Review Roguecraft DX (Evercade) - The Ultimate Version Of The Award-Winning Amiga Roguelike

Originally released on the Commodore Amiga, Badger Punch's Roguecraft is coming to the Evercade family of systems as Roguecraft DX, and, as you might expect, it offers a few welcome enhancements that make this award-winning roguelike even more appealing.

I'll get onto what's been added in a moment, but if you're new to Roguecraft, here's a brief history lesson. The game is actually based on Rogue64, Badger Punch's C64 title (which is also available on Evercade, but as a hidden game). The goal is to take one of three character classes and guide them through a series of procedurally-generated dungeons, fighting off enemies, collecting gold, boosting your stats with pick-ups and picking up potions – all while attempting to secure the key which grants access to the next level down.

The trio of characters represent three difficulty levels. The Warrior is the easiest to master, as he's capable of dealing out plenty of damage and is also able to take plenty of hits. The Rogue is the intermediate character, and has the ability to teleport – but is weaker than the Warrior. The hardest character to use is the Wizard, who is physically feeble but can hurl magical attacks at enemies, thereby avoiding damage.

While Roguecraft DX retains the same basic presentation as the Amiga version, it comes with a host of new content to keep things fresh. The biggest addition is five more levels, bringing the total up to 15. These include a brand-new opening stage, called The Wilderness, which takes place above ground. There are also enemies which are exclusive to this version.

More subtle (but no less significant) is the inclusion of different potion types, which are randomised each time you play. This alone means the game has an incredible degree of variety, making each run feel distinct. In-game achievements are another massive bonus to the Evercade port; unlocking all of these is quite a challenge and will keep you coming back for more – and when you've obtained them all, there's the allure of topping the persistent high-score table and improving on your personal best.

Alongside some other balancing tweaks, Roguecraft DX is undeniably the best version of the game released so far – but is it different enough from the Amiga original to be worth a double-dip? That all depends on how much love you have for the game itself. I'd also say that, once you've completed it with all three characters, there's a danger it might lack the long-term appeal to make you come back for more.

Still, there's no denying that Roguecraft DX is one of the best 'new retro' releases we've seen on Evercade thus far, and if you're keen on roguelikes or lightweight RPGs in general, then it's well worth a look.