Back in the late 1980s, I was just about ready to hand in my trusty Amstrad CPC 664 and jump headfirst into my next machine—an Atari STFM, but even at that point there were still some truly fantastic 8-bit titles coming out. Manchester’s Ocean Software, a company I later spent a lot of time working with, was behind a lot of them, although would probably be accused of falling foul of producing too many movie-ties in the years to follow.
1987 though, saw early developer royalty Jon Ritman (Match Day and the outstanding Batman) and the late great Bernie Drummand (Batman, Match Day II) come up with Head Over Heels. Isometric games were as close as we got to 3D back then and there were huge classics such as the aforementioned Batman, and several standouts from Ultimate: Play the Game such as Alien8 and Knight Lore.
Head Over Heels joins that illustrious alumni with its super-cute characters and fiendish levels, cunningly crafted against the odds of the time.
Anyway, history lesson over, Head Over Heels is back, and this time it’s on Steam – with hopefully a Nintendo Switch version to follow.
Featuring a classic mode with the OG graphics but with the ability to add a few quality-of-life mod cons such as save states and even a new world, you can pick up Head Over Heels: Deluxe for the first time if you don’t have a ZX Spectrum Next, for around a tenner on Steam – there is currently a launch promo of 25% off too.
There’s also a retro soundtrack DLC for under a pound if you want to support the devs more and delight in a bit of chiptunage. Check out the vid above for a nostalgia trip.
What is Head Over Heels: Deluxe?
The Steam description can do this far better than we ever could so here goes:
“Get ready to dive into a timeless puzzle-platforming adventure that captivated gamers in the golden age of the 8-bit era, now reborn with colourful modern visuals and refined gameplay! Head Over Heels is back and better than ever, delivering the perfect fusion of vintage charm with fresh new challenges. Whether you’re a long time fan or a brand-new adventurer, this award-winning remake originally made for the ZX Spectrum Next will capture your heart and test your wits!”
