We’re going to bet you’ve never wished you could play Counter-Strike on your Commodore 64 or Atari console. Yet amazingly, the option of online multiplayer shooting is coming, thanks to the team behind 8bit-Strike.
Counter-Strike (1999) is the forerunner to “battle royale” titles like Fortnite and PUBG. Originally a mod for Half-Life, Counter-Strike was later released as a full retail product, free with Half-Life 2.
The type of game who existence is purely down to the era of 32-bit computing and digital communications (56K modems and faster), Counter-Strike is unsurprisingly hugely influential. Along with the games mentioned above, it has clear lineage to 8bit-Strike, a forthcoming online shooter for Atari 8-bit computers, Atari Lynx handheld, and the Commodore 64.
8bit-Strike is a game for the Atari 8bit, Atari Lynx and C64 currently in development using the 8bit-Unity SDK. The online play is compatible with the 8bit-Hub and IP65 cards (RR-Net, DragonCard).
To play the game, you’ll need additional hardware:
- Atari XL or XE (64K) with 8bit-Hub or DragonCart
- Atari Lynx 1 or 2 with 8bit-Hub
- C64 or C128 with 8bit-Hub or RR-Net
There is currently no release date for 8bit-Strike, with the developers opting for a “WHEN IT IS READY!” approach. However, you can join the beta testing team via the 8bit-Strike forum.
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.
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