Postal finally comes to the Dreamcast courtesy of WAVE Game Studios

I tell you what: leave it to the Brits, eh? For two decades, a SEGA Dreamcast port of legendary isometric shooter Postal was the stuff of internet legend. Developed by curiously named studio Running With Scissors – who apparently ignored every elementary school PSA to the contrary – the PC classic was a masterclass in top-down bullet spraying, blood splattering, gas station nuking and general testosterone-soaked chaos. However, its source code was a closely guarded company secret for many a year, until 2015, when RWS announced they would release the code if, and solely if, someone was able to get the game running on Dreamcast.

This wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility, though it did carry with it a variety of technical challenges; challenges which were met by Dan Redfield, Postal fan and coder extraordinaire. We published a report on the beta build of Postal he was able to put together a couple months ago, so for some very necessary context, I cordially invite you to go and get caught up.

Might as well watch the Uwe Boll film adaptation while you’re at it. This is 100% real.

Dreamcast is going Postal

All familiarised? Marvelous. Of course, Redfield’s build was only a fan project, impressive as it was, and a rudimentary one at that. A larger team would be needed to bring it up to a playable standard. Enter WAVE Game Studios, a Norwich-based company whose entire MO is putting new games on retro hardware; nowhere else on the market will you find a dev group who’ll casually say “oh yeah, that 90s console? Still making games for it. No biggie.” They’re behind the physical UK Dreamcast release of Intrepid Izzy, a brand spankin’ new 2D platformer for the venerable system which we’ve covered quite a bit.

Now, as announced on their Twitter page, WAVE are sprucing up Redfield’s port, and are bringing the sucker to Dreamcast this June. That’s right – this plucky band of collaborators from dear old England have brought an end to twenty years of waiting. And there’s nothing we do better in this country than waiting (and waiting, and waiting, preferably at the supermarket at the most inconvenient moment). Interested punters will be able to secure a CD copy of Postal, nostalgia-inducing jewel case and all, on the 3rd of June, with pre-orders live now. Take a look:

Ah, I get the gag now with that background texture. Most amusing.

Further details on the port are provided on the game’s pre-order page: “This region free game is playable on Dreamcast systems from around the world, with all video modes supported including PAL, NTSC, and even VGA – all running at a rock solid 60 fps. Blast your way through 16 levels, plus an ending level, all of which play over beautiful hand-painted backgrounds. Non-stop, guns-blazing, adrenaline-fueled action!” Hey, that’s almost exactly how I described it in the opening paragraph. Great minds, I guess.

Purchasing options

Buyers can choose between £29.99 for the regular version, or £39.99 for a ‘limited edition’ which… comes in a slightly fancier case. It’s up to you whether that’s worth a ten quid markup.

Incidentally, folks worrying that this fanhack-turned-port is walking on eggshells legally needn’t worry; it’s all been officially sanctioned by the original Postal devs, so it’s as close as we’re ever going to get to an in-house release. Snap it up while you can.

Now all you need to do is remember where you put your Dreamcast. I hope it hasn’t been gathering dust. For shame.

Are you a fan of Postal? Will you be picking this one up? Let us know!

Via, Twitter.

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