Long Lost Game Finally Releasing on NES After 35 Years

A new, previously un-released NES game is finally releasing for the retro console 35 years later. Many have raised their eyebrow over the fact that there are still games being released for PS4 and Xbox One this generation, namely Call of Duty and sports games. As we get deeper into the generation, more and more developers are abandoning last-gen, but they have managed to hang on for quite some time. All consoles tend to have some titles that support them for years after they’ve become irrelevant. The last PS2 game was released in November 2013, around the launch of the PS4, so it’s clear some consoles get supported for years.

However, it’s pretty rare, if not totally unheard of, for a console to stop support altogether and then get a new release many, many years later. It’s not exactly lucrative for developers and publishers to release games on defunct consoles because there’s simply not an audience for it. While there may be some working units out there, some units may also be totally broken or not function properly. It’s a lost cause in most cases, but to the surprise of many, there is a new NES release coming in 2026.

Unreleased NES Game Will Finally Release in 2026 on an NES Cartridge

iam8bit has announced that it will be releasing a fully functional NES cartridge for a game known as Xcavator 2025. The title was prototyped by legendary game designer Chris Oberth, who passed away in 2012, and shopped around to various publishers in the industry in 1991. However, no one was interested in releasing it and it was shelved, thought to be lost to time. Oberth’s family donated his archive of work to the Video Game History Foundation where they found the source code for Xcavator. The team at Mega Cat Studios then faithfully finished the game based on Oberth’s original vision, utilizing the tools he would’ve had in the 90s.

Now, you’ll be able to buy Xcavator 2025 on an NES cartridge along with a 14-page manual and box next year for $100. All of the profit will help fund Video Game History Foundation, so you know where your money is going. It’s a very unique product and is a really cool piece of gaming history. While it’s a fairly niche product, it is one that a lot of gaming fans will appreciate, especially if they have access to an NES.

Will you be buying Xcavator 2025? Let me know in the comments below!

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