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While nobody would deny that the first quarter of 2022 has a stacked release schedule, I doubt that anybody had “brand new Commodore 64 RPG” on their bingo card. And yet, fans of the ol’ bread bin will be pleased to hear that this is indeed the case, with the release of original roguelike adventure Rogue64.
Developed by two-man studio Badgerpunch Games, Rogue64 sees intrepid adventurer Zendar the Explorer as they descend the deadly dungeons of Mordecoom, questing for a mythic item rumored hidden in the depths of its catacombs. Rogue64, despite its tech limitations, features monster fighting, loot-gathering, and the procedurally generated mazes that make the roguelike genre so compelling, all squeezed into the modest C64 hardware.
Not content with just releasing Rogue64 in digital format, Badgerpunch also published a batch of physical cartridges that work with original Commodore 64 computers. Understandably, all of these editions were swiped up by the passionate C64 community in double-quick time, but the developer hopes to produce a new batch of physical carts at some point in the near future. If you’re looking to scoop one of these rare carts for yourself, then keep your eyes on the Bitmap Soft website for updates.
It’s always great to see the continued support for the golden age of home computing. So, for those who fancy taking a step back in time and a dose of old, old, old-school adventure, a digital version of Rogue64 is available to purchase now from itch.io — you can download it today for a pay-what-you-want minimum of just five bucks.