In his latest YouTube video, Marcus Oliver Wagner, also known as Natthrafn, unveils a modernized preview of Catacombs of Cherubim, a long-lost Commodore 64 platformer originally coded in 1992 but never released. Now, more than three decades later, the game is being revived—and with serious enhancements.
This fresh version of Catacombs of Cherubim isn’t just a nostalgic restoration. Wagner has reworked the graphics, improved the controls, and rebuilt the engine using KickAssembler. The result is a tighter, more playable platforming experience that remains faithful to its early-’90s design, while adding modern polish for today’s C64 enthusiasts.
What to Expect in the New Build
The video showcases a scrolling 8-bit dungeon filled with enemies, traps, and a striking black-metal-inspired aesthetic. Players will notice updated enemy behaviors, sharper tile graphics, and more responsive mechanics. Wagner even demonstrates how he integrated original character animations from the old game assets, blending vintage pixel art with smoother new transitions.
Unlike many recent retro platformers, Catacombs of Cherubim avoids the temptation to mimic other C64 classics. It has its own distinct tone—a darker, more mythic vibe, closer to Barbarian than Bubble Bobble. The preview also hints at a larger game world in development, suggesting that this revival might become something far greater than a quick one-level prototype.
Why You Should Watch
For anyone into C64 homebrew, game preservation, or retro development, this video is a must-watch. Wagner walks viewers through the creative decisions and technical challenges, making the preview as much a developer diary as a teaser. If you enjoy seeing vintage projects come back to life—especially with source code rescued from old floppy disks—this is the video to queue up.
