Developer codebiters has released XPong48, a free, name-your-own-price Pong-style game for the ZX Spectrum. The game supports a single player or two cooperative players, both controlling separate paddles to defend the same side of the arena against a faster CPU opponent. It was made with AI-assisted code, graphics and sound. This is a Spectrum counterpart to the developer's earlier Commodore 64 release XPong64. via itch.io
Developer Mjnurney has released a name-your-own-price demo of Solar Trader, a space trading strategy game for the ZX Spectrum 48k. Set in a colonised solar system, the game has players trade goods such as water, food, machinery and rare gems across nine worlds, from Mercury's Solar Terminus to Triton Deep at Neptune. The release is a complete, playable demo built with AI-assisted code. It is available as a 35 kB TAP file for download. via itch.io
Developer ready64 has released Pole-Vaulting World Championships, a free sports simulation game for the Commodore 64. It is a singleplayer title focused on the pole vault event, listed under the sports and simulation genres and tagged for Commodore 64 and retro play. The release follows ready64's earlier World Championships 100-Meter Sprint game for the same platform. via itch.io
A new static recompilation of Rare's N64 demolition game Blast Corps has been released, bringing it to Windows, macOS and Linux. The project is described as "100% gen-AI free" and reimagines the original title with modern conveniences including higher-resolution graphics, increased framerates, widescreen support and mod support. Blast Corps originally launched on the Nintendo 64 and tasked players with clearing a path for a runaway truck carrying missiles by demolishing buildings in its way. via timeextension.com
Argonaut Games has announced an agreement with publisher PM Studios to produce physical editions of its Croc: Legend of the Gobbos and Croc 2: Kingdom of the Gobbos remasters. The games will arrive on disc for PS5 and Game Card for Nintendo Switch in spring 2027. This follows a string of recent Croc-related news, including the shipping of long-delayed Collector's Editions and an announced N64 physical port of the original game. via timeextension.com
Developer Juan J. Martínez has released Outpost, a new platform-adventure game for the classic ZX Spectrum 48k. The game casts players as a survivor whose spaceship has crash-landed on a hostile alien world, waking inside a medical pod within an abandoned mining outpost now overrun by aggressive creatures. It draws inspiration from the Dizzy series while incorporating modern metroidvania-style exploration and progression. The ZX Spectrum remains a popular platform for homebrew developers decades after its original release. via indieretronews.com
BBGames has released a fan-made point-and-click adventure called Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, built in the style of classic 1990s SCUMM engine games. The project was crafted with AI assistance and adapts the entire film into playable scenes, taking players from Shanghai through to the finale on the rope bridge. It follows the tradition of LucasArts-style adventure games that defined the genre on PC during the SCUMM era. via indieretronews.com
A new Knightmare video game is in development to mark the 40th anniversary of the classic children's TV show. The project is led by Ewen Watson and is officially licensed by Anglia Television with approval from show creator Tim Child. It will be a short-form point-and-click adventure released free for PC in 2027, featuring Hugo Myatt reprising his role as dungeon master Treguard. Knightmare originally aired on ITV and was known for its early use of chroma-key technology to place contestants in a virtual dungeon. via timeextension.com
An unofficial port of Lucasfilm Games' 1987 graphic adventure Maniac Mansion has been released for the ZX Spectrum 128k. The port was flagged by ElMundodelSpectrum, and is notable because the point-and-click game's size and complexity were long considered beyond the capabilities of the 8-bit Spectrum hardware. Maniac Mansion was one of the earliest games to use LucasArts' SCUMM engine, which went on to power many later graphic adventures. via indieretronews.com
The remake of Yuji Horii's 1983 detective adventure Portopia Serial Murder Case has been detailed further ahead of its Japanese release on Switch, Switch 2 and PC. The game, NEXT: THE PORTOPIA SERIAL MURDER CASE, will include five new investigations beyond the original story, along with a playable version of the classic Famicom release. It is being developed by room6 and published by G-Mode. via console-classics.com
A solo developer has spent four years creating Steel Ranger 2, an ambitious action adventure for the Commodore 64. The game features more than 800 screens to explore and a 45-minute soundtrack, with almost all of the work, including code, art and music, done by one person. The Commodore 64 remains a popular platform for homebrew developers decades after its original release, with new full-scale games still being produced for it. via reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro
A new operating system called AROS4 has been announced, built to be compatible with AmigaOS 4. It runs on PowerPC-based machines including the AmigaOne X5000, Sam460 and A1222, as well as on the Raspberry Pi 2, and on the X5000 it already boots directly to the desktop with programs running across all four cores. Working features already include USB keyboard and mouse support, SATA hard drives, a Radeon graphics card at high resolutions with power management, and networking. It uses SmartFilesystem for booting, with FAT support for USB and SD media and Ext2/3/4 support for Linux partitions, plus a new system monitor that can terminate, resume or freeze crashed programs without affecting the rest of the system. via amiga-news.de
