Winsley’s Guardian Is Back — For The N64?

It’s not every day — in fact, it’s almost never — that you see a homebrew game being manufactured for the N64. But one is up right now on Kickstarter and has already reached half its funding goal. What’s even crazier? The game is Winsley’s Guardian.

We first called attention to this game last year, when copies were being crowdfunded for the Game Boy Color.  It’s very different, both in style and subject matter, from your typical retro system homebrew: it’s an action RPG where you start out as a little girl named Winsley, though she doesn’t stay little for long. You’re actually playing through someone’s entire life. Winsley goes through teenage years, becomes a full adult, reaches middle age, turns into an old woman and then faces Death for the final boss.

It’s a pretty innovative idea all around, and it’s partially based on a true story. Winsley is a real person, she’s the daughter of Spencer Walters, president of the indie studio that produced this game. And the guardian angel watching over her is based on her older sister Everly, who died shortly after a premature birth. You don’t often see a game maker bring this much of his personal life into a game!

Graphically, Winsley’s Guardian for the N64 will look much like Winsley’s Guardian for the GBC, though there are a few subtle upgrades. The N64 is really being used here to embiggen the game and cram in more content than a Game Boy cart can support. You can now also save anywhere in the game, remap the buttons, change the aspect ratio, and rewind your mistakes — which you may need to do as the bosses are harder in this version.

• 40% More Content – Extended storylines, new areas, and fresh life elements expand the game to 10+ hours of playtime, making it one of the longest action RPGs ever developed for the Game Boy Color. The game was so large, we had no other option but to port it to the N64 or a specially designed GBC cart. We chose the N64 as we felt this is a game best played sitting down and taking your time on a large screen.
• Nintendo 64 Edition – Vibrant colors, enhanced audio, aspect ratio options, and a rewind function bring the game to life for console players.
• Save Anywhere – Save at any point in the journey, perfect for a game you’ll want to experience over time.
• Bug Fixes & Polish – We fixed grammatical errors, refined gameplay, and smoothed out the overall experience.
• New Mini-Games & Exploration – Fresh diversions and hidden paths add even more reasons to explore every corner of the game. Tons of Easter Eggs and mini games allow for you to revisit and replay the game.

Winsley’s Guardian for the N64 won’t cost more than it did on the Game Boy Color, surprisingly. You can get a bare cart for a $40 pledge and a box and manual for a $60 pledge. The digital version is just $10. You have until November 27 to live Winsley’s life on the N64. Get N or get out!