Last updated on February 6th, 2025 at 03:35 pm
Nebulus is a video game created by John M. Phillips and published by Hewson Consultants in the late 1980s for various home computer systems. International releases and ports were known by various other names, including Castelian, Kyorochan Land (キョロちゃんランド Kyorochan Rando?), Subline and Tower Toppler.
Nebulus became a classic platformer that has captivated gamers since its release in 1987. This game stands out with its innovative cylindrical tower design, where the player character Pogo navigates through rotating environments to reach the top and destroy eight towers.
### Gameplay
Unique Mechanics: The game’s most notable feature is its cylindrical tower design. As Pogo moves left or right, the tower rotates instead of Pogo moving across it, creating a convincing sense of depth.
Challenges: Players must avoid enemies shaped like geometric shapes while ascending. Some enemies can be shot down, but contact with them will knock Pogo down to lower ledges.
Time Pressure: Each level has a time limit, making strategy crucial as falling more than once can prevent reaching the top within time.
### Reception
Nebulus received positive reviews for its original concept and challenging gameplay. It earned a Gold Medal from Zzap!64.
On Lemon64, it holds an average score of around 8/10 from user reviews.
### Amiga Version
There is an Amiga version of Nebulus, although it was not as widely acclaimed as the C64 version due to some differences in graphics style and feel. Additionally, there was a lesser-known sequel titled Nebulus 2 released for the Amiga in the 1990s.
Nebulus on C64 remains a classic due to its unique gameplay mechanics and challenging levels. While not perfect due to time constraints and enemy interactions that might seem frustrating at times without endless lives or no timer options (as suggested by some players), it offers rewarding gameplay that still entertains today.
The Remake
Reimplementation of the 1988 game Nebulus.
[Sourceforge-DOWNLOAD]
