We review festive games! Santa’s Workout 4 (Commodore 64), Relevo’s Snowboarding (MSX), and Santatron 2024 (Amiga)…

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Photo by Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images The Rojiblancos’ rising stars both started Saturday’s Madrid Derby. Some news courtesy of Relevo’s Matteo Moretto: Atlético Madrid are advancing in negotiations to sign budding stars Pablo Barrios and Giuliano Simeone to new contracts. The report dropped hours before Atlético and Real Madrid shared the spoils in another controversial city derby, a result that keeps the Rojiblancos one point behind Los Blancos atop LaLiga. Barrios and Giuliano, both products of Atlético’s academy, have played vital roles in Atleti’s strong season to this point; the Colchoneros are fighting to win their first league title in four years and have reached a second successive Copa del Rey semifinal. They have also qualified directly for the UEFA Champions League’s round of 16. > El Real Madrid sueña con Saliba, el Atlético sienta las bases de su futuro y todo sobre la relación Mendes-Leao. > > Pese a la conclusión de la ventana invernal, los clubes siguen peinando el mercado. > > ✍️ @MatteMoretto https://t.co/e7G7S7nF5Y > > — Relevo (@relevo) February 8, 2025 Giuliano turned 22 years old in December, and he has made his father’s decision to keep him in the first team look like a stroke of genius. It has been several years since Atlético produced a winger with Giuliano’s blend of speed, athleticism, energy, and work rate; Saturday marked his ninth consecutive start in LaLiga. In the three games preceding El Derbi Madrileño, Giuliano scored three goals and assisted two more; the Argentina international is improving with every match and is becoming a fundamental part of the team. > ⚽️ ¡¡GOOOOL DEL ATLETI!! ¡¡MARCA GUILIANOOOO!! > > Centro desde la izquierda y testarazo a contrapié del atacante para batir la portería azulona. > > @Atleti | 1-0 | @GetafeCF | 8’ > > @La1_tve > > ℹ️ Minuto a minuto: https://t.co/CAQw8fCr6Y#LaCopaMola | #CopaDelReyMAPFRE pic.twitter.com/u9vG8N4nXb > > — RFEF (@rfef) February 4, 2025 Barrios doesn’t turn 22 until June, but the Spain international has firmly established himself as a pillar of Cholo Simeone’s midfield thanks to his versatility and dynamism. Since signing his previous renewal in January 2023, Barrios has been an ever-present part of the squad; Saturday marked his 63rd appearance in LaLiga and 85th in all competitions. Steadily, Diego Simeone is turning Barrios into the team’s fulcrum, and Atlético have a 17-5-1 record in all competitions this season when the Mortalaz native starts. DataMB Barrios and Simeone Jr. are already under contract until 2028, but Atlético consider the duo a vital part of the project moving forward and want to keep them happy in Madrid. According to Moretto, renewal talks with Barrios’ camp resumed “recently”, and the sides are progressing with optimism toward an agreement. Per the same report, Atlético plan to open talks with Giuliano “in the coming months” over lengthening his contract and increasing his salary — which, at less than €1 million, is the lowest in the first team.

Photo by Cristian Trujillo/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images Big decisions await in defense and at forward. Atlético Madrid are highly unlikely to renew the contracts of veteran defenders César Azpilicueta and Axel Witsel next summer, with both players now poised to leave the club on free transfers in June. This comes from Relevo’s Matteo Moretto, who reported last week that Azpilicueta and Atlético still have a warm relationship but a possible contract renewal is not on the table for the 35-year-old. Azpi has missed much of the season with a muscle injury, playing just 392 minutes in LaLiga as Diego Simeone has had to juggle multiple player absences at the back in recent weeks. Moretto has since reported that Witsel, who turns 36 in January, is also on his way out of the club, with no renewal talks scheduled. Atlético are set to continue its “rejuvenation” of Simeone’s squad following the 2024/25 season, and as an older defender with a high salary, Witsel is exactly the kind of player the club is seeking to replace with someone cheaper and younger. That said, Witsel played in his 100th Atleti game last month and has served Simeone well since joining in 2022; the Belgian may not have the pace to compete against elite attacking players, but he remains a good passer and a strong aerial presence. > ✨ Es sábado y @mattemoretto lo sabe. ¡Alerta newsletter! > > ▪️ Griezmann se lo piensa. > ▪️ Christensen, lejos del Barça. > ▪️ ¿Acudirá el Real Madrid al mercado de invierno? > ▪️ El futuro de Axel Witsel. > > ✍️ @MatteMoretto https://t.co/emZXFoQycL > > — Relevo (@relevo) November 16, 2024 It remains to be seen if this squad rejuvenation affects Atlético’s all-time top scorer. Though Antoine Griezmann is contracted to the club until 2026, the striker will sit down with his family and decide whether he wants to remain in Madrid following the season. “It is true that Griezmann is happy in Madrid and still enjoys playing for Atleti,” Moretto wrote. “But it is not yet certain that he will be at the club next season. ... The MLS option is alive, as Los Angeles FC, Olivier Giroud’s team, wants Griezmann.” It has long been suspected that Griezmann would end his decorated career in the United States; he visits the country often, and LAFC is a successful franchise, having won an MLS Cup and a U.S. Open Cup over the past three seasons. In addition, Griezmann would be able to team up with former France teammates Giroud and Hugo Lloris in a major American city with two MLS sides, two NFL teams, two NBA teams, and an MLB juggernaut in the Dodgers. The script kinda writes itself. > View this post on Instagram > > A post shared by Atlético de Madrid (@atleticodemadrid) Griezmann departing Atlético a second time would be major news, and it will be a significant story to follow over the next few months. Atleti are much better positioned to survive Griezmann’s potential exit in 2025 as opposed to when he left for Barcelona in 2019; instead of wasting an enormous sum on a “bet” like João Félix, Simeone can simply turn over the keys of his attack to Julián Alvarez, whose influence on the pitch has been growing for weeks. But even though Alvarez is an elite player who should give Atlético fans plenty of joy in the years to come, Griezmann’s boots will be tough for anyone to fill when he eventually does leave again. The 33-year-old is the club’s all-time top scorer with 185 goals, though he has a modest return of three goals and four assists from 13 games in LaLiga this year.

Terrifier: The ARTcade Game is a horror-themed retro beat ‘em up developed by Relevo and published by Selecta Play.

Atlético de Madrid on Monday agreed with Juventus on a loan move for Canada striker Jonathan David, according to multiple outlets. First reported by Marca’s Diego Pico and later corroborated by Relevo’s Marcos Durán as well as the football influencer Fabrizio Romano, David will join Atlético — who held interest in him when he played […]

Atlético de Madrid on Monday agreed with Juventus on a loan move for Canada striker Jonathan David, according to multiple outlets. First reported by Marca’s Diego Pico and later corroborated by Relevo’s Marcos Durán as well as the football influencer Fabrizio Romano, David will join Atlético — who held interest in him when he played […]

Photo by Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images The Rojiblancos’ rising stars both started Saturday’s Madrid Derby. Some news courtesy of Relevo’s Matteo Moretto: Atlético Madrid are advancing in negotiations to sign budding stars Pablo Barrios and Giuliano Simeone to new contracts. The report dropped hours before Atlético and Real Madrid shared the spoils in another controversial city derby, a result that keeps the Rojiblancos one point behind Los Blancos atop LaLiga. Barrios and Giuliano, both products of Atlético’s academy, have played vital roles in Atleti’s strong season to this point; the Colchoneros are fighting to win their first league title in four years and have reached a second successive Copa del Rey semifinal. They have also qualified directly for the UEFA Champions League’s round of 16. > El Real Madrid sueña con Saliba, el Atlético sienta las bases de su futuro y todo sobre la relación Mendes-Leao. > > Pese a la conclusión de la ventana invernal, los clubes siguen peinando el mercado. > > ✍️ @MatteMoretto https://t.co/e7G7S7nF5Y > > — Relevo (@relevo) February 8, 2025 Giuliano turned 22 years old in December, and he has made his father’s decision to keep him in the first team look like a stroke of genius. It has been several years since Atlético produced a winger with Giuliano’s blend of speed, athleticism, energy, and work rate; Saturday marked his ninth consecutive start in LaLiga. In the three games preceding El Derbi Madrileño, Giuliano scored three goals and assisted two more; the Argentina international is improving with every match and is becoming a fundamental part of the team. > ⚽️ ¡¡GOOOOL DEL ATLETI!! ¡¡MARCA GUILIANOOOO!! > > Centro desde la izquierda y testarazo a contrapié del atacante para batir la portería azulona. > > @Atleti | 1-0 | @GetafeCF | 8’ > > @La1_tve > > ℹ️ Minuto a minuto: https://t.co/CAQw8fCr6Y#LaCopaMola | #CopaDelReyMAPFRE pic.twitter.com/u9vG8N4nXb > > — RFEF (@rfef) February 4, 2025 Barrios doesn’t turn 22 until June, but the Spain international has firmly established himself as a pillar of Cholo Simeone’s midfield thanks to his versatility and dynamism. Since signing his previous renewal in January 2023, Barrios has been an ever-present part of the squad; Saturday marked his 63rd appearance in LaLiga and 85th in all competitions. Steadily, Diego Simeone is turning Barrios into the team’s fulcrum, and Atlético have a 17-5-1 record in all competitions this season when the Mortalaz native starts. DataMB Barrios and Simeone Jr. are already under contract until 2028, but Atlético consider the duo a vital part of the project moving forward and want to keep them happy in Madrid. According to Moretto, renewal talks with Barrios’ camp resumed “recently”, and the sides are progressing with optimism toward an agreement. Per the same report, Atlético plan to open talks with Giuliano “in the coming months” over lengthening his contract and increasing his salary — which, at less than €1 million, is the lowest in the first team.

Photo by Cristian Trujillo/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images Big decisions await in defense and at forward. Atlético Madrid are highly unlikely to renew the contracts of veteran defenders César Azpilicueta and Axel Witsel next summer, with both players now poised to leave the club on free transfers in June. This comes from Relevo’s Matteo Moretto, who reported last week that Azpilicueta and Atlético still have a warm relationship but a possible contract renewal is not on the table for the 35-year-old. Azpi has missed much of the season with a muscle injury, playing just 392 minutes in LaLiga as Diego Simeone has had to juggle multiple player absences at the back in recent weeks. Moretto has since reported that Witsel, who turns 36 in January, is also on his way out of the club, with no renewal talks scheduled. Atlético are set to continue its “rejuvenation” of Simeone’s squad following the 2024/25 season, and as an older defender with a high salary, Witsel is exactly the kind of player the club is seeking to replace with someone cheaper and younger. That said, Witsel played in his 100th Atleti game last month and has served Simeone well since joining in 2022; the Belgian may not have the pace to compete against elite attacking players, but he remains a good passer and a strong aerial presence. > ✨ Es sábado y @mattemoretto lo sabe. ¡Alerta newsletter! > > ▪️ Griezmann se lo piensa. > ▪️ Christensen, lejos del Barça. > ▪️ ¿Acudirá el Real Madrid al mercado de invierno? > ▪️ El futuro de Axel Witsel. > > ✍️ @MatteMoretto https://t.co/emZXFoQycL > > — Relevo (@relevo) November 16, 2024 It remains to be seen if this squad rejuvenation affects Atlético’s all-time top scorer. Though Antoine Griezmann is contracted to the club until 2026, the striker will sit down with his family and decide whether he wants to remain in Madrid following the season. “It is true that Griezmann is happy in Madrid and still enjoys playing for Atleti,” Moretto wrote. “But it is not yet certain that he will be at the club next season. ... The MLS option is alive, as Los Angeles FC, Olivier Giroud’s team, wants Griezmann.” It has long been suspected that Griezmann would end his decorated career in the United States; he visits the country often, and LAFC is a successful franchise, having won an MLS Cup and a U.S. Open Cup over the past three seasons. In addition, Griezmann would be able to team up with former France teammates Giroud and Hugo Lloris in a major American city with two MLS sides, two NFL teams, two NBA teams, and an MLB juggernaut in the Dodgers. The script kinda writes itself. > View this post on Instagram > > A post shared by Atlético de Madrid (@atleticodemadrid) Griezmann departing Atlético a second time would be major news, and it will be a significant story to follow over the next few months. Atleti are much better positioned to survive Griezmann’s potential exit in 2025 as opposed to when he left for Barcelona in 2019; instead of wasting an enormous sum on a “bet” like João Félix, Simeone can simply turn over the keys of his attack to Julián Alvarez, whose influence on the pitch has been growing for weeks. But even though Alvarez is an elite player who should give Atlético fans plenty of joy in the years to come, Griezmann’s boots will be tough for anyone to fill when he eventually does leave again. The 33-year-old is the club’s all-time top scorer with 185 goals, though he has a modest return of three goals and four assists from 13 games in LaLiga this year.

Manchester United reportedly had some fleeting discussions over the summer about the possibility of a move for alternative midfield targets such as Martin Zubimendi before prioritising Manuel Ugarte. Zubimendi was notably a top target for Liverpool before he somewhat surprisingly turned them down, according to Relevo‘s report at the time, and now the Manchester Evening …