The Undead C64 revival has emerged from decades of dormancy, as programmers Miha Rinne and Pekka Kleimola resurrect a shelved Commodore 64 beat-’em-up from the early ’90s. Their aptly named blog, Undead Dev Blog, which kicked off in summer 2021, chronicles the journey from dusty floppies to cutting-edge cartridge-and-Unreal-Engine workflows. Now, with a working prototype demo in June 2025, the game is finally clawing its way back into the limelight.
In an era when pixel art and cart-themed developments dominate retro gaming circles, the Undead C64 revival stands apart. It’s not a cheeky ROM hack or an emulator trick—it’s raw, ambitious C64 development. Originally started around 1990–92 by two teenage enthusiasts, the game draws inspiration from arcade classics like Splatterhouse, Final Fight and Narc, blending brutal side-scrolling action with 16‑color bitmap graphics streamed straight from a 1541 disk.
From lost floppy disks to modern-day Frankenstein toolset
The project was shelved after just one playable level and a bonus room, and the original disks were feared lost—until the early 2000s, when Rinne recovered graphics, design notes and source code. In 2010, a “preview” demo surfaced, featuring a slideshow and playable first level. But then, almost 30 years later, intense interest jumped off the archives onto Rinne’s dev blog—and he and Kleimola decided to really finish what they started.
They’ve built an impressively modern toolchain: Miha crafted “Necromancer,” a pixel-animation editor that exports optimized sprite routines for both Unreal Engine prototypes and the final C64 cartridge build. Pekka prototypes new mechanics in UE5—thanks to Blueprint scripting—then pioneers streaming of bitmap backgrounds and hundreds of animation frames via flash cart on real C64 hardware (reddit.com).
Gameplay that packs a punch
Recent prototype footage—posted in June 2025—showcases a new enemy type (“zako” or “popcorn” foe) that falls in a single hit. Reddit fans are already buzzing:
“Looks great… every player action looks to evoke some (meaty) feedback, avoiding the feeling of ‘punching the air’”
The blog and forums reveal relentless enhancements: frame‑synced punching and kicking, grab‑and‑throw zombies, background scrolling, cartridge-optimized sprite streaming—even jump mechanics calibrated by rotoscoping Unreal clips (lemon64.com). At Zooparty 2024, early builds were playable on real C64s through Ultimate+ cartridges—testimony to the team’s devotion and technical prowess.
Why this revival matters
The Undead C64 revival isn’t just a retro‑fueled nostalgia pump. It’s an example of wielding modern game‑dev tools (like UE5 and custom editors) to solve old‑school hardware limitations. It unifies a generation’s longing—with possibilities for physical cartridge releases, emulatable ROMs, and a vibrant dev blog tracing every design decision.
For Commodore lovers, it’s proof that 8‑bit machines can still surprise. For developers, it’s a case study in resurrecting and modernizing legacy projects. And for the world? It’s a reminder that good ideas—once abandoned—can rise again with enough passion and ingenuity.
What’s next
Rinne promises “playable C64 demo by Zooparty 2025.” Meanwhile, blog posts offer deep dives into Necromancer’s export system, AE sprite layering, and streaming tech. Community reactions remain enthusiastic, and if all goes well, we might soon hold a brand‑new C64 cartridge in our hands—a dream once consigned to floppy fate.
