PC-bound platformer fans can also download Tanglewood on Steam today
It’s not every day Sega Genesis owners have a new game to play on their trusty 16-bit consoles. Thankfully, today is an exception, as UK-based indie dev Big Evil Corporation has released their debut game, Tanglewood, on the Sega Genesis.
Tanglewood is a side-scrolling platformer inspired by Virgin’s The Lion King and Aladdin. In it, players take control of Nymm, a fox-like creature who becomes lost in the dangerous wilderness known as Tanglewood. Nymn’s goal is to escape the Tanglewood and reunite himself with his pack, all while being hunted by deadly creatures that roam the forest. Other creatures. Developer Big Evil promises splashes of inspiration from Sonic the Hedgehog and Metroidvania titles, along with “chases, puzzles, tricks and traps, demanding boss fights and many surprises along the way.”
Authenticity was paramount to Tanglewood’s development. To ensure the game felt like a genuine title from the heyday of the Genesis, developer Big Evil – headed by former Crytek and Traveller’s Tales programmer Matt Phillips – used 1990s SEGA development tools and programmed the game in pure 68000 assembly language.
“My aim for Tanglewood was to create it in the same way as my favorite games from my childhood,” says Phillips. “This idea has been brewing since I was nine years old – the kid in me has long wanted to see my very own Mega Drive box on a store shelf!
“Tanglewood is the culmination of 25 years of gaming influences, as well as a love letter to every 1990s gem, and to every 2D platformer that captured my imagination. A great big thank you, too, to SEGA, for inspiring me to enter the world of video games development.”
Those looking to fill out their Genesis collection can order their Tanglewood cartridge here for £54.00. Bear in mind that orders placed today aren’t expecting to ship until mid-October. However, if you can’t wait that long, the game is also available on Steam for PC, Mac, and Linux. The Steam version is priced at just $17.99 and, as a bonus, includes the ROM file so that you can still play the game on actual hardware using a flash device such as Krikzz’s Mega Everdrive.