New Vulgus port brings Capcom’s arcade shooter to Amiga AGA

Capcom’s first arcade game is making its way to the Amiga AGA, and the early build already shows plenty of promise. Vulgus is now running as a playable alpha, with its fast scrolling, compact enemy waves and straightforward shooting system largely intact. It’s still unfinished. There are visual glitches, sound problems and a fair amount of polishing left to do. Even so, the core game is clearly there, and that matters far more at this stage than perfect presentation.

Straight into the action

Vulgus doesn’t waste time. The screen starts moving, enemies appear and the player gets to work. There’s no upgrade tree to study, no long introduction and no complicated weapon system. You move, shoot and react.

The standard gun handles most threats, while a limited supply of bombs gives you extra firepower when the screen gets crowded. That simple setup keeps the pace moving. It also forces you to think before using the stronger attack, especially when several enemy formations arrive close together.

Released in arcades in 1984, Vulgus was Capcom’s first video game. You can see the basic ideas that later became common in the company’s shooters: organised attack waves, readable movement patterns, score chasing and steadily increasing pressure. The game feels simple because it is simple. That’s not a criticism. Its challenge comes from timing, positioning and staying calm when bullets start filling the play area.

A conversion built from the original code

The Amiga AGA version is being developed by JOTD, using reverse-engineered Z80 assembly code prepared by Mark McDougall, also known as tcdev. That technical starting point has helped the project move quickly. Instead of rebuilding every part of the game from scratch, the developer can work from code that already describes the original arcade behaviour. A custom conversion tool then helps translate that material into a form suitable for the Amiga.

It sounds like a neat shortcut, but it’s not automatic. Arcade hardware and Amiga hardware work differently, so the converted code still needs testing, adjustment and plenty of manual work. The advantage is accuracy.

In a game like Vulgus, small details can change everything. Enemy speed matters. Firing intervals matter. Collision detection matters. Even a slight difference in scrolling or movement can make the game feel heavier, slower or less predictable than the arcade release.

The current alpha suggests that the important parts are already working. The player ship moves quickly, enemy groups enter from different directions and the game maintains the steady rhythm expected from a vertical shooter.

Familiar stages and constant pressure

Vulgus moves between planetary landscapes and open space, giving the backgrounds some variety without distracting from the action. That’s exactly how it should be.

The scenery provides context, but enemies remain the real focus. Formations appear from the top, sides and lower areas of the screen, forcing the player to keep moving. Some attacks are easy to read. Others become dangerous when several patterns overlap. There’s rarely much time to relax.

The game also uses a looping structure rather than a modern campaign with a fixed ending. Progress means surviving longer, scoring more points and learning how each formation behaves. It’s an old-school design, but it works because the rules stay clear. You always know what went wrong. Usually, you moved too late, fired in the wrong direction or let an enemy trap you near the edge of the screen.

Sound and graphics still need work

The audio remains one of the main unfinished areas. Music and sound effects are already present, with No9 working on the tunes, but the current build still has rough spots. That’s understandable in an alpha.

Vulgus doesn’t rely on a huge soundtrack or cinematic audio design, yet sound still plays an important role. Weapon effects need enough impact, enemy destruction should feel immediate and the music has to support repeated play without becoming irritating. The graphics also need more attention. Current footage shows glitches and presentation issues that will need cleaning up before release.

The good news is that Vulgus doesn’t demand elaborate visual effects. It needs clear sprites, stable scrolling and bullets that remain easy to track. A shooter can become frustrating very quickly when enemy fire blends into the background or animation starts to flicker under pressure. AGA hardware should handle the game’s visual style well. The challenge isn’t adding extra spectacle. It’s keeping the screen clean and the performance consistent.

A promising early build

This alpha isn’t the finished game, and nobody should treat it as one. Bugs remain. The audio needs refinement. Some visual elements still break or behave incorrectly. But the foundation looks solid.

Vulgus is already playable on the Amiga AGA, and the conversion appears to preserve the direct feel of the arcade original. The ship responds quickly, the action moves at a convincing pace and the enemy patterns remain central to the experience. Now it comes down to polish.

Smooth scrolling, accurate collisions and stable performance will decide whether the final version feels right. Based on the alpha, the project is heading in the right direction. It doesn’t need reinvention. It just needs to deliver Vulgus cleanly, quickly and without getting in its own way.

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Straight into the action

A conversion built from the original code

Familiar stages and constant pressure

Sound and graphics still need work

A promising early build

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