It seems almost oxymoronic, but it takes quite a lot of work to make new games look authentically old. It’s one thing to make a 2D or 8-bit title, but quite another to successfully emulate an entire era of gaming.
Developer Marcus Horn, or Siactro, as he is known on Steam, has done just that with Macbat 64, his latest love letter to the Nintendo 64.
“Macbat 64 is a 3D platformer and 4:3 love letter to the late 90s,” Horn wrote on the game's Steam Greenlight page. “[It was] inspired by games like Donkey Kong 64, Super Mario 64, Croc, Banjo-Kazooie, Ocarina of Time, Kirby 64 and many more!”
Macbat 64 also takes inspiration from Horn’s previous title, Kiwi 64, which released via Gamejolt. Though Macbat is still vying for support, it has already grown well beyond the scope of its predecessor.
The classic 3D platformer features over 10 differently themed worlds, as well as a mash of minigames such as kart racing, 8-bit parodies, FPS levels and even a water temple. Horn created all this almost single-handedly, occasionally enlisting the help of a musician and CGI artist.
Macbat 64 is slated to begin beta testing in the coming weeks and release sometime this Spring. Horn says he will release the game independently if it doesn’t survive Steam Greenlight. For now, you can download the alpha build at the game's dedicated site.
Thanks, Siliconera.
