Nearly four decades after the original title’s release, an iconic Commodore 64 action franchise is making a return with a brand-new game in May 2026.
The original Impossible Mission debuted on the C64 all the way back in 1984. The action platformer was an immediate cult favorite thanks to its unique animation style at the time and its challenging, but addictive platforming puzzles.
Impossible Mission went on to receive a sequel in 1988 on the C64 and a handful of other platforms. The franchise went dormant after that installment for the next 38 years until now. This summer Psytronik Software is teaming up with the IP holder Epyx Games to finally bring Impossible Mission 3 to life.
The new installment in the franchise is coded by Commodore 64 expert Stuart Collier and game design, graphics, and coded speech were developed by Trevor Storey.
The new game is set to release on May 18 and it looks like it will honor the franchise legacy’s iconic style and gameplay mechanics, but still bring some fresh, modern design perspective to the table, as well.
Here is a full list of the Impossible Mission 3 features:
- A massive 512K of game packed into one cartridge file
- New gameplay mechanics
- Shoot robots with your EMP gun or ‘zzap’ them all with an EMP blast
- Drop explosives to destroy damaged scenery
- 3D lift effect
- Over 30 speech samples
- Animated intro and end sequences
- PAL and NTSC compatible
- Download includes the game soundtrack in mp3 format
- C64 Mini/Maxi/Ultimate compatible
For fans of the original games, the biggest highlight from this feature list is likely going to be the EMP gun. It should be very interesting to see how the weapon is incorporated into the gameplay and how much it changes the feel to have this new tool available to potentially escape trouble.
Gamers who want to check out the title will be able to play the physical cartridge on the Commodore 64 or they can use the USB version of the release to play Impossible Mission 3 on an emulator.
Retro gaming is having a bit of a revival at the moment, with a handful of classic SNES and SEGA games rereleasing on modern platforms, as well. Be sure to check back soon for more retro gaming news and updates.
Impossible Mission 3 releases on May 18, 2026 for the C64 on cartridge, tape, USB, and as a deluxe download.
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