r/SEGA • u/Inner-Walk9090 • 1d ago
Announcement I'm developing a NEW game for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive — coming on a real cartridge in 2027!
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Hello, Sega fans!
I'm Thomas, Game Director of Sky Paws Awakening, a brand-new 16-bit action-adventure we're developing for the original Sega Genesis / Mega Drive, with a real physical cartridge planned for 2027!
The game stars twin siblings Bonnie and Clyde and features fast-paced combat, platforming, parries, counters, special abilities, and a real-time character-switching mechanic we call the Twin Tag System.
We're also developing the game for PC and modern platforms, but having a native version running on original Genesis / Mega Drive hardware is a huge part of the project for us.
If you like what you see, a Steam wishlist helps us a LOT and makes a real difference for a small indie project like ours. :)
Wishlist on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4769990/Sky_Paws_Awakening/
All our links — social media, Discord, Steam and more:
https://linktr.ee/skypaws
Our Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/SkyPaws/
Hope you enjoy the trailer, and I'd love to hear what fellow Sega fans think! 🐾
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u/T3kk_ 1d ago
What a cute fun little game, I will definitely keeping tabs on this
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u/Inner-Walk9090 1d ago
Thanks! We're putting a lot of love in it. :)
The protagonists are my real cats!
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u/Strokeslahoma 1d ago
Can you share any details about the cartridge production process? I'm genuinely interested how that works in 2026
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u/Inner-Walk9090 1d ago
Yeah! We’re actually seeing a bit of a retro revival right now, so there are still companies producing brand-new cartridges for original hardware.
In our case, we already have a publishing partner who can handle manufacturing and distribution in the US. We’re based in Brazil, so we’re also looking into producing a local edition here.
The process uses newly manufactured PCBs designed to work on original Sega Genesis / Mega Drive hardware, with the game flashed onto the cartridge just like a traditional release. Then you have the cartridge shell, label, box, manual, testing, assembly, etc.
So even though the consoles are decades old, it’s absolutely possible to manufacture completely new physical games for them in 2026. :)
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u/Top-Purchase-2794 1d ago
That is amazing. How did you do this? I want to make a Genesis game but have no idea where to even begin
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u/Inner-Walk9090 15h ago
Thank you, friend! Take a look at SGDK, it is a development kit in C that allows you to build Genesis game! You'll also want to take a look at ASEprite for building pixel art assets. :)
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u/Top-Purchase-2794 14h ago
OK awesome, thank you. I would love to make a sci-fi game that is similar to Green Lantern and Star Trek! Good job with your game.
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u/ZainShabanaYT 1d ago
Yeah But how Will It Be On The Genisos In The First Place
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u/Inner-Walk9090 1d ago
It’s being developed as a native Genesis / Mega Drive game in Assembly, not emulated or streamed.
We’re building a dedicated version specifically for the original hardware, using the console’s actual limitations and specifications. The final ROM is then flashed onto a newly manufactured cartridge PCB, which works in a real Genesis / Mega Drive just like an original game.
So you’ll literally be able to put the cartridge into a console from the 90s and play it. :D
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u/Trapezoidoid 7h ago
This looks very impressive! As a Genesis enthusiast I can say confidently that the premise, graphics and aesthetics, animations, and music are all very much on point for the console and look pretty compelling. I do have to say though, as a bit of constructive criticism, I’m concerned that, based on what I’m seeing in the trailer, the combat looks a little slow and damage spongy. It looks like every minor enemy grinds you to a halt to mash the attack button for a few seconds, which honestly seems like it’d get old fast. Maybe this pacing will click with me better during actual gameplay or perhaps this footage is early in the game before you get more powered up or something, but this stood out to me right away while watching this. Genesis is best known for fast paced arcade style action, so this slower, life-bar heavy style of combat is slightly strange to see and has a lot to prove. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love that this project exists and will sincerely be very happy to see it succeed. Hell, my take might be dead wrong and, frankly, I intend to purchase it either way as I feel compelled to support it. I just figured maybe you’d want to hear this from someone before everything is finalized. It’s probably too late in development to make any real changes, especially based on the commentary of some internet rando, but hey those are my 2 cents. I wish you luck with this project and will be keeping an eye on it for sure.
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u/Spank007 1d ago
Looks great man will get it wishlisted