The Commodore Amiga seems to be quite the retro developer platform. It has the capabilities of going extremely detailed or ‘8-bit’ with graphics and audio. It is easily developed for and independent homebrew developers are doing just that. One upcoming title, Miky’s Land, is a forced scrolling adventure with shooting elements and gameplay mechanics like Mario.
Miky’s Land, not just another Mario clone
First up, MIky’s Land features forced scrolling levels – like most side scrolling shooting games like Thunder Force III or R-Type. Your job is to react to the obstacles and enemies coming your way. Miky can jump, move forward and backward on the screen, and can even take a hit before dying.
Miky can also shoot his enemies to remove them from his path.
The differences make Miky’s Land unique
Most games in this genre only have one action button – a jump. That is not the case with Miky’s Land. Here you can freely move around, shoot enemies, and collect items on your quest.
Shooting your enemies is a new addition to this style of game. That is usually reserved for titles like Contra, run ‘n gun style games. Games like Wonder Boy don’t usually feature this element. Even Super Mario Bros featured it sparingly. Miky’s Land relies on it.
Unlike most independent homebrew available
According to our friends over at Indie Retro News, the developer behind Miky’s Land is Michael Gibs.
Most new titles for retro platforms fall into a few categories. Action adventure titles are quickly picking up the pace as a challenger for the top position. Most of these games fall into the scrolling shooter category, probably due to being easier to develop. I mean those games require less animation on almost all sprites involved versus a running game with many layers of visual style. Not trying to knock anyone that makes scrolling shooters – I love them but suck at them in my older age.
