Captain Barrel is now on the Mega Drive/Genesis!
Captain Barrel, from the studio Neo Byte Force, lands on the Mega Drive/Genesis. This game (quite charming, by the way), reminiscent of other classics like Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands, or Snow Bros, stands out thanks to its artistic design and a pastel-toned color palette that's quite uncommon on Sega's 16-bit console.
The gameplay mechanics are very simple: you hit enemies with a sword, and after the hit, they turn into a barrel. The player can then throw the barrel, similar to how snowballs were thrown in Snow Bros, taking out all enemies in its path. In fact, Ozzy (one of the game's developers) himself explains that you can trap enemies in barrels and throw another barrel at them. If you manage to defeat 4 enemies in a row, you’ll get a treasure chest. Collect 3 treasure chests, and you’ll earn a bonus map that unlocks an extra stage.
Also, you can use DOWN+JUMP to step off platforms, and you can also use other weapons, like bombs.
This type of game was hugely popular in arcades during the late '80s and early '90s due to its addictive nature, and Captain Barrel seems ready to bring back that arcade experience with a fresher twist.
The sprite designs, from the main character to the scene elements and enemies, are very cartoonish, with a clear humorous intent. The design of the bunnies is somewhat reminiscent of the art style in Happy Tree Friends.
Currently, this port for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis comes with a “Limited Gold Edition” for €58 ($59.70 approximately), although the website notes that the price does not include taxes, and for EU residents, VAT will be added at checkout. Orders from outside the EU will be subject to taxes, duties, customs fees, and other charges in the destination country.
This Limited Gold Edition includes:
– A numbered cartridge in either European or American style.
– A hard plastic case.
– A blue/red reversible cover.
– A 16-page full-color manual.
– CD with the Original Soundtrack featuring music from the original arcade game, not the YM2612 (the Yamaha sound chip used in the Mega Drive/Genesis).
– A numbered postcard signed by hand by OzzyOuzo and Johnny16Bit, the game developers.
However, if you want to get your hands on this game for this console, you'll have to wait a bit for them to restock. As of January 19, it's currently sold out, but it can be found on eBay for around €60 ($61.70 approximately), which seems to suggest that this game hasn't fallen victim to speculation yet, making it a good time to grab it.
Before making its way to Mega Drive/Genesis, this game was also released on other platforms such as Neo Geo, Sega Dreamcast, and Steam. Neo Byte Force assures that they will try to port it to as many platforms as possible.
The studio also notes that this is an unofficial, unlicensed release for the SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis console; it is not affiliated with SEGA Holdings Co., Ltd or its subsidiaries. SEGA, SEGA Mega Drive, SEGA Genesis are trademarks of SEGA Holdings Co., Ltd or its subsidiaries.
If watching this pirate jump around has left you craving an arcade game, we recommend checking out some of the games from Surre Games.
