The highly anticipated NES port is coming!
Use your magic staff and progress through a large interconnected world where you’ll solve puzzles, fight enemies and defeat bosses in order to help free the land of Alwa. Explore and uncover the secrets by using your platforming skills in this challenging and charming 8-bit adventure game.
Our dream is finally coming true! We have partnered with Retro-Bit to release for a limited time a (remastered) Alwa’s Awakening in a physical form on a NES cartridge with manual later this year.
Features
Use your magic staff
Equip a magic staff that holds many mysterious powers. Use it to solve puzzles and defeat enemies in over 400 unique rooms. Upgrade your staff by finding new gemstones.
You are Zoe
Play as Zoe who has been sent for to help free the land of Alwa. With easy to understand controls, you’ll jump and fight your way through the many different challenging rooms.
Explore the land of Alwa
Explore a large interconnected map in true ‘Metroidvania’ style. Play the game any way you want and find your own way through the land of Alwa.
Find new items and learn new abilities
Find and unlock a slew of different objects throughout the adventure that will both give Zoe new abilities as well as unlock new areas.
Buy Alwa’s Awakening The 8-Bit Edition
Download the demo now!
No need to dust off the old NES just yet. Just press that big download button and start the game up in any emulator. This is not the entire game but instead a demo that’s about an hour of playtime. We’re really curious what you have to say about the game so please join the discussion on our Discord.
Screenshots
Partners
Retro-Bit Publishing strives to provide the re-releases of some of the most rare and unattainable classic titles to regions where they were never released. While closely partnering with licensors, Retro-Bit Publishing brings these unique retro titles to gamers today from around the world, and at a price worth collecting!
To commemorate each release, every exclusive republished game features multiple one-of-a-kind and limited edition collectible items to enhance the experience and add to every retro collection. With attention to detail of every title, Retro-Bit Publishing has brought numerous retro gaming fans the chance to own time-honored classics in their original form – offering gamers the chance to…
Remember. Replay. Relive.
Brad Smith, a very talented NES programmer who’s already released a NES game called Lizard (which you definitely should check out) is handling the NES version as a lead programmer. For behind the scenes about the development as well as very nice pictures of pies, follow him on Twitter.
A HUGE thank you to all our testers: Atm4n – minirop – Rayquaza911 – Andy Kurnia – Andreas “hiro” Karlsson – Mattias Widén – WhiteHat94 – Nathan Heckel – Marcus Nilsson – David Mide – Christer Håkansson – RussianManSMWC – Danny VanDam – Jesse Freeman – Abdullah (Hotctime) Attar.
Also, a special thank you to Infinite NES Lives, who created the first ever NES build of Alwa’s Awakening, which led to this game actually being made.
Making-of
FAQ
Will you use battery backup for saving?
Yes, the NES cartridge has a battery save.
What mapper are you using?
We’re using the iNES mapper 2 (UXROM) with 512k PRG-ROM, 8k PRG-RAM and horizontal nametables.
Is it weird that this is my most anticipated release of 2022?
No, not at all.
Will the NES release have a manual?
The NES cartridge release comes with a manual yes.
Are there any bonus content in the NES version?
Yes, there are two completely new areas added exclusively for the NES version.
Why is this game sold as DLC to the original game on Steam and GOG?
Valve and GOG doesn’t allow NES games on their platform, unless they come with an executable launcher. Since there are already so many great NES emulators out there we didn’t want to spend time building yet another. Valve and GOG agreed to release the NES version only as DLC and then the original game is needed. The NES version is available on itch.io as a standalone game if you don’t own the original game.
Will I get a discount if I own the original game on Steam?
If you own both Alwa’s Awakening and Alwa’s Legacy on Steam you’ll get a discount yes.
Are you planning a reprint of the NES cartridge?
We have no plans for that at the moment, but if enough people ask we might do it some day!