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80's videogames are coming back...


As gamebooks!

Welcome to Press Start, the first gamebook series that emulates the videogame experience! It’s the first experiment that merges gamebooks, with their immersive narrative, and the epic 80s arcade games, with their atmospheres and mechanics.

ARCADE GAMES
AND GAMEBOOKS:

two 80s treasures together for the first time!

Insert coin and start this crazy adventure in which retrogame characters are brought to life and wait for YOU to guide them! Learn to adapt coin-op peculiarities to the story: from levels to finish to final Bosses, to actual Coins you’ll have to use to keep playing!

That’s not all: you’ll also find ORIGINAL PIXEL ART made by Italian and International artist, in perfect 80s style. And if it wasn’t enough, we asked Kenobit, expert retrogamer and musician, to recreate the perfect music to match the experience!
Here’s the preview of the first three books, inspired by three coin-ops that made the history of videogaming! 

Ghasts'nGremlins
Ghasts'n Gremlins screen

 
Enter the demonic realm and fight ghasts, gremlins, boos and underbosses, till the final fight with Satan themselves! 

Ghasts’n Gremlins is the emulation of the classic hack ‘n’ slash platform through new mechanics inspired by the original arcade dynamics: three lives, check points, destroyed armours, and the possibility to choose and select weapons!

Are you ready to reach the end of the game? … If you have the coins to keep playing, of course!

Shugendo


Shugendo emulates the appealing, NINJA themed platform games that were all the rage in the legendary 80s
.

An action gamebook, hack ‘n’ slash style, in which YOU’ll have to play a bloodthirsty ninja that has to stop a dojo of shadow warriors, devoted to dark and prohibited arts, that butchered your clan! You’ll face many thrilling missions, round by round, to reach the enemy headquarters and free the hostages, fighting with evil bosses at the end of every mission.

Wear your hood, sharpen your shurikens, and go conquer the castle of the final Boss!


Get in the ring
 and get ready to fight enemy after enemy till you reach the final fight!

Get into the atmosphere of the classic fighting tournament, no holds barred: energy systems and special hits are your special weapons to achieve the “perfect game” against many various, folkloristic enemies, as you would expect by any fighting tournament worth its name!

 

Are you tough enough to take part in the Games of Death?
Then…
ROUND 1 FIGHT!

Ghasts'nGremlins
Shugendo

 
Enter the demonic realm and fight ghasts, gremlins, boos and underbosses, till the final fight with Satan themselves! 

Ghasts’n Gremlins is the emulation of the classic hack ‘n’ slash platform through new mechanics inspired by the original arcade dynamics: three lives, check points, destroyed armours, and the possibility to choose and select weapons!

Are you ready to reach the end of the game? … If you have the coins to keep playing, of course!


Shugendo emulates the appealing, NINJA themed platform games that were all the rage in the legendary 80s
.

An action gamebook, hack ‘n’ slash style, in which YOU’ll have to play a bloodthirsty ninja that has to stop a dojo of shadow warriors, devoted to dark and prohibited arts, that butchered your clan! You’ll face many thrilling missions, round by round, to reach the enemy headquarters and free the hostages, fighting with evil bosses at the end of every mission.

Wear your hood, sharpen your shurikens, and go conquer the castle of the final Boss!


Get in the ring
and get ready to fight enemy after enemy till you reach the final fight!

Get into the atmosphere of the classic fighting tournament, no holds barred: energy systems and special hits are your special weapons to achieve the “perfect game” against many various, folkloristic enemies, as you would expect by any fighting tournament worth its name!

Are you tough enough to take part in the Games of Death?
Then…
ROUND 1 FIGHT!



IMPORTANT NOTE: the campaign will last ONLY A FEW DAYS and will have EXCLUSIVE CONTENTS that won’t be distributed in shops

Book your journey back in time and GET BACK INTO AN 80s ARCADE! Sign up to get, as soon as they’re ready, free pdf demos of the three titles, and to receive all the updates concerning the campaign and the exclusive contents!

 

Subscribe to the newsletter to receive free pdf demos!

PRESS START IS A PROJECT BY:

Acheron Games is the creator of astounding successes such as Brancalonia – The Spaghetti Fantasy RPG, finalist in four different categories at the ENNIE awards (the equivalent of the Oscar for RPGs), and Inferno – Dante’s Guide to Hell, the most funded Italian RPG ever on Kickstarter, with 410k+ euros.

N3rdcore, founded  and led by Lorenzo Fantoni, is a website and Twitch channell focused on pop culture, videogames, and all things nerd.