Amiga para siempre: FS-UAE Amiga emulator hits version 3.0

FS-UAE is one of the newest Commodore Amiga emulators on the scene, and perhaps the only true multiplatform emulation project for the system still in development. It has had astounding progress since it was originally released in 2011, and last week it announced the release of version 3.0.

The changes in the newest release are many and varied, so feel free to check the full changelog available here. FS-UAE has garnered a very good reputation for being a quality emulator focusing on ease of use and multiplatform support. The developer also maintains the OpenRetro Database, where users can submit information and configuration files to help running the games easier.

The FS-UAE launcher tool

The Amiga is one of the home computers originally developed by Commodore back in the 1980s. During its heyday it was considered to be a revolutionary platform, notorious for its user friendliness and the quality of its sound chipset. Its game library, although found to be meager by some nowadays, has maintained a solid fanbase over the years. Games like The Secret of Monkey Island, Sensible Soccer, and Lemmings, were all originally developed on the Amiga, and many other titles for the platform have ever since attained cult status among gaming communities.

All the code for FS-UAE is, of course, Free Software, and its main repository can be found on Github here.

Code license: GPLv2


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Vegan on a Desert Island wants to become an ironic masterpiece

For the first time I heard of Vegan on a Desert Island I assumed it was some kind of bad joke, and frankly this impression lasted with me for a while. However, through some amazing persistence and determination from the developers, this upcoming title is slowly capturing the hearts of the libre development community through sheer charm and wits.

Determination might really be the key word here; lead developer Alex Gleason claims he's set out to answer one of humanity's most sought after existential questions: "What would a vegan do if stranded on a desert island?"

Taking it from there, the game promises action, puzzle solving, and more drama and plot twists you can (literally) shake a stick at, because everyone knows that the best way of getting answers for some real world problems is through the semblance of a Zelda-like RPG.

Yes, you read it right, this game will be an action RPG at its core, and this should come at no surprise; after all, Vegan on a Desert Island is being developed with the Solarus engine under its hood, meaning we can expect some solid Zelda-like mechanics to go along with the formula.

We have all been there.

The game is also notorious for using a considerable amount of recycled Creative Commons artwork sourced from Open Game Art. Notably its level assets are almost entirely consisting of the Zoria Tileset, which has been ported to Solarus since the last major release. All unique art crafted exclusively for the game will also be licensed under Creative Commons.

While the game hasn't yet seen an initial demo build, it attracted considerable attention (and laughs) after a short presentation by Gleason himself on Libre Planet, last March. The effort and dedication being put forward to sell a seemingly absurd concept have it stand out of the crowd, and for that, it deserves much needed credit. As for the rest of the game, it will remain a mystery for the time being, unless, of course, you wish to go ahead and compile one of their source packages.

A release is estimated for later this year, although no fixed dates have been presented yet. So let's hope this one turns out to be worth the wait, unlike most vegan food.

Code license: GPLv3
Assets license: CC-BY-SA 4.0

Keeping up with KeeperRL: alpha 28 released, improves mod support

It has been a while since we last spoke of KeeperRL. The hybrid blend of dungeon building sim with roguelike features seems to be doing rather well, with a growing community and regular progress updates. The latest alpha has just been released, and this time it has a flavor for modding.

Aside from the regular bugfixing and gameplay improvements, this build adds upgraded mod support and an in-game downloader for community content. As with most roguelikes, the developers seem to have realized customization is key to maintain community engagement, a very positive assessment in our regard. You can read the full changelog here.

For those who are not reminded, KeeperRL comes in two versions: a gratis package with plain ASCII graphics and no sound, and a commercial package including pixel art graphics and soundtrack, available for 12.99 EUR on a variety of digital stores. The program code is entirely Free Software, licensed under the GPLv3.

Code license: GPLv3
Assets license: Proprietary (commercial version), CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 (gratis version)

Tobu Tobu Girl, the first 100% libre Game Boy game, is getting a new deluxe edition

I've been holding on for too long to report this one, but now it seems to be the right time. Tobu Tobu Girl is a wonderful thing. Developed by the nice folks at Tangram Games (who previously brought us the equally libre titles Mr. Rescue and Duck Marines), this arcade platformer is very likely the first Game Boy title to be developed in a 100% libre environment, and that goes for both code and assets.

Originally released in 2017, the game was published as a Game Boy rom made available gratis, and it also got a limited physical cartridge release after a successful Kickstarter campaign.

Now, following yet another Kickstarter, the developers are back with a deluxe version, boasting Gameboy Color and Super Gameboy support, and a previously unincluded survival mode. A new batch of physical copies for the deluxe version are also already available for preorder, and the new rom will be once again distributed gratis to the public sometime in July.

The game's pixel art is simple, yet charming.

As for the game itself, do not be eluded by its cute appearance: Tobu Tobu Girl is not for the faint of heart! The game requires quick thinking and lightning fast reflexes. Players missing a single landing spot will meet immediate failure and taken back to the beginning of the level.

Quality-wise the game's controls are sharp, responsive and intuitive. The graphics are simple, but crafted with love, and the chiptune soundtrack, created by Potato-tan, is delightfully fitting.

So for now, while waiting for the deluxe release, you can still download and enjoy the regular Game Boy version here. As expected, you need a Game Boy emulator to play it. Don't forget to leave a word of appreciation to the creators for loving and supporting Free Software!

Code license: MIT
Assets License: CC-BY 4.0

Let's keep an eye out for Cytopia

With city builder games climbing back into popularity, it was about time for a serious libre project to tackle the genre once again. After many years of abandoned efforts, it is now the turn of Cytopia to try to scratch that itch.

The project had its inception in 2018, when now lead developer JimmySnails announced in a forum post the intention of creating an engine that could replicate most of the functionalities of the classic SimCity 2000, a game still near and dear to many players up to this day. Ever since then, Cytopia evolved into what appears to a fully-fledged independent game-in-progress, with its own graphics, features, and even an editor planned down the line.

Aside from the obvious SimCity 2000 influences, the game also appears to draw inspiration from the recently released TheoTown, with main graphics artist KingTut101 crafting assets in a very similar style.

Whether Cytopia will deliver where others have failed remains to be seen, but as usual we encourage you to download the initial tech demos and show support for the project.

The developers also have an official Patreon to help support hosting expenses.

Code License: GPLv3
Assets License: Unspecified (reverts to same license as the code, by default)