Home › News & Articles › Return to Blacktooth: the successor to Head Over …
Return to Blacktooth: the successor to Head Over Heels released on Amiga and Atari ST after 36 years of development
Homebrew

Return to Blacktooth: the successor to Head Over Heels released on Amiga and Atari ST after 36 years of development

RetroVault Team 04 May 2026 161 views 0 comments
Colin Porch publishes Return to Blacktooth, a direct sequel to Head Over Heels (1987) on the Amiga and Atari ST. Development began in 1989 - 36 years of work in secret. 350 pieces, 5 worlds, 2 characters. Available now with 25% off, PC and Switch versions coming soon.

Some homebrew projects take months. Others years. Return to Blacktooth requested 36. Colin Porch, who worked on the Atari ST port of the original Head Over Heels game in 1989, has just released its direct sequel on Commodore Amiga and Atari ST, published by Thalamus Digit al.

🏠 Head Over Heels - a bit of history

Head Over Heels was released in 1987 on p practically all 8 bit computers of the time (ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Amiga, Atari ST...). Developed by Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond at Ocean Software, it is an isometric puzzle adventure where you control two characters with complementary abilities: Head can jump high, Heels runs fast. The two can merge to get through certain obstacles. An absolute classic, rated above 90% by all magazines of the time.

As early as 1989, Colin Porch began working on a sequel. In secret. For 36 years.

🎮 What Return to Blacktooth offers

The sequel retains the identity of the original while massively expanding itm ent:

  • Over 350 piecesspread across 5 worlds
  • Two playable characters with their distinctive abilities
  • 16-bit visuals faithful to target platforms
  • Various enemies, environmental puzzles, free exploration

The game is available now for digital download on itch.io with a 25% introductory discount. A physical release is planned for Q3 2026.

📅 Upcoming releases

Thalamus Digital confirms that Return to Blacktooth will also come to PC (later this month), Nintendo Switch (later in 2026), Atari Jaguar, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum and ZX Spectrum Next. An ambitious roadmap for a project which will have waited for its author to be ready.

Download at thalamus.itch.io. >Sources: Time Extension - Indie Retro News - Generation Amiga

Image credit: “Amiga500 system” by Bill Bertram, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).

Comments (0)

Leave a comment

0 / 600
Be the first to comment on this article!