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Toki ports are finally targeting real retro hardware, with ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and other classic systems in the running.
A Classic Arcade Adventure Gets a Proper Retro Mission
Some games get remastered, polished, and dressed up for modern screens. Toki is taking a stranger—and far more appealing—route: the 1989 arcade platformer may soon be heading to computers and consoles that were already old-school hardware in their own right.
The project comes from New Old Pixels, a French company that has signed a licensing agreement with Microids to create official versions of Toki for classic machines. This isn’t another modern re-release with smoother menus and high-resolution artwork. The plan is to bring the original arcade game to genuine retro hardware, preserving the limitations, quirks, and unmistakable character of the systems that might run it.
That distinction matters. Toki already received a remake for contemporary platforms, so there’s little point in simply repainting the same adventure again. The appeal here is much more specific: seeing the arcade original recreated for computers and consoles that never officially received it.
New Old Pixels Wants the Original Feel Intact
The company was founded only a year ago, with a stated goal of making “new games for old platforms.” Its Toki project follows that philosophy from the ground up.
New Old Pixels says it is investigating which computers and consoles missed out on an official port of the arcade game. The team also wants the new versions to reproduce the original experience as closely as possible, including:
- Gameplay behavior and level structure
- Visual style and animation
- Sound and overall presentation
- The feel of the arcade original rather than a modern reinterpretation
That last point is especially important. Retro hardware ports can easily become technical showcases that forget to be enjoyable games. A faithful Toki conversion should feel like something that could have appeared on a store shelf decades ago—not a loose tribute built around familiar characters.
The planned releases are also expected to arrive as physical editions for original hardware. Specific formats, packaging, and contents have not been announced yet, so collectors will have to keep their wallets safely in their pockets for now. That may be wise. Retro physical editions have a habit of turning a casual purchase into a small archaeological expedition.
The Hardware List Is Still a Mystery
Here’s where the guessing begins. New Old Pixels has not revealed the final list of supported systems, but it has confirmed that several machines using Zilog Z80 and Motorola 68000 processors are under consideration.
That leaves plenty of room for speculation. Those processor families powered a remarkable spread of classic computers and consoles, each with its own strengths and awkward little habits. Some were built for colorful arcade-style action, while others had to squeeze every moving object through far tighter technical bottlenecks.
The company’s official platform list currently includes:
- ZX Spectrum
- Amstrad CPC
- Commodore 64
- Mega Drive
- Neo Geo
- Master System
- Game Gear
- NES
- SNES
- Game Boy
- Game Boy Advance
Not every machine on that list fits the requirements for this particular project. Some already received an official version of Toki, while others use processors outside the Z80 and Motorola 68000 families.
Based on the available information, the systems that appear to match both conditions—no previous official arcade port and a suitable processor—are:
- ZX Spectrum
- Amstrad CPC
- Neo Geo
- Master System
- Game Gear
That is not a final announcement, and I’d hesitate to treat it as one. The wording leaves enough wiggle room for the eventual release plan to change. Still, it gives us a useful outline of where the project may be heading.
Why ZX Spectrum Owners Are Watching Closely
Of all the possible versions, the ZX Spectrum edition is the one that carries the most unfinished-business energy.
Ocean had planned to release Toki for the ZX Spectrum in 1991. The game was even shown to the British press, reportedly with screenshots presented as evidence that the port was real and progressing. Then, quietly, the project disappeared.
No grand finale. No dramatic curtain call. Just an unreleased game slipping into the vast cabinet marked “almost happened.” For years, the ZX Spectrum version of Toki became one of those missing-in-action curiosities that retro players mention with a raised eyebrow.
That history makes the prospect of an official port especially tempting. This wouldn’t merely fill a gap in a software library; it would finally give the Spectrum a version of a game that was once publicly teased and then abandoned.
The expectation, of course, needs a little restraint. We don’t know how closely the upcoming project will resemble the canceled Ocean version, or whether any original development material will influence it. It may have no direct connection at all. Even so, the timing gives the ZX Spectrum edition a satisfying sense of closure.
The Spectrum Gap Has Never Really Gone Away
There has been an attempt to fill that gap before. In 2021, the platformer Tokimal arrived as a game inspired by Toki. It gave Spectrum players something with a recognizable connection to the arcade classic, but it was not a direct, official conversion.
That difference may sound fussy until you spend enough time with retro games. A game inspired by an arcade favorite can be perfectly enjoyable, yet it scratches a different itch from an authentic port. One is a new interpretation; the other is an attempt to recreate a specific machine-era experience.
The Amstrad CPC situation is slightly different. In 2022, an unofficial port appeared and was considered quite respectable. That means Amstrad owners have already had a reasonably solid version to play, even if it lacks official status.
Because of that, it would make sense for New Old Pixels to focus its energy elsewhere—unless an Amstrad release can be produced using much of the work created for the ZX Spectrum version. That kind of shared development could make the project more practical, although no such plan has been confirmed.
Other Possible Homes for the Green-Haired Hero
The currently listed systems are not the only interesting candidates. Several other classic platforms could make for fascinating Toki experiments, including:
- Sinclair QL
- MSX
- MSX2
- Sharp X68000
- SAM Coupé
Each of those machines has its own technical identity, and each would raise a slightly different question: how close could the game get to the arcade original, and what compromises would be necessary?
That is part of the charm. A retro port is never just a matter of copying sprites and levels. Hardware architecture shapes the result. Movement, scrolling, animation, sound, and enemy behavior all have to fit inside a particular box. Sometimes the box is generous. Sometimes it feels like trying to move a sofa through a mail slot.
A successful Toki port will need to respect those limits without turning them into excuses. The best versions of older games make technical compromises feel intentional, not accidental.
Faithfulness Could Be the Project’s Biggest Test
The phrase “faithful to the original” sounds reassuring, but it also creates a high bar. Toki’s appeal comes from more than its character design. The game’s pacing, colorful arcade presentation, animation, and action all have to work together.
A port can reproduce the same levels and still feel wrong if the controls are sluggish, the animation is too sparse, or the sound loses the punch of the arcade version. On the other hand, a clever conversion may need to simplify certain effects while preserving the rhythm that makes the game recognizable.
My first reaction was to assume that a ZX Spectrum release would be the obvious centerpiece and everything else would feel secondary. After thinking about the hardware list, I’m less certain. A carefully produced Master System or Game Gear version could also be fascinating, particularly because those machines are closely associated with compact arcade-style adaptations. Neo Geo, meanwhile, sounds almost comically well-equipped for the job compared with the more constrained candidates—but that contrast is part of the fun.
The project’s success will ultimately depend on how clearly New Old Pixels defines its priorities. Is this about historical preservation? Collecting? Technical challenge? Or simply giving overlooked machines a game they never received? It may be a little of all four.
The Announcement Is Only the Beginning
For now, the safest response is enthusiasm with one hand firmly on the brakes. The licensing agreement is in place, the hardware research is underway, and several potential platforms have been identified. But no final system list, release schedule, physical format, or package contents have been confirmed.
That means the ZX Spectrum version remains a possibility rather than a promise. The same goes for the Amstrad CPC, Neo Geo, Master System, and Game Gear editions. We can make educated guesses, but we cannot turn those guesses into a finished lineup yet.
Still, this is exactly the sort of retro project that gets the imagination moving. Toki has already lived through arcade machines, modern remakes, unofficial tributes, and one particularly stubborn missing port. Now it may finally be ready to visit the classic systems that were left waiting.
Conclusion: Will Toki Finally Reach the Spectrum?
Toki ports for classic hardware could become one of the more intriguing retro releases in years, especially if the ZX Spectrum version makes it to physical production. The idea of playing an official arcade conversion on original equipment has a satisfying sense of historical repair—even if we’ll need to wait for the full announcement before celebrating.
Would you rather see the long-awaited ZX Spectrum version first, or should New Old Pixels prioritize another overlooked machine?
FAQ
- What is the new Toki project?
New Old Pixels is developing official versions of the 1989 arcade platformer Toki for classic computers and consoles that did not previously receive an official port. - Is this another modern remake of Toki?
No. The project is focused on bringing the original arcade experience to genuine retro hardware rather than creating another modern-platform remake. - Which systems may receive Toki ports?
The likely candidates currently include ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Neo Geo, Master System, and Game Gear, although the final list has not been announced. - Why is the ZX Spectrum version so significant?
A ZX Spectrum version was planned for 1991 and reportedly shown to the British press, but it was never released. That makes an official conversion particularly meaningful. - Will the new releases be physical editions?
The developers have stated that they plan to release physical versions for original hardware, but the specific formats and package contents remain unknown.
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