Our next GTW title can only be described as stunning. Though it is with sadness that we are placing it into the archives on the request of the author Johan Forslöf.
We have spoken to Johan over the past few years about the title, and each time we’ve encouraged him to continue and try to pick up the drive to finish the extemely promising title. We have resisted adding the title to the archive given that there was still a chance it could be finished. The game was started around 7-8 years ago and has been come back to on numerous occasions.
This year was different, and Johan has told us to just go ahead and put the final preview into the archives. The game shows a very ‘Braid’ looking main character, who with his hi-res overlay, looks amazing and animates very well. The backgrounds I thought were done with extended background mode, but they are actually standard multi-colour hi-res (though Johan planned to do ECM at a later stage). They are wonderfully atmospheric, with a few enemies that you can shoot.
There is not a huge amount to do just yet, apart from explore the multi-directional scrolling areas of the castle environment at this stage, but it is a great indication of what a fantastic game this really could be. The problem is that Johan has kept losing motivation with the game, and has never been fully sure what the full direction of the game should be.
The good news is that Johan is still open for the game to be continued, but needs someone to help give motivation and ideas to further progress the game. So rather than a graveyard entry, we want this potentially to be an advert for something that could be more. Possibly code and artistic assistance to take the game forward. If anyone is interested, please contact me and I can forward your details to Johan.
It would be a shame to see this one die. Can it be saved?
Contributions: Johan Forslöf, iAN CooG
In the meanwhile a SD2IEC-compatible diskversion can be found on the CSDB. That’s nice, alot users have such a hardware and they can now play the Spooky preview on it.
Even better would be, if this game would be finalized sometime in the future. I think it’s definately worth it, because it has some of the best animations and graphics ever existed on a normal standard C64.
We’d love to see it finished – much rather than it being in the GTW archives anyway!
i think its the right time for make a c64 many high quality game are coming on c64: pig quest briley witch, limbo ecc and other greta game are avaible Sould force! Sam journery
mybe kickstarter project for it should be fine, the graphic its muc better nowo in 2020 time that in past and also gameplay its more fun,
Fantastic game-preview. This should be a finished to a full game. Sprites and backgrounds looks totally awesome and also the animations of all the figures are superb. Sadly it seems not to load from my SD2IEC, but at least i can play it in emulators.
I thought it had an atmosphere similar to the goonies.
How about finding keys to open gates, find light candles which need to be put in place in order to properly see what’s on the screen. Other items which have to be found and put back where they below in order to break the spell of whatever is going on in this house.
wow, amazing gfx, just shows what can be done in hires mode.
Perhaps upload the code to GitHub?
Then people can contribute or fork it and it might grow from there.
If nothing else it will provide guidance to new C64 coders looking to develop games for our vintage machines.
Somebody really should make a SD2IEC and IDE64 compatible version of this preview. Sadly it can not be loaded on such hardware. This is especially annoying, because this game is so good, even in the preview-version here.
If the author is reading this, please contact me. Willing to help out.
What!? This game runs on a simple C64?! Animations are cool! Gfx like “Mayhem in Monstarland”, and the game remembers me to “Yo! Joe!” (Amiga). Good combination ;) Let’s save it!
What is the point? Collecting all the Coins and finding the exit?
Levels? Castle, Wood, Fields (with straw bales), Ice, Desert, Pyramid, Mine, Cavern…
These are really some of the best looking and animated sprites i have ever seen on the C64. Background-graphics and the whole steering of the player-sprite is also very good. Could have been a top-game when it would have been finished and released. Maybe the programer will come back to his preview and finish it, now as long as the retro-wave rolls. Especially on C64 programers can sell more games now again than in the last 20 years before. We saw that on “Sams Journey” where over 2000 games was sold.
Considering Psytronik software are still publishing C64 games, there seems to be enough programmers that can actually take up this. Maybe a Kickstarter will be in place?
This does look very nice, maybe send it to some of the current devs making C64 games and see if they would like to continue it. GFX are amazing.
Knights of bytes have shown amazing talent with sam’s journey.
Perhaps they would be willing to take up the reins?
Hello for me it is a game absolutely fantastic atmosphere and very simple I like these games very graphic and incredible for a 64 c does not even seem a compatible game for 64, for me it is a very good idea, I am the first that would like to buy and carry on a game so unfortunately I have neither the knowledge nor the time to do so I have already bought several new games for commodore 64 (sam’s journey for example of protoviosion) so I guess at this point is just an economic issue (I think ) and I certainly believe that there will be no credit providers to eventually bring such a speech, however let me know the developments I am definitely interested in buying a complete and complete version thanks excellent work I await news
A friend asked me was it an Amiga game… Enough said!
I’m speechless at how good this looks and plays. Graphics kind-of remainds me of three unfinished demos/previews by Martin Kristensen (Blockman, Bleep Boy, Cave Wizard), also here on GTW, that used HiRes backgrounds in a way that I have never seen before on C64. This is even better, as it is much more polished. I think this could be of the quality of Sam’s Journey, or better if finished. Probably would sell good too.
I honestly do think Johan Forslöf have a Kickstarter campagin on his hands. But this might not be the motivation he wants. It sure would be shared wide and far if it would at all be asked uf us to share such a campaign. I’d pledge in a heartbeat.
Unbelievable good looking sprites. The player and all enemies look like a 16bit game. Superb! Also the steering and the backgroundgraphics are impressive. This should really be brought to the end, could be one of the best games i ever saw on the C64.
The graphics and simple gameplay are superb! Such a promising game!
Great find Frank :-)
Wish I could claim credit, but it was Johan who kindly provided the game. We had held off for a few years in the hope Johan might get impetus to finish. Just hope now the preview will get someone interested in helping to manage the game with him.