A team of independent developers is close to completing a remastered version of the 1984 cult classic Sabre Wulf for the Commodore 64, updating the game with redesigned graphics, smoother performance and modern quality-of-life features while retaining its original gameplay.
The project, led by the Genesis Project Team, rebuilds the game with completely redrawn pixel art at a higher 320×200 resolution, compared with the original’s 256×176. Artist Jon Eggleton has reworked the game’s 256-screen jungle using multi-colour tilesets, a process the team said was intended to “imbue new life into the game’s 256-screen jungle.”
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The underlying code has been rewritten by Robert Troughton to improve on-screen movement and support a higher refresh rate, while also addressing long-standing issues such as screen-transition bugs present in the original release. The remaster also includes a refreshed soundtrack composed by Marcin Majdzik, alongside new loading screens and cinematic elements.
Unlike the original Commodore 64 port, which largely replicated the ZX Spectrum’s visuals with limited colour depth, the remaster takes fuller advantage of the C64’s audiovisual capabilities. The updated version introduces more vibrant visuals, an expanded user interface, a “fog of war” map and a broader range of enemy types.
Originally released in 1984 by British developer Ultimate Play the Game, Sabre Wulf became a cult hit across platforms including the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. The Genesis Project Team said the remaster is nearing completion, though no release date has been announced, and an early v0.5 build is already available for download.
Source: CSDb