Created by Luca Carminati and first released in 2025, H.E.R.O. Is Back is a homebrew continuation of John Van Ryzin‘s classic mine rescue game, H.E.R.O.

The graphics and sound are pretty much the same as the C64 original, but the levels are completely different. Well, the very first level is almost the same as the first level in the original, but I think that was done as a joke…

The new levels are interesting, fun to play, and devilishly-designed. For example: lantern placement is often used to trick you, and you sometimes have to do some real twists and turns to avoid lava walls and enemies. There are even sections where the route splits in two, and you’ll get a choice of where to go next. Now that’s how to confuse a H.E.R.O. player! 😉

H.E.R.O. Is Back is a decent homebrew game that demonstrates how John Van Ryzin‘s original idea still has legs.

More: H.E.R.O. Is Back on itch.io