Polymega Collection Vol. 12 - Tempest is a significant release for the modular retro gaming system because it marks the debut of Atari Jaguar emulation on the platform.

Atari's ill-fated 64-bit console doesn't have its own Polymega 'Element Module' (yet), but this collection – which is part of Playmaji's long-established series of physical releases – includes the legendary Tempest 2000, Jeff Minter's superb interpretation of Dave Theurer's original 1981 arcade title.

It shouldn't come as a massive shock to learn that Tempest 2000 is the highlight of this pack; the Jaguar's undisputed 'killer app' is just as playable in 2026 as it was in 1994, and is emulated perfectly here. The intense gameplay, trippy visuals and brilliant music simply don't seem to age.

The original Tempest is also included, and its vector-based visuals are reproduced very effectively (certainly better than on the recent GameStation Go handheld). Fellow vector coin-ops Black Widow, Quantum and Major Havoc also look great; the latter in particular is visually amazing even by modern standards, and mixes together gameplay styles in a unique manner.

Berserk is present twice – in its original arcade guise and its domestic Atari 2600 port – while its sequel, Frenzy, is featured here in its coin-op variant (it was only recently ported to the 7800 by Robert DeCrescenzo). Finally, we have the groundbreaking I, Robot, another Dave Theurer masterpiece and the first arcade game to feature real-time 3D polygon visuals.

There's not a single bad game in this pack, and Tempest 2000 is practically worth the price of admission on its own – but, as is often the case with many of these Polymega releases, it's a lack of exclusivity which could potentially cause people to pause before buying.

All of the games featured here are available as part of Digital Eclipse's Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration (although admittedly, some, like Berzerk and Frenzy, were initially only available via paid DLC before being bundled into the Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Expanded Edition). If you already own that collection, then you're essentially double-dipping with Polymega Collection Vol. 12 - Tempest, and you miss out on the bonus features seen in Digital Eclipse's release.

Still, that doesn't take away from the fact that this is a wonderful compendium for Polymega owners.