A New Game is in Development for the NES

Summary

Work3 Studio is creating a new NES game titled Banana Bash!, with a planned NES cartridge release.
Banana Bash! Has classic arcade puzzle gameplay with similarities to Pac-Man.
The game's Kickstarter campaign will begin receiving donations around June 2025.

Former devs behind Elite Beat Agents and Osu! Tatakae Ouendan! Have formed the new Work3 Studio team to create the brand-new game Banana Bash!, and the title is planned to be released on the Nintendo Entertainment System. The Nintendo Switch has provided a nostalgic dive into past NES games through the platform’s Nintendo Switch Online subscription, but having a new title exclusively launching on the NES will be a pastime worth indulging.

The 8-bit console first hit the Japanese market in 1983 as the Family Computer or Famicom, and was later released in the West during the late 80s. There are a host of influential games that left their mark on the gaming community through the NES platform, including the Metroid, Mega Man, and Super Mario Bros. Franchises. NES titles are still so beloved in 2025 and gamers of a vintage persuasion can even run NES games on their Steam Deck to keep classic projects alive in the modern age.

Work3 Studio has been busy promoting their new single-screen arcade-style puzzle game Banana Bash!, which will debut on a 4-megabit cartridge as a first for the system. The game features a primate protagonist tasked with swinging through various stages to dodge enemies and bag some well-earned fruit, and some of the gameplay elements have been compared to Pac-Man. The title will be funded through an upcoming Kickstarter campaign, expected to launch in June 2025, similar to The Sinking City 2’s recent Kickstarter to bring the anticipated Lovecraftian sequel to life.

Banana Bash! Is Coming to the Nintendo Entertainment System

Banana Bash! Will be rubbing shoulders with some of the best NES puzzle games on the system, including Solomon’s Key, Adventures Of Lolo, and Tetris, and the devs are hoping to raise funds to cover the costs of producing the game on high-quality cartridges, boxes, and manuals, which is every physical collector’s dream. The game has already received a steady following on social media, despite some gamers questioning who still owns an NES.

Nintendo’s first console has no shortage of successful titles, accumulating a long list of the best-selling games on the NES, including The Legend of Zelda, Duck Hunt, and Super Mario Bros., of course. The latter amassed 40.24 million sales, succeeded by a plethora of other titles such as Super Mario Bros. 2 and Dr. Mario. Excitebike continues to be a fan-favorite, and even received a themed course in Mario Kart 8 as an homage, proving these retro classics are timeless.