Eight bit worlds were torturous. From treacherous dungeons to poisonous swamps, the overworlds and castles of our youth relied on every interactive map tile having one of four meanings: passable, wall, action, danger. While RPGs adhered to that formula best, games like Super Mario Bros and Castlevania used tiles as platforms, ladders, and many other elements.
Before the days of the internet, video game maps were considered gold; whenever they appeared in a magazine or strategy guide, they prolonged the life of the books, as we left them on our shelves to one day come back to should we play the game again. Plus, we had a high level of respect for those who created the maps, piecing together often hundreds of photographs like maniacal cartographers.
It’s no surprise, then, that even just browsing websites like VGMaps can lead to hours of getting lost in awe. Some of the work, like Zelda and Megaman, can be hung on walls as art. Others, like the infamous Ninja Gaiden stages, should be burned and never seen again for their brutal difficulty. Full credit goes to the modern gamers who have pieced together these updated maps.
Enjoy this gallery of some of our favorites, and visit VGMaps for more. The image above is Chrystalis‘ Portoa town.
Credit: Dave Voyles
All images: VGMaps
Rygar: Gran Mountain
Metroid
Castlevania – Level 5
Dragon Warrior (Quest)
Contra – Alien’s Lair
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