Prodeus: Porting a Modern Retro Shooter

Prodeus, a retro-style FPS by Bounding Box Software, ported to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch by Sickhead Games

Title: Prodeus
Original Release: 2022
Developer: Bounding Box Software
Publisher: Humble Games
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
Engine: Unity

Prodeus is a first-person shooter built by Bounding Box Software, two veterans of Raven Software, that blends modern rendering techniques with the feel and structure of classic 1990s shooters like Doom and Quake. The pitch is simple: old-school movement, pacing, and level design, but running on a modern engine with dynamic lighting, particle effects, and a full gore system. The game even lets players apply effects that simulate resolutions as low as 216p, leaning hard into the retro aesthetic.

The game was built in Unity with lots of custom shader effects and Photon networking and a custom servers for sharing user generated community maps. We overcame challenges like memory usage and performance on Nintendo Switch as well as fixed inconsistencies between shaders on different platforms. We handled the certification requirements for each platform’s Photon network integration and user generated content guidelines.

Sickhead handled all the console ports for a near simultaneous launch alongside the PC release. A tricky visual glitch which only occured on Nintendo Switch delayed its release by a couple of weeks.


Sickhead Games is the leading game porting studio, bringing Unity, Unreal, Godot, and custom engine titles to console and handheld including PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS. From codebase assessment to post-launch support, we're trusted by solo indies and major publishers alike, including Humble Games, Sony Interactive, Nintendo, Annapurna, Good Games, ConcernedApe, MegaCrit, 17-Bit, Maddy Makes Games, Zachtronics, Keen Software House, Thomas Happ, Pocketwatch Games, EXOK, Young Horses, Taito, Jaleco, and Microsoft. We've shipped over 100 releases, among them Stardew Valley, Slay the Spire, Axiom Verge, Space Engineers, and Celeste. We specialize in bringing retro masterpieces, indie darlings, and PC classics to modern audiences like Grandia, Enclave, and Jaleco Sports titles.