5 Acclaim Games You Forgot Were Awesome

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Acclaim Entertainment was a leading video game publisher in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but struggled after 2004 and ultimately went out of business that year. Though the company has recently attempted a relaunch in 2025, it’s unlikely to recapture its former glory. For about ten years, Acclaim released several well-regarded games, and despite fading from popular memory, those games remain excellent.

Here are five great Acclaim Entertainment games that most players have forgotten.

5) Aggressive Inline

In the early 2000s, Acclaim was one of several companies competing in the growing market for extreme sports games. They’re unfortunately well-known for BMX XXX, a game that unsuccessfully attempted to appeal to adults with gratuitous nudity. Fortunately, Acclaim also created some other, more well-received extreme sports titles.

While Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX is a notable title, Aggressive Inline was Acclaim’s strongest extreme sports game. Critics and players alike praised its large levels and realistic skating gameplay. What really set it apart, however, was its open-ended mission structure, which allowed for more freedom and a less restrictive experience.

4) Shadow Man

Okay, so I just started playing Shadow Man, and the story is wild. Apparently, Jack the Ripper wasn’t just a serial killer, he was doing all that stuff to unlock some kind of magical power. Seriously! You play as Michael LeRoi, a voodoo master, and you’re the new ‘Shadow Man’ – the previous one was a guy named Jack Boniface from the original comics. It’s already getting pretty strange, and I’m hooked!

This game is a fantastic adaptation of the original comic, making it a great way to experience the work of Garth Ennis and Ashley Wood. It’s also one of the best 3D Metroidvania games from that time, particularly if you’re playing on PC or Nintendo 64. While the PlayStation 2 version wasn’t as good, that console had plenty of other excellent titles. Overall, Shadow Man is a truly impressive game that received a remastered version in 2013, but you should skip the sequel.

3) Extreme-G

The Nintendo 64 had a lot of excellent, high-speed racing games. Popular choices included F-Zero X, Wipeout 64, and Star Wars Episode 1: Racer. Despite the competition, Acclaim managed to break into the genre with their game, Extreme-G.

Beyond its fast-paced racing, Extreme-G let players use a variety of weapons, making it feel like a futuristic take on Mario Kart. The original developer, Probe Entertainment, made one sequel before Acclaim took over, starting with Extreme-G 3. While all three games were good, XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association, released in 2003 just before Acclaim closed, didn’t quite measure up to the rest of the series.

2) Turok 2: Seeds of Evil

For any fan of the game Turok 2, the words “Cerebral Bore” instantly bring back memories of 1998. This weapon from Seeds of Evil is one of the most iconic in gaming history – it fires into an enemy’s head, spectacularly blasting out their brains.

Beyond the initial level, the game is genuinely enjoyable. The enemy AI was noticeably smarter than in many other Nintendo 64 shooters, and the graphics were quite impressive for the time. While a thick fog was used to mask some of the console’s limitations, Turok: Seeds of Evil was still a fantastic game that became widely known in the late 90s. Later Turok games didn’t quite reach the same heights, but you can experience the classic gameplay – including the iconic Cerebral Bore – on today’s consoles thanks to the 2018 remaster.

1) Burnout 2: Point of Impact

As a huge Burnout fan, you always hear people talking about Burnout 3 or Burnout Paradise as the best in the series, and honestly, I get it! But it’s a shame that everyone forgets about Acclaim, the original publisher. EA didn’t actually take over the Burnout games until Burnout 3 came out – which was the same year Acclaim went out of business, so it’s easy to overlook their part.

The Burnout series was excellent even before Electronic Arts became involved. Burnout 2, released in 2002, was a particularly impressive arcade racer and received a lot of positive attention. Like other Burnout titles, its Crash mode – where players intentionally wrecked cars – was a huge hit. The game became even more enjoyable in 2003 with the Xbox version, adding exciting online multiplayer. While Burnout 3 quickly became the most popular, Point of Impact remains a fantastic game.

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2026-02-15 02:11