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Boutique publisher 33 Games has revealed to Time Extension that it is working on a "super premium" re-release of Stone Protectors on Sega Mega Drive / Genesis and SNES.
A side-scrolling fighter developed by Eurocom, Stone Protectors is based on the short-lived toy line and cartoon series of the same name, which launched back in 1993. The game would come the following year.
Kemco published the SNES version, but the Sega edition never saw the light of day – until 2022, when rights holder Piko Interactive released it alongside the SNES game. Both games were released in Japan (with exclusive new cover artwork) by Columbus Circle, under license from Piko.
So why should we care about this new release when the game was already published recently? Well, 33 Games boss Steven Charles insists this will be a "premium and interesting take" on the game. The company aims to "recreate the old days of the 16-bit rivalry" by releasing both versions at the same time, and is working with Japanese artist RIKI to create all-new key art.
The Stone Protectors comic art will also be incorporated, and it will be packaged with a vinyl action figure – complete with old-school blister-card packaging – to tie-in with the original toy line. "We are approaching this like we do all our retro projects, with a view to the historical aspect and what we can do to create a super premium, interesting, thoughtful version of the game," concludes Charles.