LEGIONNAIRES – A Brutal 8-Bit NES Game

Exclusive Legionnaires box art by acclaimed comic artist Romano Molenaar, known for his work in international comics including Marvel and DC Comics.

                                One island.

                    Two completely different wars.

                   Legionnaires is a brutal NES action-platformer inspired by Contra,

                  Metal Gear and Predator.

                 • Dual-protagonist gameplay

                 • Puzzle-driven exploration

                 • Brutal run & gun combat

                • Built for original NES hardware

                Early alpha demo available
Try an very early build of Legionnaires and get a first glimpse at the game’s development.
This is an early alpha build; the game has evolved significantly since this version.
https://germangaragegames.itch.io/legionnaires-brutal-8-bit-nes-demo

                                              TWO SOLDIERS

                                   Play as both Waltzer and Chedstar.

                                 The island never shows them the same reality.

                                              ONE ISLAND

                                 Every area is connected.

                                 What one soldier changes...

                                 the other must live with.

                                            BRUTAL COMBAT

                                                 Three hits.

                                                  No mercy.

                                                  Fast.

                                                 Classic NES gameplay.

                                           ENVIRONMENTAL PUZZLES

                                            No separate puzzle rooms.

                                            The puzzles ARE the world.

A military transport approaches a remote island.

Two soldiers jump.

The mission quickly turns into something far darker.

The deeper you explore...

the more reality begins to fracture.

The island is alive.

Something is watching.

It has been waiting and it doesn't want you to leave.

 VISION & DEVELOPMENT

 From Christmas Lights to Fractured Nightmares. We are a father-and-son team from Germany making games for the original Nintendo Entertainment System. When we released our first game, Christmas Crisis, my son was only 14. Now, at 16, he has grown as a developer and wanted to create something darker, more ambitious and more mature. Legionnaires is the result of that desire — our first step into a grittier, more personal direction. Together we combine:

• Military-inspired storytelling and atmosphere (inspired by films like Predator)
• Classic 80s run-and-gun action and military action  (Contra, Metal Gear)
• Modern puzzle design on real NES hardware

🏆 AWARD-WINNING NES DEVELOPMENT

In 2026, we were honoured with the NESmaker Emissary Award at the Midwest Gaming Classic in Milwaukee.

 Art by Legendary Comic Artist Romano Molenaar

We're incredibly proud to announce that the official Legionnaires box art is being created by legendary comic artist Romano Molenaar.

Known for his work with Marvel and DC Comics, Romano has illustrated some of the industry's most recognizable heroes and action stories for decades.

Now he's bringing that same cinematic style and explosive action to Legionnaires.

The Kickstarter edition will feature his exclusive cover illustration.

Once again the soundtrack is composed by the talented chiptune artist Radu Prado 

Radu is a specialist in authentic 8-bit music and has previously worked with us on Christmas Crisis 2. His other credits include Snail Hop, Anna: The Magic of Words, Barback and various retro homebrew projects. His style perfectly captures that raw, atmospheric 80s NES sound while adding his own dark and intense touch — exactly what Legionnaires needs.

THE TEAM

• Dennis & Noah — Programming / Development
• Romano Molenaar —  Art
• Radu Prado — Music

Just four people.
Lots of coffee.
And a shared passion for pushing 8-bit limits.

PHYSICAL PRODUCTION

For the physical NES release of Legionnaires, we're once again working with Bitlabelz, who also supplied the NES boxes for our previous games, Christmas Crisis and Christmas Crisis 2.

We've been very happy with the quality of their boxes, and we're excited to continue working with them for Legionnaires.

NES boxes supplied by Bitlabelz.

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WHAT YOU GET

Choose your loadout. All products images are mockups. Final products may vary.

Support the mission at the level that fits you.

💾 Digital Recon — €11

• Full NES ROM
• Playable on emulator or flash cartridge

🎮 Frontline Cartridge — €39

• Physical NES cartridge
• Fully playable on original NES
• Digital ROM included

📦 Field Kit (CIB Edition) — €65

• NES cartridge
• Classic NES box with exclusive artwork by Romano Molenaar 
• Instruction map/manual
• Digital ROM

🪖 Elite Collector Edition — €109 (Limited to 50 )

Limited to only 50 copies worldwide 

Everything included in the Field Kit, plus:

• Exclusive military green NES cartridge
• Individually numbered collector's box (1–50)
• Matching edition number on both the collector's box and the in-game title screen
• Includes a premium 0.5 mm archival PET box protector
• Kickstarter Limited Edition start screen
• Never to be reprinted 
• Collector numbers are assigned in pledge order. If your preferred number is still available, we'll do our best to accommodate your request.

🧬 Golden Embedded Signal — €299 (Limited to 4)

Limited to only 4 copies worldwide

Everything included in the Elite Collector Edition, plus:

• Exclusive gold collector's NES cartridge
• Individually numbered collector's box (1–4)
• Matching edition number on both the collector's box and the in-game title screen
• Kickstarter gold Limited Edition start screen
• Includes a premium 0.5 mm archival PET box protector
• Your Kickstarter name in the game credits
• Work directly with the developers to create your own hidden character (built to authentic NES limitations) . Original characters only — no copyrighted characters or inappropriate content.
• Your character will be permanently integrated into a secret location within the game
• Developer-assisted implementation
• Never to be reprinted !

Collector numbers are assigned in pledge order. If your preferred number is still available, we'll do our best to accommodate your request.

🧪 Field-Test Artifact — €499 (1 of 1)

One of one

• Original prototype cartridge (#001) used during the development of Legionnaires
• Early development build
• Different from the retail release
• Hand-signed by the developers
• Original development notes
• Prototype artwork
• Digital NES ROM

All physical tiers include worldwide shipping options.

Backers are responsible for any import taxes or duties.

5. FUNDING GOAL & STRETCH GOALS

 €5,000   MISSION LAUNCH

€10,000 — CLASSIFIED (Transmission encrypted.)

€15,000 — CLASSIFIED (Awaiting authorization.)

€20,000 — CLASSIFIED (Awaiting authorization.)

€25,000 — TOP SECRET
Full mission authorization pending