Long-awaited Amiga brawler Metro Siege launches Kickstarter campaign

Metro Siege has launched on Kickstarter and reached €28,000 in backing within two days. That is a solid opening for a retro beat ’em up, especially one built around classic Amiga hardware rather than only modern platforms. The project has not appeared out of nowhere. Metro Siege has already been in production for years and has been followed by parts of the Amiga and retro-gaming community for some time. Its Kickstarter campaign is therefore less a surprise announcement and more the next major step for a game that has taken a long route to crowdfunding.

Development time: long, visible, and still moving

One of the key parts of the Metro Siege story is its development time. This is not a game that suddenly appeared with a short trailer and a funding goal. It has been in production for almost 7 years, with the team gradually showing progress, refining systems, and building around the limitations of classic hardware.

That long development period helps explain both the enthusiasm and the caution around the Kickstarter. On one hand, Metro Siege already has a track record: footage, previews, technical information, and a community that has seen the game evolve. On the other hand, years in production naturally raise expectations. Backers will want the Kickstarter to mark the final stretch, not just another chapter in a long wait.

The campaign’s strong opening suggests that many players are willing to support the project despite, or perhaps partly because of, that long history. Metro Siege now has to turn that accumulated interest into a finished release.

A familiar brawler setup

Metro Siege follows a classic side-scrolling beat ’em up structure. Riots have broken out across the city, with gangs trying to take control of different districts. Kim, a suspended police officer investigating the death of her father, teams up with Alex, an MMA gym owner and close friend, to fight through the city and uncover what is behind the violence.

It is traditional arcade-brawler material: urban chaos, gangs, bosses, and a steady supply of enemies who apparently missed the memo that surrounding the hero one by one is a terrible plan.

Combat beyond simple button-mashing

The developers are presenting Metro Siege as a brawler with more depth than repeated attack-button tapping. The game includes punches, kicks, knees, stun moves, special attacks, elbow drops, evasive moves, blocking, parries, counters, and attacks against enemies on the ground.

Weak attacks can be blocked. Stronger attacks can still cause partial damage or knock the player back. Blocking at the last moment triggers a parry and counter-attack, rewarding the player with bonus damage as well as a small health and special-meter recovery.

Downed enemies can also be attacked in several ways. Players can kick them, drop a knee on them, or throw other enemies onto them. Knee drops do strong damage, but can backfire if the enemy rolls away before impact. In other words, even a floor attack needs a little judgement.

Three main characters and alternate versions

Metro Siege features three core playable characters, each with a different look and fighting style. Each character also has an alternate version. These alternate characters share the same basic play style but have different appearances.

The system gives the roster more variety without changing the core balance too heavily. It also helps in co-op, where two players choosing the same fighter does not have to result in identical characters on screen. Players can fight alone, with a CPU-controlled partner, or with a second player using another gamepad.

Amiga first, with Neo Geo and PC planned

The Amiga version is planned to be completed first. It is expected to include disk images, a CD ISO file, and WHDLoad files, allowing players to use it on real Amiga hardware or through emulation.

The team is also planning versions for Neo Geo and PC, with the PC release aimed at Steam and itch.io. Backers of the Steam or itch.io version are planned to receive access to all three versions. The different versions are not intended to be identical. The developers plan differences in alternate characters, gameplay elements, and boss fights so that each version has its own features.

Working within Amiga limits

One of the more interesting production details is the animation system. To fit a large number of moves and animations into the Amiga version’s memory limits, the developers use a modular animation system. Instead of every frame being drawn as a full image, body parts are reused and repositioned across many animations.

For the Neo Geo and PC versions, the plan is different. Those versions are expected to use full hand-drawn animation frames, with the Neo Geo version taking advantage of stronger sprite capabilities for more detailed environments, more colours, additional sound effects, and more advanced animations.

The PC version will build on the Neo Geo-style visuals, with widescreen support, visual enhancements, and a planned Chaos difficulty mode featuring more enemies on screen. Because apparently regular street crime was not enough.

Music and presentation

The soundtrack is being created by John Tsakiris. The campaign describes it as cinematic and jazzy, which could help Metro Siege stand apart from brawlers that rely mainly on heavier action music. Presentation is clearly a major part of the pitch. The game is not only selling itself as a retro-inspired brawler, but as a multi-version project designed with the strengths and limits of each platform in mind.

Collector and shipping details

The Kickstarter page also includes a few practical notes for backers. Shipping prices include VAT and other import fees. The Amiga Collector and Ultimate Boxed Editions do not include Amiga floppy disks by default, but floppy disks can be added after selecting a boxed edition.

That clarification is useful, particularly for physical collectors who want to know exactly what is included before pledging.

Why the launch matters

The early Kickstarter result suggests that Metro Siege has found an audience ready to support new games for old hardware. Raising €28,000 in two days is a strong start, but the more notable point is that the campaign is building on years of previous development rather than launching from a cold start.

That history cuts both ways. It gives the project credibility, but it also means expectations are higher. People who have followed Metro Siege for years will want to see the game finally reach completion.

For now, the Kickstarter launch gives the project fresh momentum and a clearer path towards release. Metro Siege has the ingredients expected from a modern retro brawler: co-op play, varied combat, platform-specific versions, physical editions, and enough technical ambition to interest both players and hardware enthusiasts. The campaign’s first two days show there is still demand for that mix. Now the task is straightforward, even if the work is not: finish the fight.