Creator Shin (@shintendo) transforms a FromSoftware RPG into a retro adventure in their Elden Ring Game Boy Demake.
The launch of Elden Ring marked a new era of love for open-world RPGs, particularly for epic adventures in dark fantasy worlds. Its environment is populated with grotesque enemies and beautifully tragic NPCs, inviting players to experience the joys (and many, many difficulties) of its world. With heartwrenching tales and mechanically unique characters, it's no wonder Elden Ring has inspired a seemingly endless number of fan tributes.
In a sea of fan art and meme-y builds, one Elden Ring fan has showed their love for the game in a unique way. Bringing a retro twist to the RPG, content creator and game dev Shin (@shintendoYT) built an Elden Ring demake fit for the Game Boy.
ELDEN RING GAME BOY DEMAKE
As gorgeous as Elden Ring's aesthetic is, many have wondered what the game might feel like in a more old-school format. Thanks to creator Shin, we no longer have to resort to our imaginations. Using game creator GB Studio, Shin built a fairly extensive Elden Ring demake.
GB Studio is a tool game creators use to craft playable experiences for a variety of retro handheld systems. Of course, this includes the iconic Game Boy. Aiming to translate the best of Elden Ring's early missions, Shin created a green-tinted Limgrave for players to explore.
Players will initially start in the Precipice of Anticipation, much like the original game's intro quests. Controlling a small pixel Tarnished, players can fell enemies with swords and dodge attacks with defensive rolls. The custom tileset map actually still has a degree of open-world exploration, allowing players to interact with familiar NPCs. Though it's a bite-sized adventure with limited items, it captures the heart of the original Elden Ring.
Along with the Precipice of Anticipation, players can explore Northern Limgrave and Stormveil Castle. Of course, this means coming across the game's two notorious early enemies; Margit the Fell Omen and Stormveil Castle's own boss, Godrick the Grafted await the player in pixel form.
Though the game is intended to capture that perfect Game Boy feel, fans can play the game in-browser for free. Luckily, the game uses a concise set of key-binds, making it a fairly accessible PC translation of Game Boy controls. Additionally, Shin's demake actually runs on real retro hardware. This means players can bust out any old Game Boy console and load up Elden Ring GB for a pixel FromSoftware adventure.
Finally, play the Elden Ring GB game yourself for free on shintendo's itch.io page! Otherwise, check out their Twitter and YouTube channels to stay in the loop with future updates on the project!