its stage designs set the game apart, he praised it as adapting the good aspects of the original while improving on it both in visuals and gameplay. Retro Gamer magazine rated the game 78/100, describing it as a "fresh take" on the original, despite minor performance issues and high difficulty.
In contrast, Tom Massey of Nintendo Life rated the game only 6/10 stars, calling it repetitive. While saying it had fun core gameplay and clean graphics, he noted that it had a slower pace than the original.
References
STORY
A daring attack against the enemy homeworld, guarded by mechanical hives that pulse deadly cannons and emit flurries of swirling missiles. Shoot from range as you find pockets of safety amongst the hail of incoming fire, and then dart forward in daring forays to nibble away at the enemies defenses. Gather enough energy by destroying the enemy’s shields and you can power up your massively destructive Zorlon cannon, which sends searing blasts of golden energy into the enemy hive.
GAMEPLAY VIDEO
TRAILERS
STORES best right now: PlayStation Store −75%
Prices are cached from each storefront and may be out of date. Last checked 24 Sept 2026.
PRICE HISTORY
Every price change we know of, per shop. Flat means the price held; PC shops reach back through IsThereAnyDeal's archive, console shops start when this site started watching.
Epic Games Store low: $2.49 (7 Sep 2026) , GOG low: $2.49 (31 Aug 2026) , PlayStation Store low: $2.49 (24 Sep 2026) , Steam low: $2.49 (24 Aug 2026) , Xbox low: $2.49 (11 Sep 2026)
REVIEWS
Published elsewhere, collected here. Every score is the outlet's own, on the outlet's own scale. Follow the link for the full review.
“At the current asking price of $9.99, Atari's arcade action game Yars: Recharged is an easy recommendation for your Nintendo Switch library. This is a fun game with enough challenge to keep you playing for hours.”
“The classic Atari 2600 has gotten a significant upgrade, helping it more fully realize the potential it always had”
“Yars: Recharged is a remake of the best-selling Atari 2600 game, and it's easy to see why it was so popular! This game will keep bringing you back for more with fun and challenging gameplay.”
“Atari didn't owe us this one. The best selling original game is back, and it's just as fulfilling as the old one. There are some unfair nuances that you have to get past, but for $10, you owe it to your childhood to play this game, beat this game, and help Yar finally get the revenge they seek. Step up. This IS your grandparents' bullet hell game.”
“Yars: Recharged is by far the best Atari Recharged game so far and one of the most enjoyable twin-stick shooters that I've ever played. With its impressively strategic elements and brutally difficult challenges, I can't stop wanting to play it so I think I'll go do that now.”
“Yars: Recharged is a fantastic arcade title that oozes nostalgia. Can you complete every mission and destroy the enemy hive? Chew, shoot, and blast your way to victory. Enjoy this solo or with a friend as you aim for the top score.”
“Another Atari classic got its neon makeover, and this is the best one so far. Yars: Recharged will keep you entertained with its easy to understand action and responsive controls.”
“More than just a reskinned version of a very old Atari game, Yars: Recharged is the culmination of what this particular subseries from Atari was intended to be. It’s not a mere HD version of a classic arcade game with one or two new elements, it fully reinvents the formula of the original with a brand new gameplay loop, all while staying true to its roots. Add in an addictive (and very infuriating, may I add) mission mode, and you get what’s possibly the peak of the Recharged series, and most certainly the best title Atari has released in more than a decade.”
“Yars: Recharged is a great remake that vastly improves the gameplay of the original classic, featuring new weapons, more challenges and more balanced difficulty, with original graphics and music that reinforce its modern retro spirit. Unfortunately the gameplay can become repetitive over time, in addition to having a bug that reduces the music as we go through the levels and that spoils the experience a little. Still, it's a solid, fun game for anyone who wants to challenge themselves with a simple, mechanically satisfying indie game.”
“Yars: Recharged brings back the bullet hell style of the past in a not-so-creative, yet competent and effective way. The formula replicated by Atari seems to still be working and this type of release always makes us curious to know what else they plan to rescue for current platforms.”
“A saga that started way back has returned with its classic shoot 'em up elements and revamped visuals made in Atari.”
“Yars: Recharged has all of the underpinnings of a successful score chaser, but the premise just isn’t taken far enough to stand out in this day and age.”
“If you liked the previous Atari Recharged titles, Yars: Recharged presents another enjoyable diversion and interesting take on the theme. While not always as thrilling as it could be, the design overhaul still works well. That said, those who aren’t entirely intrigued by the formula may find it repetitive and ultimately tiresome. This reimagined Atari catalogue would probably be better off as a compilation title rather than a segmented anthology. And who knows, that may still eventually come to pass.”
“Yars: Recharged will please fans of the 1981 original, but that isn't enough to excite in this day and age. Poorly implemented upgrades to aged mechanics and a flat presentation make this recharge run out of juice right out of the gate.”
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