Alan-1 has presented two new Atari Recharged arcade prototypes at California Extreme 2026: Black Widow Recharged and Quantum Recharged. The appearance follows the company’s earlier showing of Breakout Recharged, Caverns of Mars Recharged and Yars Recharged at Amusement Expo 2026 in Las Vegas.
Editorial note: The writer previously worked with Alan-1 on game design, playtesting and suggestions for the Recharged projects through spring 2026. The extent to which those contributions remain in the final versions is unknown.
Three Recharged games are now shipping
Alan-1 confirmed that Breakout, Caverns of Mars and Yars Recharged are available and shipping. The trio became available in June 2026, after several months without a confirmed release update.
While Breakout and Yars have the strongest name recognition, Caverns of Mars offers a distinctive arcade take on its source material, with a vertical-action feel reminiscent of the 1980s classic River Raid. The arcade versions also differ substantially from their console counterparts, making them separate experiences rather than straightforward ports.
All three use Alan-1’s MirrorFX Pepper’s Ghost presentation, an effect that gives the cabinets a visual feature unavailable on home versions. They are being shown at CAX in production cabinets with current software builds at Alan-1’s booth, number 1855. The internal artwork appears more prominent than on earlier examples, and further refinements may have been made following show feedback and testing.
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Alan-1 is also running its annual MLeS tournament at the event. The overall winner will receive one of the Recharged games, and the competition appears to be attracting particularly strong interest this year.
Black Widow and Quantum make their arcade debut
Black Widow Recharged and Quantum Recharged are the first prototypes of two further entries in Alan-1’s planned ten-game Atari Recharged arcade line. Neither title has been released or started shipping.
The original Black Widow and Quantum launched in 1982 as vector arcade games. Black Widow began as a conversion kit for Gravitar, while Quantum was an unusually abstract game that did not achieve large sales. Their vector-based designs also made them poor candidates for ports to Atari computers and consoles, although the Atari ST could potentially have reproduced some of their character. Both titles were largely overlooked until Atari’s Recharged updates revived them in recent years.
Prototype warning: The cabinets and software shown at CAX are unfinished. Their artwork, gameplay and other details may change before production.
Unlike the three released games, these prototypes do not currently use the MirrorFX Pepper’s Ghost system. Alan-1 has not explained whether the production versions will adopt the effect or retain the current presentation. No details have been provided about how the arcade editions differ from the console games.
Black Widow Recharged is built around twin-stick shooting, while Quantum Recharged uses a trackball. The latter is understood to play somewhat differently from the original arcade version. That kind of variation is consistent with the Recharged series, whose games have changed their source designs in multiple ways.
Alan-1’s other Recharged arcade adaptations were being refined to better reflect the design principles of the original arcade games, while also adding new improvements. The same approach may shape these two prototypes as development continues.
Two Atari games remain after these prototypes
Alan-1 has only given a broad “later this year” window for the launch of Black Widow and Quantum Recharged. Once they arrive, the only announced Atari Recharged titles still outstanding from Alan-1’s project will be Berzerk and Centipede.
Berzerk Recharged has been among the less popular Recharged adaptations with fans, although it retains considerable potential. Development discussions have also considered both Berzerk and Centipede, but the final changes remain unknown.
Alan-1 may show more of the project at IAAPA 2026, where the company is scheduled to have two large booth spaces, including an unusual location at the front of the inflatables area. If the complete range appears there, it could mark the conclusion of the Recharged arcade ports and return ten Atari video games to arcades.
CAX 2026 appears slightly smaller
Early reports suggest that CAX 2026 is a little smaller in terms of the number of games on display, rather than the physical footprint. The event is using the same rooms as previous years, but Stern does not have the expansive presence seen at recent shows, including the 2024 event.
The reduced game count may be connected to how late this year’s event was announced, although that has not been confirmed. CAX did go ahead during its 30th anniversary year, giving the long-running celebration an important milestone even with a lighter show floor.
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