Homebrew
Ongoing coverage on Homebrew.
Latest coverage
"One of the final secrets of the PS2 has been broken wide open": Modder who spent 4 years trying to defeat the PlayStation 2 security chip has finally done it
Modders have successfully defeated the PlayStation 2's MechaCon security chip after a four-year effort, enabling new possibilities for modding and homebrew. Developer DiscoStarslayer, crediting Libby for finding the exploit, announced the chip's contents have been dumped, paving the way for potential optical drive emulators and improved emulation.
Bomber Basic Amstrad - A Bomberman clone made in Basic for the Amstrad CPC by Altanerus Dog
Bomber Basic Amstrad, a new game created entirely in Locomotive BASIC by Altanerus Dog, has been released for the Amstrad CPC. This 6.3 Kb title is a playful proof of concept inspired by Hudson Soft's classic Bomberman, featuring 9 levels and a tactical gameplay twist.
Zombi - A classic Ubisoft horror with Zombies is coming to the Atari Lynx! (DEMO)
A demo of Ubisoft's 1986 horror game Zombi has been released for the Atari Lynx, developed by kikems for the Silly Venture competition. This port faced significant technical challenges due to the Atari Lynx's limited 64KB RAM and unique cartridge reading behavior, requiring specialized compression techniques and community contributions to overcome.
Snapman 20 - A rather nice Pac-Man clone for the Commodore VIC-20
Beamrider has released Snapman 20, a faithful Pac-Man clone for the Commodore VIC-20, coded entirely in machine assembly. The game preserves the original arcade's ghost patterns and intermissions, requiring a VIC-20 with 35K RAM expansion. This homebrew title bridges 80s UK computer heritage with arcade fun.
OutRun Amiga Edition - A vastly superior version of a classic racer has arrived on the Amiga! (40th anniversary of OutRun Update)
A vastly superior homebrew version of Sega's classic arcade racer Out Run has been released for the Commodore Amiga, celebrating the game's 40th anniversary. This new 'Out Run: Amiga Edition' is a ground-up rewrite in assembly, aiming to replicate the arcade experience with significant performance improvements of up to 50% on mid-spec Amiga hardware.
No Quarter - Welcome to a new Atari 2600 game from ArugulaZ
A new Atari 2600 platformer titled No Quarter has been released by developer ArugulaZ. The game features four levels of intense gameplay where players collect coins while dodging acid rain, and was built using Batari BASIC with a focus on human-crafted design.
Pittfall II - Lost Caverns arrives on the Commodore VIC-20 + 35K by gekka
A fan port of Pitfall II: Lost Caverns has been released for the Commodore VIC-20, developed by gekka using 6502 Assembly. This homebrew title requires a VIC-20 with a 35K memory expansion and supports keyboard and joystick controls, featuring an expanded environment from the Atari 5200 version.
Treasure of Usas - An MSX and MSX2 Konami game arrives on the Amiga via Hoffman
The classic Konami MSX2 platformer Treasure of Usas has been ported to the Amiga by developer Hoffman. This near 1:1 port is designed to run on a standard Amiga 500 and features a 50/60Hz upgrade for smoother gameplay. An enhanced edition with overhauled graphics and sound is planned for the future.
Super Mario Bros looks incredible on the Sega Master System!
A near-perfect port of Super Mario Bros. has been released for the Sega Master System, developed by LackofTrack. This ambitious homebrew project not only replicates the original NES gameplay but also features an enhanced graphics mode inspired by Super Mario All-Stars and an audio mode utilizing the YM2413 FM synthesizer chip.
30 years later, I finally got to play Quake on the PS1, but that's before I found a better version that doesn't rely on "substantial AI assistance"
The author explores playing Quake on the PlayStation 1, initially finding a promising homebrew demo that unfortunately relies on AI assistance. While the demo includes other impressive PS1 projects, the author expresses a preference for the older, non-AI QuakePSX port due to its mouse support and perceived better performance, despite the overall limitations of playing Quake on the original PlayStation.
Aonic - HOT NEWS as Sonic the Hedgehog gets an early demo on the Amiga and it's impressive!
A highly anticipated work-in-progress demo of Sonic the Hedgehog, titled Aonic, has been released for the Amiga 1200. Developed by reassembler, this impressive homebrew project meticulously recreates the Sega Mega Drive classic by utilizing its original source code and disassembled assets. While the gameplay, physics, and speed are preserved, the current build omits audio and features some visual differences due to significant engineering optimizations required for the Amiga hardware.
Beach Head - A brilliant game from the 80's arrives on the ColecoVision
The classic 1983 military game Beach Head has received an unofficial homebrew port for the ColecoVision console, developed by Eric Damain and Adan Toledo. This adaptation faithfully recreates the original multi-stage combat experience for the classic hardware and emulators. The game features six distinct combat phases, four difficulty levels, and original soundtrack elements.
Rally-X - An Arcade conversion of Rally X for the Amiga is in the works via JOTD
A new arcade conversion of Namco's 1980 game Rally-X is in development for the Amiga by JOTD. The project was revived after a software rewrite, with the developer aiming for 50 frames per second performance on stock hardware by bypassing the blitter and relying on hardware sprites. The game is expected to support AGA hardware for dual-playfield side screens, with potential for ECS compatibility.
Screw the wedding photos, I'm playing Doom on a DSLR camera like the good lord intended
A developer has created a module that allows the classic game Doom to be played on a Canon EOS 550D DSLR camera using the Magic Lantern firmware. The older camera's hardware is reportedly capable of running the game at a smooth frame rate, with its controls adapted for gameplay. This achievement adds another device to the list of unconventional hardware capable of running Doom.
Wolf64 - Wolfenstein 3D comes over to the C64 via Kweepa
An unofficial fan port named Wolf64 has brought id Software's 1992 first-person shooter Wolfenstein 3D to the Commodore 64. Developed by Kweepa using pure 6502 assembly language, the port features a raycasting engine, full-color texture mapping, and responsive combat. This non-commercial project is available for stock Commodore 64 systems with a disk drive and includes a full shareware episode.
Fix-It Felix Jr is coming to the ZX Spectrum Next!
The arcade game Fix-It Felix Jr, inspired by the Wreck-It Ralph film, is coming to the ZX Spectrum Next. Developed by a team including Antonio Savona, Steven Day, and Saul Cross, this homebrew conversion follows its successful release on the Commodore 64. The game will be available for free on itch.io with an option to donate to charity.
Commando - 1980's military shooter by Capcom as an Amiga AGA edition via JOTD
Developer JOTD has released an enhanced AGA Arcade edition of Capcom's classic vertical shooter Commando for the Amiga, specifically targeting the Amiga 1200 and 4000. This new version aims to be more faithful to the arcade original than previous home ports, leveraging the AGA chipset for improved graphics and sound, with IM76 handling the audio enhancements.
Ranbler - A rather decent Scramble clone for the ZX Next by zxspeccykid
Ranbler, a new game for the ZX Spectrum Next, has been released, serving as a clone of Konami's 1981 arcade classic Scramble. Developed by zxspeccykid as a solo project using z80 assembly, the game features 13 levels and incorporates advanced ZX Spectrum Next hardware capabilities. The creator credits the homebrew community and open-source materials for their learning process.
Galaxian - A brilliant Arcade classic by Namco comes over to the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis
A new port of Namco's 1979 arcade classic Galaxian has been released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. Developed by Nameless Algorithm using a static translation technique, this fan project preserves the original gameplay and graphics while adding features like auto-fire and hiscore saving. The port is compatible with emulators and FPGA hardware.
Dev ports Half-Life to the PS1, asks Valve if it's cool with that, and says he'll "make it public"…
A developer named Manny has successfully ported the original Half-Life to the PlayStation 1 hardware, creating a custom renderer and game runtime in Rust. The port runs at an average of 17 frames per second and includes all seven maps of the Hazard Course. Manny has reached out to Valve for permission to release the source code, stating he will make it public if he doesn't hear back within a month.
