As previously reported by our friends at Time Extension, legendary homebrew developer @badcomputer0, known for Master System titles like Frontier Force and Blast Arena, is set to release a new platformer, Astro Climber. The game features 32 stages where players ascend a tower, navigating treacherous platforms and confronting various enemies.
I’ve added some small bits to this including stage loading and progression. It still needs enemies, pickups, and combat. #homebrew #mastersystem pic.twitter.com/szHzL3caww
— Adam (@badcomputer0) August 24, 2025
In Astro Climber, players will utilize a grappling hook to reach higher platforms and collect oxygen pickups, which are integral to scoring and survival. The developer cites classic games like Bionic Commando and Ice Climber as inspirations for the game, and it shows in all the best ways.
According to the dev, the goal was to create a game that would fit within the 32KB memory limit of a Sega Card. This constraint was intended to foster creativity and prevent “feature creep,” mirroring the limitations of the original Master System hardware, but the plan was abandoned to accommodate Love Penguin’s more complex soundtrack.
I’ve tried to make it so that you can avoid each enemy in multiple ways, you can stun them, avoid, wait, or jump over for example. You just have to pick the right one in the chaos of the stage. #homebrew #mastersystem pic.twitter.com/xVAAq1N9je
— Adam (@badcomputer0) September 10, 2025
Astro Climber is slated for a free release on @badcomputer0’s itch.io on October 20th to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Mark III’s Japanese launch. Additionally, @badcomputer0 confirmed that their other upcoming project, the shoot ’em up Razing Core, is on track for release next year.
Source: Time Extension
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