How one Canadian company is using Microsoft technology and the power of the cloud to rebuild 186 classic games.

Published May 8, 2015 12:41 PM PST By Liana Kerzner @redlianak

Younger gamers likely don't know much about Acclaim Entertainment, but if you started gaming in the 1980s, Acclaim was cool! Best known for the Mortal Kombat franchise, The Simpsons games, and wrestling games with Hulk Hogan on the box. Unfortunately, the company folded in 2004, but more than 150 titles are being given a second life by Canadian company Throwback Entertainment. Metaleater caught up with Robert Maduri, president of the company, to get the details! Also, because Microsoft set up the interview, we talk about their role in giving these classic games a second life.

Why did you decide to acquire the Acclaim Entertainment catalogue?

As a kid, I was captivated when I first played Mortal Kombat and Goro walked across the screen to punch the Acclaim logo. It was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. Reading EGM, I learned about the L+R trick for Mortal Kombat 2 to get Shao Kahn and Motaro to destroy that same logo. Acclaim helped create my love of video games. Through the years, Acclaim titles always found their way into my home and I could never seem to unplug. When the opportunity arose to acquire the library as a result of their financial troubles, we weren’t overly surprised. Titles like BMX XXX really damaged their brand. For our team though, nothing could overshadow titles like Vexx, Gladiator, and Extreme-G Racing. It was that passion and emotion that was the driving force behind the acquisition."