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Yars Rising: How Atari’s 1982 Yars’ Revenge Became a Modern Action-Adventure

Yars Rising is a new 2D action-adventure, not a remake of Yars’ Revenge. Here’s how its hacking minigames, story, and exploration connect to Atari’s 1982 game.
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Yars Rising is not a remake of Yars’ Revenge. It is a new, story-led 2D action-adventure from WayForward that carries the Atari franchise into platforming, stealth, exploration, and hacking. Its clearest link to the 1982 Atari 2600 game is in the hacking minigames—and, on Steam, the option to play the original from the main menu.

What is Yars Rising?

Developed by WayForward Technologies and released on September 10, 2024, Yars Rising follows Emi Kimura, a young hacker hired to infiltrate QoTech. Atari describes it as a 2D action-adventure that combines platforming, stealth traversal, science-fiction story exploration, and abilities that open access to new areas. Those are the publisher’s descriptions of the game’s design, not independent performance or review findings. Atari’s game page

How is it connected to Yars’ Revenge?

Yars’ Revenge, developed by Howard Scott Warshaw and released by Atari for the Atari 2600 in 1982, is the franchise’s original reference point. Atari calls it the best-selling first-party game on the Atari 2600, but does not give a sales figure on the cited page. Atari’s Yars’ Revenge page

The connection in Yars Rising is a homage rather than a recreation of the original game’s format. Steam says the newer game’s hacking minigames reference Yars’ Revenge and that players can launch the original from Yars Rising’s main menu. Steam listing for Yars Rising

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#1 Best Overall
Yars Rising - Nintendo Switch
  • 2D Platforming Action: Emi must jump, blast and sneak her way past waves of robotic and alien enemies. Her latent powers are revealed as the game progresses, granting her wild augments and biohacks that let her reach previously inaccessible areas. A sprawling, interconnected map allows for hours of exploration.
  • Sci-Fi Intrigue: A seemingly bottomless mystery takes Emi from drab office buildings into hidden underground labs, and even to the farthest reaches of space as she uncovers the dark truth behind the QoTech corporation and discovers her own personal connection to an alien race.
  • Challenging Retro Minigames: A series of hacking minigames pay homage to the original Yars’ Revenge, which fans love for its top-down, quick twitch gameplay.
  • Stealth Traversal: Emi can’t always shoot or jump her way out of a jam – tense sections of stealth gameplay force her to duck into the shadows to hide from relentless security guards.
  • Classic WayForward Aesthetics: With fantastically rendered 3D environments and an ensemble of captivating characters, the WayForward team brings Emi’s story to life as only they can. Play the OG: Discover the first game in the Yars franchise by playing WayForward’s modern take on Yars’ Revenge, accessible right from the main menu.

What changed between the two games?

The scale and structure are different. Yars’ Revenge is the Atari 2600-era origin of the franchise; Yars Rising places its action-adventure around a named protagonist, a science-fiction infiltration story, and movement through areas that open up as Emi gains abilities. Platforming and stealth sit alongside hacking sequences, where the older game’s influence is most directly visible.

That makes Yars Rising a substantial genre shift, not a remake of the 1982 game. Atari presents it as a new chapter in the franchise, while Steam’s main-menu access to the original gives players a direct way to revisit the earlier title. Atari’s game page Steam listing

Rank #2
Yars Rising
  • 2D Platforming Action - Emi must jump, blast and sneak her way past waves of robotic and alien enemies. Her latent powers are revealed as the game progresses, granting her wild augments and biohacks that let her to reach previously inaccessible areas
  • Sci-Fi Intrigue - A seemingly bottomless mystery takes Emi from drab office buildings into hidden underground labs, and even to the farthest reaches of space as she uncovers the dark truth behind the QoTech corporation and discovers her own personal connection to an alien race
  • Challenging Retro Minigames - A series of hacking minigames pay homage to the original Yars’ Revenge, which fans love for its top-down, quick twitch gameplay
  • Stealth Traversal - Emi can’t always shoot or jump her way out of a jam – tense sections of stealth gameplay force her to duck into the shadows to hide from relentless security guards
  • Classic WayForward Aesthetics - With fantastically rendered 3D environments and an ensemble of captivating characters, the WayForward team brings Emi’s story to life as only they can
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Platforms and where to find it

Atari’s product page links to Xbox, Steam, PlayStation, and Epic Games Store. The company’s annual report lists PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Atari VCS, and Nintendo has an official Switch listing. Storefront availability can vary by region and change over time, so check the listing for your platform before buying. Atari’s game page Nintendo Switch listing

Atari also advertises a physical edition and names Amazon, Walmart, Target, GameStop, and Best Buy as retailers. Those retailer references do not establish present stock or price. For a physical copy, check the retailer directly; for a digital copy, use the relevant platform storefront. Atari’s game page

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Quick Recap

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Yars Rising
Yars Rising
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Minecraft - Nintendo Switch
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PGA TOUR 2K25 - Nintendo Switch 2
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  • Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
  • Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
  • Includes Super Mario Mash-Up, Natural Texture Pack, Biome Settlers Skin Pack, Battle & Beasts Skin Pack, Campfire Tales Skin Pack; Compatible with Nintendo Switch only

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