There are retro games that simply remind you of another time, and then there are retro games that make you wonder why we ever stopped making them this way. Apidya’ Special belongs firmly in the second category. Originally released in 1992, the Amiga classic returns in a lovingly reconstructed form that understands exactly what made the original special without treating nostalgia as an excuse to leave everything untouched. It is bright, fast, demanding and occasionally rather cruel, but beneath all that buzzing, exploding chaos is a beautifully crafted shoot ’em up with a remarkable amount of character.
The premise is wonderfully strange in the way only an early 90s game can really manage. Ikuro has been transformed into a combat bee and must battle through a world of mutated biological horrors, machinery and increasingly bizarre environments to save his poisoned wife. It is gloriously earnest, completely bonkers and somehow manages to make perfect sense once you are behind the controls. More importantly, Apidya’ Special does not simply dust off an old ROM and put it on a modern screen. The Apidya Team has rebuilt the experience with enormous affection, creating something that feels both authentically old and surprisingly fresh.
A Buzzing Blast From The Past
The first thing that strikes you about Apidya’ Special is just how much personality it has. Plenty of horizontal shoot ’em ups from the era were content to throw spaceships at you until something exploded, but Apidya always had a more organic identity. You are a bee flying through environments that feel almost grotesquely alive, and the contrast between the cute protagonist and the unpleasant things trying to kill him gives the adventure a strange charm.
The five themed worlds provide plenty of variety, moving from the natural beauty of the meadow and pond to much grimier territory in the sewers before eventually embracing the cybernetic and nightmarish. Each setting brings its own visual flavour and hazards, and the sheer imagination involved in turning everyday environments into dangerous shmup stages remains one of the game’s greatest strengths. A meadow might sound peaceful, but when you are a tiny bee surrounded by hostile creatures and projectiles, even the most innocent patch of grass becomes a battlefield.
That variety is helped considerably by the new presentation. The remake has been built from scratch rather than relying on emulation, allowing the developers to preserve the spirit of the original while giving the visuals considerably more flexibility. You can play in widescreen with additional parallax effects, or switch to the original 4:3 presentation when you want that unmistakable old computer feel.
Keeping The Original Spirit Alive
The temptation with any remake is to make everything shinier, smoother and more modern until the original personality disappears beneath the polish. Thankfully, Apidya’ Special avoids that trap. The developers clearly understand that the slightly unusual visual identity is part of the game’s appeal, so the updated presentation enhances rather than replaces it.
The option to add CRT effects is particularly welcome. Scanlines, phosphor bloom and simulated shadow mask effects might sound like superficial extras, but they make a genuine difference if you are trying to recreate the atmosphere of playing an old home computer game. Even if you prefer a cleaner modern image, having both options means you can decide what kind of Apidya experience you want.
The widescreen mode is equally well judged. Additional parallax effects give the environments greater depth without making them feel like something they were never intended to be. It is a thoughtful approach to restoration, and it demonstrates that the developers were interested in preserving the game’s identity rather than simply giving it a cosmetic makeover.
Shoot, Dodge, Repeat
Of course, none of that would matter if Apidya’ Special did not play well. Fortunately, this is where the game remains as strong as ever. The controls are responsive, movement feels precise and the constant stream of enemies forces you to pay attention to both your surroundings and your position on screen.
The classic shoot ’em up formula is enhanced by the game’s flower based power system. Defeated enemies drop flowers which advance a selection bar reminiscent of the classic Gradius approach to weapon upgrades. The clever part is that you are not simply handed an upgrade whenever you collect enough power. You decide when to cash in that progress and which ability you want.
That creates a surprising amount of strategy during hectic encounters. Do you improve your speed because you need greater manoeuvrability, or save your progress for a stronger weapon? Would a rear firing option make the next section safer, or would a shield be more useful? Those decisions can feel particularly important when the screen is crowded and there is barely enough room to breathe.
Beautifully Brutal
There is no getting around the fact that Apidya’ Special can be tough. This is a game descended from an era when developers were not particularly concerned about whether you had a relaxing evening. Enemy patterns, environmental hazards and tight spaces can combine to turn a seemingly manageable section into an absolute nightmare within seconds.
Yet there is an important distinction between difficulty and unfairness. While Apidya can certainly punish mistakes, there is a satisfying logic to learning its stages. Once you understand where danger is coming from, you can improve your movement and begin anticipating the next challenge rather than simply reacting to everything on screen.
The modern accessibility options also make the experience much easier to recommend to players who did not grow up with unforgiving shoot ’em ups. Those who want the full old school challenge can have it, while newcomers can adjust the difficulty and learn the systems without immediately being thrown into the deep end. That flexibility does not dilute the original experience. Instead, it gives more people a chance to appreciate why the game earned its reputation in the first place.
A Soundtrack Worth Saving
The music deserves special attention because Apidya has always been an audio treat. Chris Hülsbeck’s contribution to the original game is legendary among retro enthusiasts, and Apidya’ Special goes a step further by including new studio versions of the soundtrack that have never previously been released.
The result is something genuinely special. The music has the energy necessary to carry you through frantic stages without becoming background noise, and the new arrangements give familiar compositions another lease of life. There is something wonderfully fitting about hearing music created decades ago receiving this kind of attention rather than being treated as an afterthought.
The sound effects complement it beautifully. Enemy destruction, weapon fire and the constant movement of the world around you create a lively audio backdrop that reinforces the game’s insectoid identity. It feels like a complete sensory package rather than simply a collection of nostalgic assets.
Bringing A Friend Along
The new co op mode is another welcome addition. Having a second player control a fully featured bee gives the experience an entirely different rhythm, particularly when the screen starts becoming crowded with enemies and projectiles. A good partner can provide extra firepower while also helping manage threats that would otherwise force you into uncomfortable positions.
It is not merely a novelty either. The additional player can make the action feel more approachable, while experienced players can enjoy the chaos of trying to coordinate their attacks. There is something inherently satisfying about discovering that a game designed around a single tiny bee can become even more entertaining when another one joins the fight.
The Verdict
Apidya’ Special is exactly the kind of retro revival that deserves to exist. It respects its source material without being trapped by it, offering a beautifully rebuilt version of a genuinely distinctive shoot ’em up while adding modern presentation options, accessibility features and co op play. The combination of gorgeous pixel art, imaginative environments, responsive controls and Chris Hülsbeck’s superb soundtrack makes it remarkably easy to understand why Apidya has remained so fondly remembered.
It is not perfect. The difficulty can still feel rather unforgiving, particularly for players unfamiliar with classic horizontal shmups, and some of the design conventions from the early 90s have inevitably aged more than others. Even so, those rough edges are considerably easier to appreciate when the rest of the package has been handled with such obvious love and care.
For longtime fans, this is a wonderful way to revisit an Amiga favourite without losing what made it memorable. For newcomers, it is an opportunity to discover that retro shoot ’em ups could be far stranger, more colourful and more imaginative than simply flying a spaceship through space. Apidya’ Special is a gorgeous little piece of gaming history given a second chance to buzz loudly, proudly and rather dangerously into the modern era.
