After 16 years, the OG indie roguelike Spelunky has just hit its final form with an official demake for a 42-year-old 8-bit gaming machine
Sep. 9, 2024Spelunky64 is an official demake of the OG indie roguelike for a beloved retro platform, but not the one you’re thinking of
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Indie roguelike classic Spelunky has achieved what might just be its final form with the release of Spelunky64.
The younger retro gamers among you might be thinking of Nintendo 64 here, but no - Spelunky64 is built for Commodore 64, the classic 8-bit computer system that launched in 1982. It’s not just a visual demake, either, as it actually runs on Commodore 64 hardware, whether on the proper, original machine you definitely have lying around, or a C64 emulator.
Even with the limitations of the 8-bit computer, Spelunky64 does an admirable job recreating the mechanics of the much more recent indie, right down to the procedural levels, vast array of items, and destructible environments. Developer Paul Koller has previously created C64 demakes of beloved indies like Luftrausers and Canabalt, and the experience certainly shows here.
Spelunky is especially perfect for the C64 treatment, given the obvious inspirations it took from Spelunker - an uber-challenging platformer about cave-diving that hit various 8-bit computer platforms in the ’80s. Decades later, Spelunky would prove one of the big hits of the early indie gaming boom, helping to pave the way for a whole new generation of indie roguelikes to follow in its footsteps.
If you’re inclined for a bit of retro roguelike goodness, you can pick up Spelunky64 for $2.99 onItch.io. If you need something to play it on, there are a tremendous variety of Commodore 64 emulators available all over the internet.
There’s a reason Spelunky - or rather, its sequel - ranks so highly in our list of thebest roguelikes.
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