The Binding of Isaac Getting 16-Bit Console Makeover

Even though Team Meat is actively working on it second game, we have not seen the end of The Binding of Isaac, Edmund McMillen’s roguelike-inspired, religion-parodying surprise success story. At the end of a Gamasutra postmortem on the game, McMillen revealed he’d signed a deal with Nicalis to “remake” the game for consoles.

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth will sport 16-bit visuals, a second expansion that wasn't technically possible in Flash, and local co-op.

“I love consoles as much as the next guy, but dealing with the business end of console development wasn't something I wanted to dive back into at this point,” said McMillen.

The Binding of Isaac was not a Team Meat game, and created in the span of three months after Super Meat Boy.

Team Meat was publicly critical of Microsoft after the release of Super Meat Boy on Xbox Live Arcade, and for a while it sounded like the duo might not deal with consoles ever again.

McMillen, one half of Team Meat, told Nicalis he wanted nothing to do with the business deals, and just have the opportunity make the game he wanted to make. Nicalis agreed to McMillen’s demands.

“The Binding of Isaac was a huge personal achievement,” he said. “I was able to talk about something personal and meaningful in a way I felt comfortable with, and I was able to get my feet in the water with the roguelike formula and random generation.”

It’s unclear what consoles The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth might come out on, but the original game was famously rejected from appearing on 3DS because of its religious content, and McMillen hopes the updated art style might change that. All platforms are on the table at the moment, including an iPad version if it makes sense.

Didn't say he wanted to remake it so it wasn't in flash a couple of months ago?

If it controls better on a console I might pick it up, I loved the concept of the game but man did the controls just not work for me.

@Nightriff said:

If it controls better on a console I might pick it up, I loved the concept of the game but man did the controls just not work for me.

Agreed.

Great news. I loved playing this on my laptop, but having proper controller support would be really nice. I will happily buy it a second time.

@patrickklepek Found a typo in the first sentence here: Even though Team Meat is actively working on it second game,

@Nightriff said:

If it controls better on a console I might pick it up, I loved the concept of the game but man did the controls just not work for me.

It was how the game was designed. You could only fire in the four cardinal directions, even if you plugged in a gamepad. The only way that would change is if he went in and changed it. It might make the game a bit easier, though.

*its

"...expansion that wasn't technically possible in Flash" does that mean no pc love?

I just couldn't enjoy this game. I think it was mostly the really Flash art, so hopefully it will look a lot better.

@ck1nd said:

@Nightriff said:

If it controls better on a console I might pick it up, I loved the concept of the game but man did the controls just not work for me.

Agreed.

Yeah, not a fan of the controls

@DrFlapjack: Edmund has already said the game was going to be remade in C++ and re-released on PC next year, with all the extra features mentioned here (4 player Co-op and a new expansion)

All this story is about is the game coming to Consoles as well.

@Nightriff: The updated PC version will have full controller support.

@DrFlapjack said:

"...expansion that wasn't technically possible in Flash" does that mean no pc love?

No it'll be on PC. They announced this back in August, dunno why Patrick is only just writing about it.

http://www.formspring.me/EdmundM/q/361338203208181390

EDITED:

Ahhh I was being a dick for no good reason besides being a smart ass. Disregard what my grumpy ass said.

@Nightriff said:

If it controls better on a console I might pick it up, I loved the concept of the game but man did the controls just not work for me.

It was how the game was designed. You could only fire in the four cardinal directions, even if you plugged in a gamepad. The only way that would change is if he went in and changed it. It might make the game a bit easier, though.

If it's anywhere near the level of quality that the original showed us, I'd be certainly inclined to buy it again so I could play it in my living room.

That's cool, but will we see it on PC as well at some point? Maybe in something that can go fullscreen as well? It would be kind of nice, since...ya know...we're the crowd that helped make it successful in the first place. Not saying we're owed anything, but it would really suck if this awesome new remake of it wouldn't be available for me to throw more money at.

@patrickklepek said:

Even though Team Meat is actively working on it second game

This is the second time I've pointed out a typo in your article, Patrick. *makes tsk tsk tsk sounds*

LOVE this game, hope whatever expansion gets made comes to PC though, unless i'm not understanding what this new thing is.

Edit: @AlexW00d said:

@DrFlapjack said:

"...expansion that wasn't technically possible in Flash" does that mean no pc love?

No it'll be on PC. They announced this back in August, dunno why Patrick is only just writing about it.

http://www.formspring.me/EdmundM/q/361338203208181390

Well that answers my question then! Bring on the new stuff :D

Cool, I'll totally get this now

That game's alright I guess. I only played it for 54 hours, so I guess I could put some more time into a remade version.

I'll just keep buying this.

I loved the Binding of Isaac a whole bunch. Though I do not really think I have to buy it again unless they make a whole bunch of changes. Or if I can get it on some kind of portable device.

@DrFlapjack said:

"...expansion that wasn't technically possible in Flash" does that mean no pc love?

No it'll be on PC. They announced this back in August, dunno why Patrick is only just writing about it.

http://www.formspring.me/EdmundM/q/361338203208181390

I want a Vita version!

I'd get this on Vita.

@Video_Game_King: @Phatmac:

Seriously. This is more annoying then his typos.

I own this game but haven't played it because of the lack of gamepad support (has that since changed?), I would definitely buy it again if it surfaced on a console.

@MEATBALL: Play it. Now. The game is addicting.

My only regret is getting the expansion before I played it without. You can't toggle it and it makes the game a lot harder.

I've been playing a ridiculous amount of this game lately (100+ hrs) so I think my appetite for it has been sated for the time being. And I don't even have the expansion yet.

Yay! I had no problems with the existing controls but I'm always up for some more Isaac.

@HellBound said:

@MEATBALL: Play it. Now. The game is addicting.

My only regret is getting the expansion before I played it without. You can't toggle it and it makes the game a lot harder.

Yeah, I have intentionally recommended to my friends that they buy the base game, and only get the expansion if they find themselves still playing the base game like 3 or 4 months later and have done nearly everything in the base game. The new enemies are assholes, and the expansion (like the Halloween updated that added Sheol and a bunch of items) just further dilutes the item pool. It makes for a good challenge, but it's now how I would suggest someone start the game.

I'd buy this a second time to be able to use a gamepad without needed to jump through 7 hoops.

8-Way analog control would be nice too.

Will there be a re-release for PC made in something that isn't fucking Flash?

PLAYED.

THE FUCK.

OUT.

DUDE. SHUT the FUCK up. This game is great can't wait to play it on any medium.

@psylah said:

PLAYED.

THE FUCK.

OUT.

Wait, please use more formatting I can't see what you are trying to say

I own this on the PC but I would pay a lot to see this on the 3DS, pity it didn't happen.

Didn't they announce that they're rebuilding the game from the ground up a long time ago?
 
Binding of Isaac is probably the single game most in need of a new engine. Flash is slow and terrible.

I prefer retro style games to the Newgrounds-esque flash aesthetic.

But maby i'm just coming off the high of Hotline Miami.

Would work great on the vita. But that probably won't happen

@wemibelec90 said:

@Nightriff said:

If it controls better on a console I might pick it up, I loved the concept of the game but man did the controls just not work for me.

It was how the game was designed. You could only fire in the four cardinal directions, even if you plugged in a gamepad. The only way that would change is if he went in and changed it. It might make the game a bit easier, though.

You could use the number pad to shoot 8-way.  Anyway anything more of this game is fine with me.

I don't blame McMillen in the least. XBLA is the most phenomenal example of how digital distribution of games can become monopolistic to both the consumer and the developer. When you look at the open-endedness (I think that's a word...) of how Valve competes with other distributors through Steam, you see value in pricing for the customer and some amazing teamwork with devs. True helpfulness towards these small group development companies is going to start becoming critical.

I STILL haven't beaten this fucker a single time. But I do absolutely love it all the same.

I'm glad this happened. As fun as the game is it was always a flash game. Now it'll run much better.

Awesome!

I'll probably pass. As much as I love playing BoI and SMB on PC & Xbox, they still haven't bothered to fix the Mac versions of these games which are kinda borked. I'm all for them moving on and making a new game but remaking a game for consoles with no plans to offer any support for Mac's is kind of lame. Because of this, is why probably will stay away from this verision, even if the idea of co-op BoI sounds like it could be fun.

@Undeadpool said:

I STILL haven't beaten this fucker a single time. But I do absolutely love it all the same.

Really? I too first hit a brick wall the first... 100 times I played, and began to think that a) it was the hardest game ever, or b) I fucking sucked at game. Then, 20 hours in, I finally killed Mom. 100 hours on, I can regularly get through the game with ???. Just power through until the first completion, and it'll get easier every time past that.

As for this news, YES. New visuals? Yes please. I remember there being rumors of it coming to PSV, which seems to be the perfect platform for it. I'd also love to see a SNES-esque demake that fits the SNES limitations, along with some appropriate boxart.

awesome, can't wait. one of my favorite games from last year

Ye-ah-ur-su-ah!