How to Play Today

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Llamasoft games are more accessible than ever — here is how to reach them.

Steam — Modern Releases

Llamasoft has a significant presence on Steam. The three key releases are:

  • Tempest 4000 — The most recent tube shooter evolution. Available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Closest to Tempest 2000's vision on modern hardware.
  • The Llamasoft Story (Digital Eclipse, 2024) — The essential collection. Covers the full Llamasoft catalogue with historical documentation, interviews, and playable originals. Available on PC, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox.
  • Minotaur Arcade — Mobile games (Gridrunner, Super Ox Wars) also available on PC via Steam. Good entry point for newcomers.

Search Steam for "Llamasoft" or "Tempest 4000" to find all current releases. See the full Catalogue for platform details.

PS Vita — TxK

TxK (2014) was a PS Vita exclusive — Tempest 2000's spiritual successor on Sony's handheld hardware. It never received a wider release, making it one of the more difficult Llamasoft games to access.

TxK remains available digitally on the PlayStation Store for Vita owners. It is widely considered the finest use of the Vita's hardware and Minter's best work between Tempest 2000 and Tempest 4000. A PC version was planned but never released.

VICE — C64 Emulation

The VICE emulator (Versatile Commodore Emulator) is the standard solution for running the C64 Llamasoft catalogue on modern systems. Available free for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

C64 game files (.d64, .t64) can be sourced from Lemon64 and the Internet Archive. Gridrunner, Iridis Alpha, Batalyx, Sheep in Space, and all other C64 titles run correctly under VICE. See Resources for download links.

Configure VICE with a proper joystick for the authentic experience — keyboard play works but misses the rhythm that makes these games compelling.

Hatari — Atari ST Emulation

Hatari is the recommended emulator for Atari ST and STE software. Llamatron: 2112 (Atari ST version) runs well under Hatari on all major platforms.

The ST version of Llamatron is freely available — Minter released it as freeware. It is preserved by the Internet Archive and the Atari ST fan community. See Resources for the link.

BigPEmu — Atari Jaguar

BigPEmu is the best Atari Jaguar emulator, providing accurate emulation of Tempest 2000 and Defender 2000. It is free and actively maintained.

Tempest 2000 ROMs are legally available through the Internet Archive for research and preservation purposes. BigPEmu runs them at full speed on modern hardware and supports gamepads for the correct control experience.

The Jaguar version remains the canonical Tempest 2000 — the rave soundtrack, power-ups, and visual style are intact. BigPEmu is the closest most people will get to the original experience. Visit the flagship deep dive for more context on what makes this version essential.