FPGA developer Jotego has announced the upcoming release of a core for Moonwalker, the iconic 1990 Sega System 18 arcade game. Known for its isometric beat 'em up gameplay and distinctive visual style, Moonwalker originally captivated gamers on the Sega Genesis and Master System, but now it’s making its way to modern platforms through Jotego’s MiSTer FPGA and Analogue Pocket devices.
System Compatibility Expansion: This core marks another addition to the expanding library of games compatible with the Analogue Pocket and MiSTer. Fans can look forward to reliving this classic experience on portable hardware that’s gaining a reputation for its high-quality emulation capabilities.
Exclusive Access: However, the Moonwalker core will not be available to the general public. Players seeking this nostalgia-filled adventure must sign up to Jotego’s Patreon to gain access.
The wait is on for more details about release dates and what additional games might follow in Jotego’s System 18 library expansion.
Are you eager to play Moonwalker on your favorite retro gaming platform?
That statement in the article is misleading. It’s only paywalled while it’s in beta. After that he releases to the public for free.
The measly $3/month he asks for pays for him to run a small team of people who analyze boards and schematics, document those findings (also released to the public) and create cores for several different FPGA devices (built upon his own development framework which helps speed up the process). Jotego is probably doing the most to preserve arcade games in FPGA form out of all of the developers who do such work.
I happily pay the $3 every month. Recently Jotego was responsible for producing a finished TMNT core (Furrtek did the board schematics but he dislikes writing cores), The Simpsons, OutRun and more. Moonwalker is just another in a long line of excellent releases.