System 3 Software has announced the release, in December 2024, of a special edition celebrating 40 years of the game Archer Maclean's Dropzone.
This retrogaming classic, originally launched in 1984 for the 8-bit Atari, has since been ported to a number of platforms including the Commodore 64, NES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Gear.

A tribute to Defender.

The gameplay of Dropzone is heavily inspired by Defender (1981), the first horizontal shoot'em up in the history of video games.
From the moment it was released, Dropzone was a critical and commercial success, surpassing its predecessor in terms of its visual and sound advances.

A faithful and respectful remaster

This 40ᵉ anniversary re-release features a HD graphics facelift with smoother, more detailed visuals.
For purists, it will be possible to switch instantly between the remastered and original graphics, without interrupting the action.
The sound work has also been reworked: the game will allow you to switch from the 8-bit version to the remastered sounds at the touch of a button.

This attention to detail can be explained by the fact that the developers have worked on the game's original source code, guaranteeing a re-release that is faithful to the original work, both graphically and sonically.

Gameplay adapted to modern standards

If Dropzone won over gamers as soon as it was released in 1987, it was largely thanks to the precision of its gameplay, which was particularly impressive for its time.
Mindful of this heritage, the developers have adjusted the controls to make them compatible with modern hardware, while preserving the authentic feel of the original game.

To date, no specific date or price has been announced, other than a planned release date of December 2024.
The game will be available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox.

Play Dropzone on Recalbox

If you want to tackle the 99 levels of Dropzone the old-fashioned way, the game can be played on Recalbox on the Atari, Commodore 64, NES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Gear platforms.

Fun Fact

Our colleagues at Time Extension have tweeted about a "typo ’ in the remaster's illustration image, which you may also have noticed.
More details here.