Every so often, a retro project pops up that feels like it escaped from an alternate timeline — the one where the Amiga got every arcade hit it deserved. This week, that honour goes to Hyper Sports, newly ported to the Amiga by coder jotd666, and available now as a free download on itch.io.
If the name rings a bell, it’s because Hyper Sports was the 1984 arcade follow-up to Track & Field — the king of sweaty palms and button-mashing bravado. The arcade original never made it to the Amiga back in the day (despite appearing on Commodore 64 and other 8-bit systems)… but this port feels like it should have.
A proper Amiga version, not emulation
Hyper Sports was one of those games that everyone my age was aware of, thanks to it appearing in a kids BBC TV show (First Class) as a challenge. This makes its absence from the Amiga all the more puzzling, really.
The first thing to know: this isn’t a wrapper or an emulator bundle. Rather, it’s a native Amiga AGA port, built specifically for real hardware and MiSTer setups. The developer of this port has made it compatible with PAL and NTSC, one or two players can compete, and there is also keyboard support. LHA and ADF versions are available.
It’s all remarkably authentic — right down to the timing quirks that made the original so addictive.
What’s working right now?
You can check the developer’s video above, which shows that the whole thing is already shaping up nicely:
- All the major events appear functional
- Sprites and animations look crisp and faithful to the arcade original
- Gameplay is impressively smooth
- Controls feel as you’d expect: mash, rhythm, jump, pray
Some optimisation work remains on the dev’s to-do list — but considering this is a fan project, it’s already more polished than several “commercial” retro reissues I could name.
A free passion project worth celebrating
If you grew up with Konami’s sports-button-basher trilogy — Track & Field, Hyper Sports, and Hyper Athlete — this Amiga port is a lovely thing. It’s faithful, fast, and weirdly nostalgic even if your original memories were in a smoky arcade rather than on Commodore hardware.
It’s not “finished” yet, but it’s already a fantastic what-if — the kind of project that keeps the retro scene lively, weird, and passionate.
Most importantly: it’s free / name-your-price. Head to the dev’s Itch.io page to learn more.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through those links. This comes at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
