Thalamus Digital Publishing are pleased to announce the digital launch of Hunter’s Moon Remastered for the Commodore 64.
Hunter’s Moon is a strategic shoot’em up game originally released in 1987 for the Commodore 64, developed by Martin Walker with music composition provided by Matt Grey. The game received critical acclaim when reviewed by Zzap!64 and became one of the C64’s all time classics due to its high quality graphics and innovative game play.
Hunter’s Moon Remastered is an updated version of the original game that has seen it undergo a full overhaul. The list of enhancements and new features include:
- Over 50 new levels,
- 5 new star systems,
- New level types including Jumpgates and Blackouts,
- New in-game music and enhanced parallax starfield,
- All-new Random Mode to test seasoned veterans,
- Great looking intro and outro sequences, and
- Enhanced presentation including foreign language support.
Hunter’s Moon Remastered starts off with some great cinematic introduction screens explaining the backstory that you are a hustler who has managed to win a spaceship, called Hunter, in a Bakkara game. As you are checking out your new prize, you notice that you have attracted the attention of the local law enforcement and you are not in the mood to hang around to see what has garnered their interest.
Quickly starting its engines, you set off to escape and while you were able to evade the space police on your tail, you have unfortunately flown Hunter too close to a black hole and find yourself lost in space in a dangerous section of the galaxy.
In order to be able to get back home, your objective is to collect mysterious alien Starcells that contain valuable navigational data. But the task is not an easy one as the Starcells are surrounded by sprawling, hive-like cities patrolled by Worker cells that repair any damage that our little space craft inflicts on the city while at the same time triggering the city’s defense systems.
The music that accompanies the introduction screens is fantastic and really sets the game up with a high level of anticipation, perhaps a little too high given the actual game play on offer?
Hunter’s Moon Remastered features over 180 levels spread across 21 star systems. When all the Starcells on a level have been collected you’ll enter the Bonus Game where you can earn a Perma-Shield and an extra life. You must complete every level within each star system to advance to the next but if you manage to collect four flashing Starcells then you will automatically jump to the next system.
As you progress through the different star systems you’ll encounter an array of diverse and challenging hive types, including Attackers that throw out deadly spores, Darkcells which are only visible on radar, Switchers that change direction without warning, Jumpgates which jump to random locations, and Blackouts which plunge the hives into darkness.
Hunter’s Moon Remastered is a faithful remake and those of you who have played the original game before should have no trouble progressing through the game. Hunter’s Moon is a thinking person’s shooter that requires planning ahead along with fast reactions. While Hunter’s Moon Remastered is not everyone’s type of game, it certainly plays well and fans of the game should be pleased with the remastered version available here.
As an added bonus, Hunter’s Moon Remastered also includes a Trainer version, for novice players, and a built-in Level Editor. These features are accessed via the Boot Menu, which can be displayed when you hold the Commodore Key down when loading up the game. These are nice additions to the overall package and certainly add value to the overall presentation on offer.
The digital version of Hunter’s Moon Remastered is designed for use with a C64 emulator for Windows and Thalamus recommends playing the game using VICE 3.1+. Unfortunately, it cannot be used with an EasyFlash cartridge, 1541 Ultimate, or Turbo Chameleon. The digital version also includes a copy of the game manual, along with a level editor guide. The price for the digital edition is currently $7.99 USD.
The cartridge version of Hunter’s Moon Remastered will be available in late 2018 exclusively from Protovision. The basic package will include a cartridge, game manual, cover art postcard, and Thalamus sticker. The cartridge edition will also include a copy of the original 1987 version of Hunter’s Moon.
Digital Purchase: Thalamus Itch.Io