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      News — RPG

      Indie Retro Homebrew Showcase Interview: Infinity

      Indie Retro Homebrew Showcase Interview: Infinity

      Today’s feature from our friends at the Indie Retro Homebrew Showcase at Super MAGFest 2025 highlights Infinity, a gripping RPG-strategy hybrid developed by Incube8 Games!

      Originally designed for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, Infinity takes players deep into a richly woven tale of war, loss, and ancient evil. As a forsaken knight, you'll traverse a fractured land plagued by dark powers and political unrest, uncovering a sinister plot that threatens to consume everything. With over 50 locations to explore, 100+ items to discover, and a tactical combat system that rewards thoughtful planning, Infinity delivers a grand adventure in classic 8-bit style.

      Curious how this long-lost gem finally saw the light of day? Dive into the development story behind Infinity and the passion that brought it to life!

      Tell us about how your game was born.    

      Incube8 Games: "The journey of "Infinity" began in the late 1990s when developer Justin Karneges helped by  Hideaki Omuro set out to create a Game Boy Color-exclusive RPG as a spiritual successor to Justin's popular TI-83 calculator game, Joltima. The game was groundbreaking on TI calculators and gathered a dedicated following. "Infinity," originally named Joltima 2, was designed to build on this success, retaining elements like class-based characters and trailing party dynamics while evolving into a much more ambitious project. The game gained momentum at Affinix Software, but as the market moved to the Game Boy Advance, development was halted and the game remain unpublished. Thanks to a resurgence of interest and a successful Kickstarter in 2021, Incube8 Games revived Infinity, bringing the dream full circle with the backing of original creators and new talents."

      What was the development like?

      "(Development is still ongoing) Developing Infinity is both inspiring and complex. We’re working with decades-old code, a unique challenge for both the original team members and new developers. From porting old tools to modern systems to crafting tools for efficient testing, the process has been incredibly involved. Fun highlights include adapting the original battle system and creating visually detailed environments that fit within Game Boy Color limitations."

      What's your favorite memory as a gamer?

      "The first game I finished—and in fact, the first game I ever purchased—was The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening on Game Boy. I remember each time I obtained a new Instrument of the Sirens, I’d rush to the giant egg to hear how it enriched the melody. It all culminates in that unforgettable moment when you gather all eight Instruments, play the Ballad of the Wind Fish, and open the giant egg for the first time—defeating the boss and finally uncovering the truth!"

      What games influenced Infinity the most?

      "Infinity draws inspiration from many classic RPGs, particularly Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior. The original team admired these games for their rich stories, character-driven adventures, and complex battle mechanics. Our goal was to capture the same magic but tailor it to the unique hardware of the Game Boy Color."

      Any fun stories or wild moments during development?

      "One of the biggest moments was the addition of legendary composer Yuzo Koshiro to our soundtrack—a thrilling milestone! Another memorable event was discovering and revamping our original tools and assets, a true time capsule of early 2000s development quirks and nostalgic challenges. And there’s been plenty of debugging fun with the Game Boy Color’s very limited hardware, which has brought out the team’s creative problem-solving side."

      Do you think preserving older gameplay mechanics in new games is important?

      "Absolutely. Older gameplay mechanics carry a timeless appeal that resonates with players of all ages. Preserving these mechanics, while enhancing them with modern polish, allows players to experience a blend of nostalgia and fresh excitement. Infinity captures this spirit, preserving turn-based battles and retro pixel art while adding a modern layer of quality of life improvements."

      What makes this game unique?

      "Infinity stands out as a full-fledged, modernized RPG on a retro console, the Game Boy Color. It’s a labor of love that merges 20-year-old assets and code with fresh updates in art, music, and gameplay mechanics. Plus, the journey of bringing an abandoned game back to life adds a special history and appeal for players and collectors alike."

      Anything else you'd like to add? Promote?

      "Infinity’s journey highlights the passion behind game development, and we can’t wait to share it with you on platforms from Game Boy Color to Steam and Switch. If you want a taste of classic RPGs reimagined, Infinity is the game to watch! Plus, our amazing backers made this all possible, so thank you for believing in Infinity and helping us bring it to life."

      ---

      Infinity is a tactical role-playing game for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, set in a world teetering on the edge of war and consumed by an ancient evil. As a disgraced knight, you’ll navigate political turmoil, personal grief, and dark forces in a rich 8-bit world featuring over 50 explorable areas, 100+ items, and a unique turn-based combat system.

      Originally developed by Affinix Software between 1999–2001, Infinity was shelved due to shifting market trends. Two decades later, Incube8 Games—alongside members of the original team—has revived and completed the game for its long-awaited physical release.

      Follow Incube8 Games on X to get more updates about the game and check out Infinity on their website

      Watch the trailer:

      Indie Retro Interview Showcase - Chronicles of Astraea: Former Dawn

      Indie Retro Interview Showcase - Chronicles of Astraea: Former Dawn

      The Indie Retro Homebrew Showcase at Super MAGFest 2025 has ended, and it brought together some of the most creative and passionate developers in the retro gaming scene. These finalists poured their hearts into crafting unique, nostalgic experiences that captivated players and judges alike.

      Over the coming weeks, Mega Cat Studios will spotlight these standout games and interview the developers about their inspirations, experiences, and what makes each one special!

      First, we highlight Former Dawn by Something Nerdy Studios LLC, the esteemed winner of Best in Show in the Indie Retro Homebrew Showcase. Grab your swords and prepare to be enchanted by this epic 8-bit Action RPG with a 16-bit soul element and innovative gameplay! 

      Tell us about how your game was born.    

      Jared: "I dreamt up the storyline and basic world for Former Dawn around the tail end of 2010, and it was only intended to be a Science Fiction story in the raw, not necessarily used for a video game. Over the years, I chewed on the ideas and refined them from time to time.  

      In late 2018, Dominic showed me how (contrary to both of our fears) easy it was to get a basic NES game written in 6502 assembly. We pair-programmed 3 proof of concept NES ROMs to get our feet wet with the major points of the NES hardware, and a few months later, we founded Something Nerdy Studios LLC with a vision of making a radically advanced NES game the likes of which the world has never seen."

      What was the development like?

      "Well, it's still ongoing! But it's been a rough ride. Like war, it has been stretches of boredom and grunt work punctuated by moments of sheer terror or extreme victory. 

      Recruiting for this thing has been extremely challenging, but that phase of the project seems to be (thankfully) over. It's been a weird mix of modern and vintage computing, which is definitely not everyone's cup of tea. In particular, it's been very hard finding artists who can create graphics that conform to the system while also hitting the quality level that we're striving for."

      What's your favorite memory as a gamer?

      "Playing Final Fantasy II (read: IV) with my best friend in ~1992. At the time, the SNES was brand new and it felt revolutionary. That particular game was an instant classic and just has a certain charm that has never gone away. I'm very glad I got to play it when it first came out."

      What games influenced Former Dawn the most?

      "Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy IV-VI, Terranigma, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Metal Gear. We're trying to take the best elements from all of these games and synthesize them into a coherent whole. I don't believe that a story-driven RPG has to have boring mechanics, nor do I think that a lack of literal magic in the game's universe has to rob it of magical feeling."

      Any fun stories or wild moments during development?

      "The wildest moment was probably the first time that my wife Hali (who is also now the lead artist on the project) showed me what she could do with 8x1 attributes on the NES. Even I did not know until that moment just how far we could push this. I'm not the only person to look at her artwork and think "This looks like a painting." -- which makes sense, because Hali is a classically trained painter."

      Do you think preserving older gameplay mechanics in new games is important?

      "Yes, if they're good. We can safely jettison the bad stuff from the past!

      In some ways, Former Dawn is trying to do this: It combines older, pixel-based 2D graphics and mechanics with modern smoothness and an intuitive feel."

      What makes Former Dawn unique?

      "I think there are two broad sources of uniqueness for Former Dawn: One is the fact that it's the first truly modern, expansive game to be developed for the NES. Another is that the storyline is something that has been carefully written to be high-brow science fiction at its core instead of something cheesy that you can brush off as necessary but unimportant video game filler. Hopefully, the combination will land us a place in video game history."

      Anything else you'd like to add? Promote?

      "Sure! Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky, or Discord!"

      ---

      Former Dawn is an upcoming Action RPG for the NES!

      Set in the future on an exoplanet called Astraea, you take on the role of Jekuthiel, a hunter toiling away at the lower ranks of The Organization. Inspired primarily by 1990s JRPGs, this is a full-length, story-driven, action-packed epic adventure. It is unlike anything ever released on the NES. Help Jeku uncover the truths of Astraea and the origins of his people!

      Learn more about Former Dawn on Kickstarter.

      Watch Former Dawn's trailer: