It’s time to pay some respect to the often-overlooked Sega Master System. Indie developer Sinclair Strange is clearly a fan, and his upcoming 2D platformer, Sir Noggin, is a vibrant, big-brained tribute to that classic console. With the unique publishing support of Scarlet Moon Games, this charming title is coming to Steam and itch.io in the near future.
The game is built to capture the essence of those simple, difficult, and colorful platformers of the late ’80s and early ’90s, drawing inspiration from classics like Wonder Boy 3 and Castle of Illusion.
Big brain, big sword, big adventure
The hero is Sir Noggin, a character who lives up to his name with a big brain and an even bigger sword. This adventure is all about challenging combat and classic platforming as players slice their way through six main stages and face off against epic bosses.
As developer Sinclair Strange notes, he wanted to design “something different to my usual ‘run-n-gun’-styled games” and finally create a character who wields an overly large sword. That desire for a fresh platforming experience is evident in the features:
- Massive Adventure: You’ll explore 20 action-packed stages spread across seven unique zones. That is a huge amount of platforming to master.
- Chiptune Score: The audio is being handled by Scarlet Moon‘s own composer, coda, who provides a catchy, authentic chiptune score that perfectly complements the Master System’s visual aesthetic.
- Master System Aesthetic: The game intentionally uses the Sega Master System’s palette and graphical features, giving it a distinct, bright, and nostalgic look.
- Power-Ups and Extras: Players can collect five different power-ups to customize their play style, and expert players can dive into a Boss Rush Mode and other extra challenges once the main game is cleared.
Sinclair Strange has a great pedigree, having won the Ludem Dare game jam three times, so the fundamental design of Sir Noggin is likely to be rock-solid and fair, even when it’s at its most difficult.
If you appreciate that vibrant, simple, and skill-testing style of platformer that defined the Master System era, make sure to wishlist Sir Noggin on Steam today.
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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.
