Video games are always moving forward in a never-ending ludicrous-speed journey to the never-ending horizon. That’s how it’s always been, and that’s how it’s gonna stay. But sometimes, you want something simpler. It’s this desire for a tighter package that drives the thriving retro gaming market.
Yet, there’s another sort of game that is often overlooked: The humble ‘Demake.’ Taking newer games and recreating them in older aesthetics and gameplay is at the heart of the demake, and there are plenty of them. Gang Garrison 2 re-creates my favourite game into a 2D one, not dissimilar to LAN classic SOLDAT. Halo 2600 and Super 3D Portals 6 bring both modern series to Atari’s iconic 2600 console (you can even get the former in cartridge form!).
Portal received another demake today, this time as a full game for the Commodore 64 (not to be confused with the Amiga interactive novel that got a C64 port). C64 enthusiasts Jamie Fuller, Del Seymore, and Roy Widding are behind the splendidly-made game, bringing absolutely everything that Portal’s about into the 2D space. The attention to detail is impeccable; it looks and feels exactly like a game from the best-selling computer of all time.
You can check out gameplay below, or click here to download the game. You’ll need the C64 emulator VICE to run it, though.
Arana blames her stunted social skills and her general uselessness on a lifetime of video games. Between her ears is a comprehensive Team Fortress 2 encyclopedia. Her brain remains at large.
