Commodore Amiga owners were spoilt for superb shoot ’em ups with original games such as Xenon II, Project X, Swiv, and Bloody Money, and superb arcade ports such as R-Type. One title that stood out from the crowd was Apidiya, a game that ditched spaceships and battle stations and replaced them with insects and ponds. It was totally unique and it’s coming back in almost exactly the same form.
Apidya Special is a full remake rather than an emulated version of the original Amiga title and it’s been developed by the original team, together with a devoted Apidya super-fan-turned-developer. The new version is based on an unreleased console port from the 90s, presumably the Sega Megadrive version, and uses the original assets along with brand new pixel art. There’s also a new version of the soundtrack by legendary 16-bit composer Chris Hülsbeck.
“We never thought we’d return to Apidya after all these years,” said Peter Thierolf, original creator of the game. “but with new technology, the right team, and the passion of the community, we can finally deliver the version we always dreamed about.”
While remaining true to the original game there some new features that have been added, check them out:
Key Features
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- Authentic Remake – Completely rebuilt from scratch; no emulation.
- Two Visual Modes – Seamlessly switch between HD widescreen or original Amiga 4:3 presentation.
- Exclusive Chris Hülsbeck OST – Newly arranged soundtrack alongside remixed and classic tracks.
- Retro Visual Effects – Optional CRT shaders, bloom, and authentic scanline simulation.
- Expanded Worlds – 5 diverse themed worlds (Meadow, Pond, Sewers, Cyber, Lair), up to 5 levels each, 20 unique bosses, and hidden special stages.
- Fresh Surprises – Randomized in-game events like “Night Mode” with new enemy sprites.
- Co-op Mode – Second player controls one of the helper drones.
- Accessibility Options – Modernized difficulty settings to make the game enjoyable for all generations (including the original devs).
Apidya Special will launch next year on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
Can someone please remake SWIV now? Pretty please?
Source: Press release
