Dark Void: 8-Bit Resurrection!

Capcom brings an old-school NES game back from the dead

Yesterday Capcom released its jetpack-strapped shooter Dark Void on PC and consoles, with the former rocking new-fangled NVIDIA PhysX and APEX technologies that deliver mind-meltlingly absurd graphics. Hey, that’s pretty cool…if decent graphics are your thing.

Thankfully, Capcom has also cooked up a little something special for gamers who still long for the 8-bit glory days of the Nintendo Entertainment System. Dark Void Zero—downloadable now on the DSi—is an old-school NES-style platformer ala Mega Man complete with meager graphics, a Casio-inspired soundtrack and cover art that, as was the case with all classic NES games, looks 100 times prettier than the chunky pixels you get on screen.

And this isn’t just the cleverest marketing gimmick ever conceived—Dark Void Zero actually has a long history dating back to the late 80s, when it was originally developed for the NES before being shelved and subsequently erased in a freak equipment failure. Some 20 years later, the “lost project” was re-commissioned by Capcom and can finally be yours for 500 points in the DSi Shop. Mobile phone and PC versions will follow next month.

Read the official history and scope some gameplay footage. Point and laugh at what used to qualify as “cutting-edge” graphics.

Forward to a Buddy Invite a Buddy