A free remake of the 1984 arcade classic Bomb Jack is out on itch.io

Indie developer RADICALBLAST has released a free remake of the 1984 arcade platformer Bomb Jack for PC and web browsers. The project is available now on itch.io, recreating the original single-screen mechanics and scoring loops that made the arcade cabinet a hit.

Bomb Jack originally debuted in March 1984. It was developed by Tehkan before the company rebranded to Tecmo and eventually merged into Koei Tecmo. Designed by Michitaka Tsuruta and Kazutoshi Ueda, the game stood out from contemporary platformers by focusing heavily on verticality and momentum. The protagonist, Jack, can perform massive leaps and flutter through the air to collect 24 bombs scattered across the screen.

The scoring loop

The core hook of Bomb Jack is the sequence of the bombs. Once Jack touches the first bomb, another ignites. Collecting the ignited bombs in order yields massive score bonuses, turning a simple platforming exercise into a tense routing puzzle. Players have to map out a path through the air while avoiding enemies that track their movements.

The mechanics rely entirely on a joystick and a single jump button. Tapping the button produces a standard jump, while holding it sends Jack rocketing to the top of the screen. Pushing up or down while airborne alters his fall speed. This creates a distinct floating physics system that requires practice to master. The enemies, including mechanical birds and mummies, spawn in set patterns and chase Jack across the stage.

There is also a power-up system to manage. As Jack collects bombs, a bonus coin occasionally appears. Grabbing the "P" coin temporarily turns all on-screen enemies into smiling faces, freezing them in place and allowing Jack to collect them for extra points. It is a mechanic clearly inspired by Pac-Man's power pellets, but it integrates perfectly into the vertical platforming.

You probably played a port of this

The original arcade cabinet was a massive success, which meant it was ported to almost every home computer of the late 1980s. The Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Amiga, and Atari ST all received versions of the game. It later spawned sequels like Mighty Bomb Jack on the NES in 1986 and Bomb Jack Twin in 1993.

The visual presentation of Bomb Jack was notable for its time. Instead of abstract space backgrounds or simple black screens, the game featured detailed pixel-art renditions of global landmarks. Players clear screens set against the Sphinx, the Acropolis of Athens, Castle Neuschwanstein, and a generic Miami Beach skyline. The remake retains these backgrounds.

RADICALBLAST has a history of building fan recreations of 1980s arcade favorites, including City Connection and Tapper. This release follows the same philosophy of keeping the 2D mechanics intact for modern audiences. These projects function as playable archival work, making 40-year-old mechanics accessible in a modern web browser without requiring users to configure MAME or track down original ROM files.

I want to see whether the physics in this new browser version feel as floaty and precise as the original arcade board.