The Amigoonies: a promising new Amiga homebrew platform adventure

There is a special kind of magic in homebrew: the sort that does not come from market research, monetisation plans, or nostalgia-as-a-service, but from someone remembering exactly how a game felt when they were young — and deciding to build a love letter to it. The Amigoonies, from developer Marlox, is very much that kind of project: a non-commercial Amiga fan reimagining inspired by Konami’s 1986 MSX classic The Goonies. It is not presented as a straight port, but as a fresh interpretation designed specifically around the Commodore Amiga’s strengths. That distinction matters. Where a simple conversion might aim to reproduce the original screen for screen, The Amigoonies is chasing the spirit of the MSX game: brisk platforming, trap-dodging, treasure-hunting, cartoon peril, and that unmistakable Saturday-afternoon adventure energy. The developer describes the project as a “bridge” between MSX and Amiga, two machines that clearly shaped their personal gaming history. The current build is still an alpha (updated 6 days ago), and Marlox is refreshingly upfront about that. Graphics, levels, music, and gameplay systems are still evolving, with several features described as experimental or incomplete. Even so, the project already has a clear identity: colourful Amiga-style presentation, bigger sprites, smooth scrolling ambitions, and a tone that understands why The Goonies still lingers in retro gaming memory.

The most recent listed build, v0.3 alpha, focuses on the first map of stage one, but it sounds like a meaningful step forward rather than a minor tweak. The update brings recreated assets, more colourful and better-animated sprites, a reworked palette, an animated splash screen, new title and game-over screens, parallax background effects, and a functioning HUD with score and hi-score systems. There is also a pleasingly gamey loop beginning to form. The experience bar is functional, rewarding players with a life point after killing ten skulls, while gold coins now appear periodically for a 1,000-point bonus. A treasure sack power-up grants a temporary helmet that protects the player from two spike hits — exactly the sort of readable, arcade-like mechanic that suits this kind of platform adventure. Technically, The Amigoonies targets Amiga AGA, with best performance recommended on systems with Fast RAM. Marlox notes testing on Amiga 1200 hardware, Amiga 1200 with PiStorm, stock Amiga 1200 with as much RAM freed as possible, and WinUAE/FS-UAE. Downloads include an Amiga Workbench version and a Windows emulator-ready version, while an older A500 Mini/Amiberry build remains available.

The credits also underline the collaborative flavour of the project. Marlox handles the code, with tilesets by Luis Carlos “Razor” Zardo of 2-Bit Combo and sprites by Paulo Amaweks. Music comes from Esau for the intro and Maktone in-game, used with permission, and the game is built using Earok’s Scorpion Engine. What makes The Amigoonies interesting is not just that it exists, but that it understands the difference between imitation and affection. It is not trying to freeze 1986 in amber. It is asking what that game might feel like if it had naturally wandered onto the Amiga: brighter, smoother, chunkier, and perhaps a little more theatrical, while still keeping the scrappy danger and joy of a kid-sized adventure. For now, it remains a promising alpha rather than a finished treasure map. But the early signs are charming: responsive community feedback, visible iteration, strong retro credentials, and a developer who clearly cares about both the MSX source of inspiration and the Amiga hardware receiving the homage. For fans of 16-bit homebrew, cinematic platform oddities, and the enduring thrill of poking around dangerous caves for loot, The Amigoonies is one to keep firmly on the radar.

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