Micro Mages

Imagine taking a full-fledged platformer, cramming it into a mere 40 kilobytes, and having the result still rank among the best today's NES scene has to offer. That is exactly what Micro Mages pulled off — a project by the German studio Morphcat Games that became something of a textbook demonstration of what can be wrung out of the eight-bit Nintendo when the authors truly understand the hardware.

At the game's core is a brisk, precisely tuned platformer in which, as a little mage, you climb up a crumbling tower full of traps, monsters and cleverly designed passages. Jumps, wall bounces and pinpoint landings form the basis of a movement system that clicks within a few seconds. The game is built for smooth pacing and repetition, so death never frustrates enough to stop you wanting to try again right away.

What truly sets Micro Mages apart is its co-op. Up to four players can play at once on a single screen — an absolutely exceptional and technically demanding feat on the NES. Climbing the tower together, tossing each other up, blocking one another and occasionally knocking a friend down by mistake turns the experience into raucous fun reminiscent of the best moments of couch multiplayer.

The development context is fascinating in its own right. Morphcat Games not only released the game on a real cartridge but also documented their techniques in public materials on how to fit into extremely limited memory. That made Micro Mages a reference title for a whole new generation of creators developing for the NES decades after the end of its commercial era.

Culturally, it is one of the proofs that the eight-bit platform did not end as a collector's curiosity, but that around it lives a vibrant, technically skilled community capable of creating a game that would not embarrass any period title. For owners of modern retro hardware and emulators alike, it is the ideal entry ticket into the world of contemporary homebrew.

Why play it: A superbly controllable platformer with outstanding multiplayer for up to four players and technical execution that bends the possibilities of the NES.