Homebrew Extra - Retro Gamer 271
- andrewrfisher
- 2 hours ago
- 13 min read
We were sad to learn of the passing of Tony Kingsmill in February 2025. Tony had returned to programming with the update of his 1992 BBC Micro game Airline Boss and had produced new titles, including the text adventure Ghostship Delgado and the vertically scrolling Spectrum shmup Xenoblast, published through Cronosoft. Our thoughts are with family and friends at this time, and we want to thank Tony for the games.
QUICK LINKS
PIRATE PERFECTION
Joachim Ljunggren interviewed on Monkey Island for the C64
Did you play Monkey Island back in the day?
Yes, I did! I remember it fondly. I think I have played all the Monkey Island games that were ever made.
What got you interested in creating a C64 version?
The initial idea is not mine. It’s Andreas Larsson, the coder's idea. He has worked on this for a long time already, mainly to get a grip on if this was even possible to do on the C64. When he knew it was doable, he contacted me asking if I wanted to make the graphics for it. Of course, I didn’t wait long until I said yes. It would be mad to pass on such an amazing opportunity.
Have you approached Ron Gilbert or Lucasfilm for their blessing of the project?
Yes, we did! And he gave his approval, and he is looking forward to seeing the final game when it's done.
What have been the main tools used in developing the graphics?
My main tool has been the pixel editor ALBERT, which I developed together with Luigi di Fraia. So far, all the backgrounds have been done with that tool. Also, the tool for pixelling and animating all the objects, which was developed by Andreas Larsson, is very important for me making the graphics. Without this tool, there would simply have been too much management of file assets and keeping track of where all the objects are. Our internal tool makes this process really easy, and I don’t need to shuffle files around, which is very important since this game has so many graphics. It is thousands upon thousands of assets.
Are you recreating everything that was in the original Amiga game?
Yes, we are. So far, so good. Our aim is to leave nothing out. There will be some challenges with the bigger animations, but we have trust we can pull it off. Also, every dialogue, every object, every scene is there. So it should be the complete game, and also with some enhancements where possible.
How long does it roughly take to create a single picture/scene for the game?
I would say each single picture room takes maybe 20-30 hours to make. The multiscreen rooms, of course, take even longer time because its more pixels. And some rooms are really complex with a lot of animations and objects that you can manipulate. For an example, there are a lot of animations in the Scumm Bar scene. It took a long time to make, but it is done and looks good! Then, of course, it’s never done; there is always something to polish on the graphics, so I guess we, in the end, have to say, “This is it” and release it. It's easy to get stuck and obsess over tiny pixels.
What is involved in recreating all the sprites, especially the hero Guybrush?
The characters are the most complex and tricky things to do. We have to make the characters in the same way as they did on the Amiga, where everything is split into parts that are then composited together. Add to that the scaling of the character when they walk further away. And also clipping with masks when Guybrush goes behind objects.
Because the C64 has only half the resolution and very limited colours for the sprites, we have to be very careful with how we render the characters. Some have to be changed and merged into the background and animated if they don’t move. But the ones that move over the screen have to be sprites. We have the basics in the game as of now, but it will for sure be the toughest challenge to get the characters recognisable for the player, given all the restrictions on sprites on the C64!
Is it very complicated doing the “sprite masking” to make Guybrush interact with scenery?
I guess it is with the code. But not for me. We control what’s behind and in front of Guybrush with black and white masks in each room. This mask tells what is in front of Guybrush, white colour masking Guybrush so he goes behind and black is no masking. The hardest thing is to make the C64 run at a decent speed. One thing that saves us a bit is that the original runs at 15 fps, so that gives us a bit of breathing room for calculations.
At a rough guess, how many graphics and how much memory will it take up?
There are something like 80 rooms. Many have multiscreen rooms, some as wide as five screens. There are thousands of objects that you can manipulate, doors open and close, objects to pick up and general small animations. Add to this a lot of characters with animations. I think it’s something like 3-4000 frames of animation.
The finished game will be close to 2 MB and will require a special cartridge designed by Andreas Larsson.
Who else is involved in creating the game?
Andreas Larsson is the coder and main man behind this game. His legacy is from the C64 demo scene, same as me, and we have known each other for a long time. And we have one person on music as well. This person is someone we still want to keep as a secret until further notice. We try to keep the team small since we all believe in small teams with close relationships.
Why do you think Monkey Island still holds such appeal to gamers?
The humour and the characters, I guess. Also, the unique fighting system. And the super cosy setting of having an adventure as a pirate. Maybe we can relate a bit to Guybrush since he really was a nobody at the beginning of the game and not a full-grown pirate. So we could grow with him and learn things together.
The Monkey Island is made with a huge amount of love and passion, and it shows. And such games just stick forever.
Would you like to convert any other SCUMM games to the C64?
Yes! There are several. But Loom is probably the one on top of my list.
What would be your dream project to work on, and who would you want to work with?
This is a dream project. So right now we are focused on this one, and I'm not looking too far into the future. I'm not one who longs to work with some famous coder, graphic artist, or musician just for the sake of it. The important thing is that you gel with the team. A team is very special, and the chemistry behind the people is so important. Hopefully, we get the chance to work on more point-and-click adventures in the future.
If I would pick one genre besides this, it would be making some kind of shoot 'em up game like the 1942 series of games. Those have a special place in my heart.
Are you currently working on any other retro game projects?
No. I want to focus my energy on this one and make it as good as possible. It has taken a lot of time and will keep taking a lot of time, so together with having a family and work, this is what I can manage right now. Also, I want to have a little bit of time over for demo scene productions now and then.
DEMAKE ISLAND
Five more impressive C64 demakes.
YOU HAVE TO WIN THE GAME
The CGA-style graphics and massive map of this charming Metroidvania have been beautifully reproduced by Kabuto.
LUFTRAUSERZ
Paul Koller makes exceedingly good demakes – with this, Vlambeer’s Super Crate Box, the recent Spelunky, Micro Hexagon, Canabalt, and more.
BALLS LIKE A FROG
Dr Mortalwombat gave C64 fans his take on Zuma and tackled Plants vs Zombies (renamed as Veggies vs Undead).
EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
The first-person dungeon crawler got an incredible conversion, adding automap (C128 users can display it on a second screen).
VVVVVV
Terry Cavanagh’s gravity-defying game is a bona fide indie classic, and this 2017 conversion plays superbly.
NEWS BYTES
Acorn Electron: Iapetus released Zezito and the Lost Stars (pictured). bit.ly/zezito-acorn
Aquarius: IrataHack’s Wee Knight Escape Trilogy (Forest, Castle, and Pyramid) is now available for the enhanced Aquarius+ hardware. bit.ly/weeknight-aquarius
C64: Dungeon crawler Evil Dungeon III is available via shop.retroarts.de/
ColecoVision: Relive classic Game & Watch Manhole thanks to Electric Dreams. bit.ly/manhole-coleco
Game Boy Color: Cave Dave is the brilliant Spelunky-like platformer from Shane McCafferty and Thalamus Digital. bit.ly/cavedave
Mega Drive: old_pirate converted Matt Hughson’s fantastic NES puzzle game Witch ‘n Wiz. bit.ly/witchnwiz-megadrive
N64: Check out the results of N64Brew’s Game Jam 2024, where creators made four-player minigames. bit.ly/n64brew-2024
Neo-Geo: After his excellent Shinobi port, Hoffman has now finished his conversion of Golden Axe. bit.ly/goldenaxe-neogeo
PC: Langford Productions released their unofficial Manic Miner tribute, with 20 new levels alongside the original levels. bit.ly/manicminer-pc
PC Engine: Special Ninja Squad – previewed in RG257 – got a demo to try. bit.ly/ninjasquad-pce
PICO-8: Adam Saltsman of Canabalt fame released two new titles – Skeleton Gelatin and Vampire vs Pope Army. adamatomic.itch.io/
VIC-20: Lechuck released his version of Columns, which requires 8K of expanded memory. bit.ly/columns-vic20
You can follow Aleksi Eben's progress converting Elite to VIC (requires 35K expansion). vic20elite.wordpress.com/
ZX Spectrum 128: Plyuk from Retro Souls sees you use your clones to help you escape. bit.ly/plyuk-zx
Also, check out Gabriele Amore’s Lunar Patrol. bit.ly/lunarpatrol-zx
DREAM DESIGNER - BRIAN FLANAGAN
From: Manchester, now in Japan
Website: https://work3studio.weebly.com/
Format: NES/Famicom
Previous games: Age of Mythology: Retold, Dodonpachi Saidaioujou Exa Label,
Akai Katana Exa Label, Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker
Working on: Banana Bash (Saru Kani Panic in Japan)
Brian is designing Banana Bash, drawing graphics, and making the music – but not coding!
What games inspired Banana Bash?
Banana Bash draws inspiration from a wide range of action games, particularly single-screen classics. To name a few: Pang (I had the pleasure of working on the Game Boy version!), Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands, Liquid Kids, Snow Bros, and even the NES Mario games influenced its design. The "stun and defeat" mechanic you’ll find in Banana Bash is something I’ve admired since my days playing Taito’s single-screen masterpieces. These games left a lasting impression on me during my time at Ocean, and their DNA is woven into this project.
Why choose a monkey as the hero?
When we pushed the “ice puzzle” mechanic to its limits, it became clear that a top-down approach wouldn’t work. We needed a side-view perspective with gravity, which called for a nimble, acrobatic character. A monkey was the perfect choice—it could jump, cling to surfaces, and move dynamically.
From there, I began expanding the world and lore, drawing inspiration from the Japanese legend Saru Kani Gassen (The Battle of the Monkey and the Crab). It’s a tale about a greedy monkey who refuses to share fruit with a crab, sparking an all-out war. This legend shaped the game’s tropical island setting, fruit mechanic, and the inclusion of crab characters. While it might feel unusual to Western audiences, almost every Japanese person knows the story. In many ways, Banana Bash is a continuation—or a playful remix—of this timeless conflict.
For the Japanese release, the game is called Saru Kani Panic. Fun fact: I even found pages from an 1885 translated version of the story while researching!
What is the development environment used?
The game is fully coded in assembler and C++ by ex-colleagues I met at iNiS, in Tokyo. The graphics, though, have a nostalgic twist: they’re created in DPAINT! I’ve been using it since my days as an artist at Ocean in the ’80s, so I’m incredibly fast with it. After creating the initial art, I use a modern tool called NEXXT to transform the graphics into NES tilesets and optimise them for the platform.
For the music, I start by composing prototypes in Ableton Live, then convert those into chiptunes using Famitracker. One cool detail: when you hit a block in the game, it triggers a key-matched note that syncs with the beat of the background music. It’s a small touch that ties the gameplay and music together seamlessly.
What else needs to be done to finish the game?
We’re refining the combo system to make it clearer how players are scoring and adding more boss crabs to the map. High score tables are also on the list—ideally stored on the cartridge using SRAM for permanent records.
The multiplayer battle mode is in the polish stage, and we’re adding arcade-style prompts like “Ready?”, “Stage Clear!”, and “Ring Out!” to make gameplay feel more dynamic and celebratory. Without these visual and audio cues, it lacks the emotional punch we’re aiming for. Once all that’s in place, it’ll be down to bug fixes!
What perks and extras are you planning for people who back the crowdfunding campaign?
Every backer will receive a large PVC Devilcat keychain. Devilcat is a pink flying cat who appears if you linger on a stage too long! (He's my personal favourite character that deserves his own game!) The cartridges will also come in exclusive backer-only colours. On top of that, all backers will get a digital soundtrack, including an additional album of studio remixes.
For special edition backers, we’re going all out: you’ll get the keychain, a pin badge, an acrylic diorama, and a collector’s box with alternative artwork. The game itself will be on a transparent cartridge with full-body print art—something I believe is a first for game cartridges. I’m printing these cartridges myself here in Japan. Learning how to use the machine was a challenge, but I wanted to personally handle every detail.
Will there be a physical and digital option after the campaign?
Both physical and digital options will be offered during the campaign. Afterwards, we plan to release a "standard" retail physical version for NES and Famicom. This version will include just the cartridge in classic grey, without any extras.
For digital distribution, we’ll make the ROM emulator data available to buy on Itch.io. Additionally, the Japanese version of the game will be sold in various stores across Japan.
DATABURST - GAME REVIEWS
Changeable Guardian Estique
Format: NES/Famicom
Credits: Cat Hui Trading for Broke Studios
Price: €50 plus postage
The sumptuous graphics look even better on a CRT, the music is brilliant throughout, and the physical edition benefits from great packaging, including its impressive front cover illustration and the classic-shaped booklet. Shoot ‘em up fans should have no hesitation in picking it up. It is worth noting there are differences in the cutscenes and intro/outro sequences between the Famicom and NES versions. If you have the capable hardware, go for the Famicom cartridge for a more authentic flavour of this brilliant game.
[Score] 91% - Retro Gamer Sizzler
S.C.I.O.N.
Format: Spectrum
Credits: SausageWare Games for Bitmap Soft (Tom Potter, Kevin McGrorty, Joe Olney)
Price: £1.99 digital download / £12 cassette (prices TBC)
Previewed in RG269, as an agent of the Special Covert Infiltration Operations Network, you must infiltrate the Pacific island lair of Maz Mort’s criminal syndicate. Shooting enemies is fun, and the scrolling maps take some exploring. Graphics and sound are very well made, and while it may not last, this secret agent run & gun is very enjoyable.
[Score] 82%
Apache Canyon
Format: Acorn Electron (BBC version to be completed)
Credits: Rob Stone
Price: Free (physical editions TBC)
Web: https://bit.ly/apache-online (play online) https://bit.ly/apache-download (Electron download)
Rob’s River Raid-inspired blaster has a helicopter fighting against alien ships. The monochrome green graphics work well, but the sound is limited. This fun shoot ‘em up will get a physical release from Retro Power.
[Score] 79%
PROCESSING - BOMB JACK EXTRA SUGAR EDITION
Bomb Jack Extra Sugar Edition is Anthony Flack’s Amstrad CPC remake of the coin-op.
What made you decide to remake Bomb Jack for the Amstrad CPC?
Bomb Jack was one of my favourite arcade games in the 80s, and I still think it's a great game. And the Amstrad CPC was my childhood computer. I still have one today, and I love the homebrew scene, and I wanted a project to help me learn Z80 code and contribute to the community. I knew the CPC could exactly match the arcade game's resolution if I used 4 colour mode, and I had done some speed tests, and I thought 50fps should also be possible. Bomb Jack is a game that has been ported many times to different systems, but I don't think any have fully captured the gameplay of the original, and I thought I could do it better! I also hoped it would help me improve my scores...
What is your development environment?
I just opened up the assembler window in WinApe one day and started typing. Before I knew it, I was writing a game. It's a bit clunky in some respects, but you can't fault it for accessibility. I also made some simple tools on the PC for converting graphics, and I used Arkos Tracker 2 for the audio. Coded on my laptop and playtested on real hardware via USB stick.
How long have you been working on the game, and what were the toughest aspects?
I set aside my Sunday afternoons for a year, and it ended up taking two years, in true game development fashion. I did a lot of optimising for speed, and a number of tricks to add extra colours and other visual effects. I was trying to match the arcade game as closely as possible on hardware it was not designed for, and that required some creative solutions. The title screen is a particularly tricky piece of work. Even considering how I was going to pixel things often required some thought. How do I show the seven-colour cycle of the power ball, with only 4 colours to work with? It was a fun challenge.
What additions/changes do you think work the best?
Being a game designer by trade, once the basic game was working, I couldn't resist making some alterations. The arcade game is a masterpiece for sure, but a home user has different needs. I broadened the difficulty range and added the option to play with reversed bomb order, or (very challenging) randomised bomb order. I also split the bomb data from the platform data and allowed them to be recombined in different ways to make new layouts, which works surprisingly well. As well as a faithful recreation of the arcade levels, there's also a Remix mode with new layouts and backgrounds, and an actual ending. There's also Scramble mode, which gives you randomised layouts, probably my favourite. I also made some QOL improvements... cheats are built in, as well as an instant restart to spare you from rage-quitting. High scores are saved to disk, with separate tables for each game mode, which is a must IMO. I even added some simple achievements for people who like to have more concrete goals besides beating their high score. I tried to make it the complete package as you would expect from a modern title.
Issue 271 published 10th April 2025
This blog published 8th July 2025
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