Games often undergo remakes for various reasons, yet few can claim a backstory as touching as that of The Battle of Olympus. Originally launched on the NES in 1988, this beloved side-scrolling platformer is set to make a comeback early next year, thanks to the original creative duo behind it—a husband-and-wife team.
Rekindling a Classic
It’s worth noting that the term “husband-and-wife” is a bit of a misnomer in this context. As reported by Time Extension, programmer Yukio Horimoto and artist Reiko Oshida (now Horimoto) were not yet married when they developed The Battle of Olympus. However, they were in a romantic relationship during the game’s creation, which undoubtedly influenced its enchanting narrative. In a past interview with VG247, Yukio shared, “I like Greek myths and legends, so we decided to base our game on those legends. Given those circumstances, we talked about the game and our mood influenced it.”
In addition to Greek mythology, the game drew significant inspiration from The Legend of Zelda 2. Yukio has openly acknowledged this influence, stating, “I wanted to make the same kind of game, and so many parts of the game, like the player’s attacking motion, ducking motion, and jumping motion: They were all influenced by The Legend of Zelda.”
The upcoming remake promises to be a labor of love. The Steam page describes it as a “handcrafted Steam remake,” with Yukio and Reiko’s reformed company, Infinity Co, taking on the task of meticulously recreating the game. They will be redrawing the pixel art and refining gameplay for modern PC players, all while striving to maintain the original’s spirit, atmosphere, and challenge.
In contrast, another classic, Colossal Cave Adventure, has a different origin story. This iconic text adventure, which dates back to the mid-1970s, was created by Will Crowther and Don Woods, rather than the Williams family. Yet, like the Horimotos, the Williams have also remained active in game development, recently directing the fashion model simulation games Model Debut #nicola and its sequel in 2019 and 2021.
As the Horimotos embark on this nostalgic journey, it appears they may be preparing to step away from game development altogether after the release of The Battle of Olympus. The Steam page indicates that this remake will be their “final major game product.”
Set to launch in early access on Steam in January 2027, The Battle of Olympus is poised to rekindle fond memories for longtime fans while inviting a new generation to experience its charm.
