New NES Game 'The Trial of Kharzoid' Is An 'Arkanoidvania'

A new cartridge for the original Nintendo Entertainment System is blending two unlikely 8-bit genres, creating what its developer calls an “arkanoidvania.” The Trial of Kharzoid, developed by Pascal Bélisle and published via Broke Studio's Homebrew Factory, fuses the brick-breaking mechanics of Taito's 1986 classic Arkanoid with the exploration and boss battles synonymous with Konami's Castlevania series.

📜 The Origin of 'Metroidvania'The term 'Metroidvania' was popularized in the early 2000s by gaming communities to describe games with non-linear exploration, ability-gated progression, and interconnected maps. It specifically refers to the design philosophies of Nintendo's Metroid (1986) and Konami's Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997), which defined the subgenre.

According to the official product description, players control a magical skull, navigating labyrinthine levels, defeating large bosses, and even finding restorative chicken hidden in walls-a direct nod to Castlevania's signature hidden meals. The goal is to traverse deadly environments and ultimately storm the tower of the necromancer Kharzoid. The game successfully raised funds on Kickstarter earlier this year and is now available as a physical cartridge.

This hybrid approach continues a long tradition of genre fusion in gaming, most famously exemplified by the term “Metroidvania,” coined from the exploratory designs of Metroid (1986) and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997). While modern hits like Hollow Knight have popularised that formula, The Trial of Kharzoid reaches further back, marrying the precise paddle-and-ball gameplay of the NES era with the gothic adventure structure that defined later titles in the Castlevania franchise.

📊 NES Homebrew By The Numbers- Over 35 years: The NES was released in 1985, yet new games are still being developed for it.- Thousands of units: Successful NES homebrew physical releases often sell between 1,000 to 5,000 cartridges.- $30-$60: Typical price range for a new, physical NES homebrew cartridge with manual and box.

For the active retro homebrew scene, this release underscores the creative potential still being unlocked on the 40-year-old NES hardware. Publisher Broke Studio, which previously released Twin Dragons for the platform, specialises in bringing such projects to physical reality. The game's existence speaks to a dedicated community of developers and players who continue to explore and expand the library of a console whose commercial life ended in the mid-1990s.

Whether “arkanoidvania” becomes a recognised subgenre remains to be seen, but The Trial of Kharzoid stands as a tangible example of the inventive spirit keeping classic platforms alive, directly challenging the perceived limitations of 8-bit game design.

Want more retro gaming news delivered to your inbox? Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly updates on classic gaming, preservation projects, and collector insights.