The Curse of Issyos

Who says the SNES era ended when cartridges stopped coming out in the nineties? The Curse of Issyos is living proof that this scene not only lives on but actively creates new games with loving fidelity to period aesthetics — and does so with the contagious zeal of a fan who knows exactly what he loved about the classics.

Issyos is an action platformer drawing on Greek mythology, and anyone who has ever played Castlevania will immediately feel at home. You battle your way through enemies inspired by ancient myths, face traps and bosses, and soak up that specific, focused atmosphere of old-school action, where every jump and every strike matters. It's a return to straightforward, honest gameplay without modern crutches.

The game belongs to the circle of modern homebrew titles created in the style of the classics — they're made by enthusiastic creators, among whom the name Locomalito rings out, an author known for his devotion to retro aesthetics and to games as a tribute to the golden era. These projects aren't born for profit but out of pure love of the craft, and it shows in every pixel and every note of the chiptune music.

What makes this phenomenon so interesting is the very idea: creators voluntarily bind themselves with the limitations of old hardware and search for beauty within them. The result isn't merely nostalgic imitations, but fully-fledged new games that could just as easily have come out thirty years ago and no one would tell the difference. For retro enthusiasts, it's a small miracle.

The Curse of Issyos thus deserves attention not only as a solid action platformer, but also as a symbol that the spirit of the SNES never truly died out. It's an invitation into a world where past and present meet in a single, pixel-packed adventure.

Why play it: A modern homebrew action platformer inspired by Greek mythology and Castlevania — proof that the retro SNES scene is alive and creating new classics.