Metroidvanias have been the cat's pajamas for new systems for years now, but what if you don't have a system that can play Ori, Hollow Knight, Dead Cells, or Castle in the Clouds? Are you stuck replaying Aria of Sorrow and Cave Story AGAIN? Heck no! Let's take a look at some more Psytronik Software releases that adopt elements of the concept while being their own distinct thing.
Hessian (C64)
First, there's Lasse Öörni's fantastic Hessian and Steel Ranger games, which are an evolution of his Metal Warrior franchise but without the same level of self aware, over the top dark heavy metal comedy.
Hessian places you in the role of a low level security officer named Kim and beings with you waking up in a cargo container converted into an emergency room, confused and with only the memory of the security system turning you. The game plays similar to Impossible Mission mashed up with Turrican, with rockin' music, smooth scrolling, and a massive map to explore in order to solve the mystery and save the world.
In 2020, the soundtrack was actually released on vinyl in limited quantities and like most SID soundtracks that I've heard in the format, it's awesome. I never would have guessed that a lossy analog audio format would be ideal for chiptunes, so it's a very happy surprise to be able to enjoy the soundtrack in that way. In conjunction with the vintage soundtrack, a limited edition cartridge was produced for the optimal experience when playing on an original C64.
Just this week an update was released for theC64 and theC64mini adding it to the carousel as a free game, hopefully introducing yet more people to it (assuming the $2 price point is too high for some reason).
- Hessian Source Code: https://github.com/cadaver/hessian
- Digital Download ($2): https://psytronik.itch.io/hessian
- Physical Purchase (Disk): http://binaryzone.org/retrostore/index.php
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX6kEGU3Y0I
Steel Ranger (C64)
This time, it's 2218 and you're on a military patrol craft investigating a remote planet when your ship comes under attack, leaving you as the sole person left able to uncover the mystery of what's happening and potentially saving the human race.
Steel Ranger cranks the action up further into the realm of run n gun while still retaining a vast map to unlock and explore. Gameplay is much more directly influenced by Super Metroid and Turrican this time as you traverse over a dozen different environments; the classic Metroid map screen is a highly welcome addition to the gameplay and the smooth action is complemented by yet another fantastic soundtrack (a common trait of the Covert Bitops games).
- Steel Ranger Demo Source Code: https://github.com/cadaver/steelranger-demo
- Digital Download ($5): https://psytronik.itch.io/steelranger
- Physical Purchase (Disk): http://binaryzone.org/retrostore/index.php
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAZBTg24_GQ
Knight n Grail (C64)
Developed by Wide Pixel Games back in the olden days of 2009, KnG is a polished, high quality action/adventure where you play as the titular knight, seeking to free your beloved from a mage's curse by retrieving the grail. It features over 200 "screens" rather than a smooth scrolling map, though it retains a lot of the elements of gated progression, character evolution, and gameplay that are typical of the genre.
Despite being "older", KnG is a remarkably modern experience and highly recommended. Psytronik rereleased the physical edition in its Ultimate Edition format in 2019 (limited to 100 copies) and RGCD did a limited production cartridge in 2012 for people that wanted to avoid the long initial load time entirely.
- Digital Download ($): https://psytronik.itch.io/kng
- Physical Purchase (Disk): http://binaryzone.org/retrostore/index.php
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PnHWoSYPqU
Pains n Aches (C64)
It took until 2018 for KnG to get a sequel, but PnA more than lived up to expectations. The storyline is a direct continuation of KnG, but this time you play from the perspective of the antagonist of the first game. Basic gameplay is similar to KnG, but now combat is magic-based and free exploration takes place across two massive maps. Virtually every aspect of the game has been refined and improved and map design has been similarly evolved.
Neither KnG not PnA will stress your hardcore gaming skills, but they're both highly enjoyable and deliver a terrific, cohesive adventure.
- Digital Download ($5): https://psytronik.itch.io/painsnaches
- Physical Purchase (Disk): http://binaryzone.org/retrostore/index.php
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRXUs67JHnY
