Retro Replay: Pixel Panic (NES) Homebrew

Update: Version 1.1 is out. I added a feature where you can use bombs to break portions of the map to access chips needed to clear the level. I am having memory issues, and I do not know how to expand the game without going over. I was hoping for more uniquely interesting levels. I did put the source files on git if anyone is interested in helping me.

I am proud to announce Retro Replay: Pixel Panic v0.50, a new Nintendo Entertainment System homebrew project built from the open-source NES demo Chase by the legendary Shiru.

The original Chase demo gave me a great foundation to work from: maze movement, enemy chasing, and a working NES game framework. From there, I started turning it into something with its own identity, theme, mechanics, and long-term direction.

Retro Replay: Pixel Panic is a fast-paced arcade maze game where the player collects items, avoids enemies, uses power-ups, chases score, and tries to survive increasingly chaotic stages. The game is playable now, but I am calling this version 0.50 because it is still very much in-progress. In my mind, it is complete, but far from finished.

• New player character graphics

• Rethemed enemies

• A redesigned HUD

• Score and high-score functionality

• Multiple power-ups

• A dash button

• Shooting mechanics

• Enemy freeze

• Enemy wipe/clear

• Expanded level progression

• A fourth villain that appears in later rounds

• Updated colors, tiles, sprites, and arcade-style visual direction

Right now, the game has a 50-level structure, but the current setup still relies on repeated level layouts with increasing speed and difficulty. So the first 10 levels just repeat. My long-term plan is to replace that with 50 unique levels, or possibly 100 unique levels if storage and technical limits allow it. I want each stage to feel more intentional, with better layouts, more variety, and new challenges instead of simply recycling the same maps at higher difficulty. I want each level to have its own song, but unsure of the limitation issues that may face with that. I am also not completely sold on the current bad guys yet. They work, and they fit the game for now, but I may still replace them with completely new enemy sprites as the project evolves. The player character, enemy designs, tiles, and overall visual style are all still being refined.

I also plan to put the source code on GitHub. My hope is that other people can look at it, learn from it, improve it, fork it, contribute ideas, and maybe help grow Pixel Panic into something much bigger and better than I could do alone.

Future ideas include:

• Dead ends that lead to warp zones

• Breakable blocks

• Pushable or movable blocks

• More unique level designs

• Better enemy personalities

• New enemy sprites

• More polished character art

• Additional hazards

• Enemies dropping Bomberman-style firebombs

• More music, if memory allows

• More polish for the title screen, game over screen, and victory screen

This project started as a fun experiment, but it has become something I really want to finish properly. Huge thanks to Shiru for the original Chase NES demo, and thank you to fatbastard25 for answering questions and helping me figure things out along the way. Feedback is welcome, especially from people who enjoy NES homebrew, arcade style games, ROM hacking, and projects that evolve over time.

Retro Replay: Pixel Panic v0.50 is playable now, but the real goal is to keep building it into something special.

• Fat Bastard 25: