If you’re a child of the 1990s, you will be familiar with the varying and creative intros of Acclaim, with their little Iguana getting up to no good, depending on the game you just slotted into your N64. Sadly, Acclaim went bankrupt in 2004, leaving many a gamer dismayed due to the fact that we will never see that green lizard ever again.
However, after news that UK publisher Acclaim will be resurrected 20 years later surfaced earlier this year, it now appears they are ready for a bold return. From Turok, to Mortal Kombat, these juggernauts of the 90s are coming back, ready for a showcase in September 2025.
Acclaim Games
Acclaim’s catalog of games is the stuff of legends. On one hand, they got us SNES classics like Mortal Kombat and the Double Dragon Series, but there have been a few downers as well. We wouldn’t go as far as saying these games are shovelware, but their bizarre marketing stunts and half-baked tie-in games definitely didn’t help their cause back in the day.
Having said that, even those duds are part of what makes Acclaim returning such an enticing prospect. Comparing this comeback with THQ Nordic gulping up IPs or Atari picking up five old Ubisoft titles wouldn’t be exactly fair. The name alone stirs up memories, with most of them great, but we see even the awful ones as more of a blessing than a curse.
The Time is Now But Why?
As much as it might feel like it, the timing is anything but random. With all the remake and remaster craze, nostalgia for these companies and their titles is higher than ever. The Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater remake demonstrated that with aplomb.
Retro-inspired titles have been on the forefront of indie development for a couple of years now and players seem to be here for it – at least that’s what the data shows.
How much of Acclaim’s return to form is going to be rehashing old titles remains to be seen, since the company hasn’t revealed which IPs they still have access to.
Even without these franchises, fans remain confident that Acclaim as a brand kind of carries itself, and they’re serious about being relevant again in the competitive gaming landscape of 2025.
Acclaim CEO Alex Josef said in a statement: “We’re not here to chase ghosts. We’re here to take the energy and chaos that made Acclaim unforgettable and channel it into something new.
“The old screens are cracking, and what’s coming through is something exciting and different.”
What Can Acclaim Fans Expect From The Showcase?
Sadly, this is where the trail ends, since no official lineup has been denied or confirmed.
Fans will have to wait until the Acclaim games showcase on September 10th to see what the developer has in store, which can be steamed via their YouTube channel from 2.30pm ET / 7.30pm BST.
Of course, Turok is one of the big ones, but all 3 main games have gotten a pretty successful remaster as of late, so it is likely they will announce a new entry in the dinosaur hunting series at the showcase.
The possibility that Acclaim sheds off its skin and focuses on brand-new projects rather than digging through the dusty vault of their catalog is quite high.
If they want to be taken seriously nowadays, they can’t rely on nostalgia alone.
That doesn’t mean they can’t lean into their strengths, but they need to give it a fresh coat of paint and combine indie creativity with AAA polish, if they want to resonate with the players of today.
