Digital Eclipse Announces Physical Editions for the Critically Acclaimed Gold Master Series

Preorders for both Standard and Collector’s editions of the studio’s three playable documentaries will go live on Tuesday, February 25

EMERYVILLE, CA (February 18, 2025) | Today, renowned retro gaming studio Digital Eclipse announced the upcoming physical release of its critically acclaimed Gold Master Series games. Lauded as the “new gold standard” for gaming collections, the Gold Master Series includes The Making of Karateka, Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story, and Tetris® Forever.

The titles are praised for pairing best-in-class emulation of games from the ‘80s and ‘90s with a narrative exploration of the creative process behind them. Standard editions for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 will be available for $34.99 (€34.99). Deluxe Editions for The Making of Karateka and Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story, featuring special packaging and unique collectibles, will be available for $69.99 (€69.99). A Collector’s Edition for Tetris® Forever will be available for $139.99 (€139.99) and includes special packaging, collectibles, and an exclusive handheld unit featuring two Tetris® games.

Using an approach that has been labeled the Criterion Collection of gaming, the Gold Master Series tells some of the gaming industry’s most fascinating stories through a curated mix of archival images and documents, behind-the-scenes footage, and historical and contemporary interviews. The studio’s proprietary Eclipse Engine emulates retro platforms — from DOS and Apple II to early handheld and home gaming consoles — allowing a wide collection of games spanning eras to be incorporated and play seamlessly on modern hardware. 

Tetris® Forever

In the 40 years since its creation in 1984 by Alexey Pajitnov, a puzzle-loving computer programmer in the Soviet Union, Tetris®  has become one of the most iconic and beloved video games in history. Over 220 official Tetris games have been released, and the game has inspired a feature film, e-sports tournaments, and more. Four decades later, it’s the game that hundreds of millions of players still can’t put down. Tetris Forever showcases the history of Tetris with interactive timelines that combine playable games, digital artifacts, and over two hours of video featurettes starring Alexey, The Tetris Company founder Henk Rogers, and more key players in the incredible Tetris story.

The Making of Karateka

Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner was a college student when he created one of the biggest-selling games of 1984: Karateka. Now, this interactive documentary from Digital Eclipse tells the story of how a teenager with an Apple II created one of the most groundbreaking, influential games of all time.

Discover how Karateka became one of the first games to include cinematic scenes, a moving original soundtrack, rotoscoped animation, and a Hollywood-style love story, influencing decades of games that followed.

Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story

In the British gaming universe of the 1980s and ‘90s, nobody made games like Jeff Minter. Now, in this interactive documentary from Digital Eclipse, players can experience the history of one of the weirdest, wildest game developers to ever exist — a man who loves shooters, sheep, lasers, and llamas.

Journey back in time to an era of cassette tapes, photocopied zines, and README.TXT. An era in which a kid with a Commodore VIC-20 and dreams of radioactive sheep could become one of Britain’s best-known game makers. A bonafide virtual museum, players can file through design documents, blast through playable games, and watch all-new videos that tell the fascinating story of a true independent game designer.