June 15, 2026 by Andrew Newton

Gamers looking forward to the remake of one of the most beloved shoot-’em-ups from the 16-bit days will be pleased to hear that Apidya’ Special is now available to pre-order. ININ Games and developer Team Apidya’s remastering of this classic is available to pre-order on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch in physical and digital editions, and will launch on 25th August. Watch the new trailer below….

Apidya’svibrant action as our bee hero shoots its way through an insect-themed fantasy world has been perfectly recreated for Apidya’ Special. The challenging gameplay and unforgettable soundtrack are all there, along with the spirit that made the original stand out from the crowd and become a favourite of many gamers.

With Apidya’ Special,players will be able to switch between two visual modes, a HD widescreen mode for those who like pixel-perfect gameplay, or the original home computer 4:3 presentation. There will also be options for CRT shaders, bloom, and authentic scanline simulation, plus there are enhanced graphics to discover that were intended for a console version that never made it to release.

As with the original, players will fight their way through five different zones, each with their own themes and enemies. But this upcoming release expands these zones to include hidden special stages and 20 unique bosses. There are also random in-game events, such as ‘Night Mode’, which will include new threats.

The fantastic music was a large part of the love for the game, and fans will be happy to hear that the soundtrack for the remake has been composed by Chris Hülsbeck.

Gamers on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch can look forward to two exclusive physical editions – the Limited Edition and the Special Edition. The latter offers an extensive package of exclusive content, including an artbook looking into the development ofApidya,and two CDs containing the original soundtrack, new versions of the classics and original Amiga recordings.