Epyx Rogue Now Available on the Nintendo Switch
Epyx Rogue, a game that played a significant role in popularizing the term ‘roguelike’, can now be purchased on the Nintendo Switch eShop for an affordable price of £7.99 / $7.99. While the availability of this classic game on a new platform should be a reason for joy, some players have encountered a major bug that causes the game to become unplayable.
Despite the bug, Rogue remains an exceptional game that had a profound impact on the gaming industry when it first debuted in the 1980s. A port for the Amiga was released in 1986, and the version now available on the Switch appears to be a direct adaptation of that specific release.
Official Game Description:
“In the 1980s, a groundbreaking computer game emerged, changing the world of fantasy gaming forever. The randomly generated rooms in the infamous Dungeons of Doom ensured that each journey was unique. The combination of randomness and permadeath proved to be captivating, leading to the birth of an entire genre: ‘Rogue-likes’.
“Now, you too can embark on a dungeon-crawling adventure in search of the fabled Amulet of Yendor in this pioneering game. Dive deep into this recreation of the original graphical port of Rogue by Epyx, which introduced pixel art for the first time, replacing the earlier text-based interface.”
However, players have reported a critical issue with an in-game item – the Scroll of Wild Magic. This item causes the game to lock up because players are unable to interact with it. When presented with the option to read it or leave it, players find themselves unable to select either choice.
One theory suggests that since the original Amiga version required a mouse for interaction, Pixel Games UK, the publisher, overlooked providing a feasible method for players to engage with the dialog box on the Switch, resulting in this game-breaking bug.
We have attempted to contact Pixel Games UK to inquire about their awareness of this issue and whether a fix is in progress, but as of the time of writing, we have not received a response. We will keep you informed of any developments as soon as we receive further information.