Delete Me Hard

A 30-level 8-bit arcade shooter for Atari XL/XE, NES, and C64.

DELETE ME HARD is a pure-assembly abstract arcade shooter for classic 8-bit systems about surviving a DELETE_ME snake, clearing its letters, and building your run through upgrades.

The first version came as a joke from a small AtariAge moment: a duplicate post titled "Delete me" asked to be removed. That thread became the game's origin story, and you can still see it here: the original AtariAge "Delete me" topic.

Version 1.0 was a small playable response to that thread. Version 2.0 added a few weapons. DELETE ME HARD is the ultimate version: 30 levels, multiple enemy types and obstacles, boss encounters, two-player play, unlockable weapons, post-level upgrades, and a more structured campaign.

You move in an arena with snake food, bullets, bombs, lasers, walls, drones, bosses, and other level systems. The DELETE ME snake follows food, regenerates when it eats, and creates openings or danger depending on how you manage its path.

No BS graphics, 64KB of memory is taken fully by game mechanics and pure gameplay.

Clear every letter of the DELETE_ME snake.

You can destroy the snake's live letters. The catch is that the snake keeps moving, the food keeps pulling it around the arena, and the level mechanics keep forcing you to choose between a clean shot, a safer position, and selecting the best weapon for the ongoing situation.

Snake food matters. The snake wants it. You want it too, because it gives weapon energy and can switch your special weapon. Taking food away from the snake can save you; leaving it in place can steer the snake into a better line. The best tactic comes from using the arena instead of simply reacting to it.

What Makes This Game Different

• 30-level campaign: a full progression with normal levels, boss levels, and a level-30 finale.
• Modern upgrade loop: after level transitions you choose upgrades for lives, ammo, movement, fire rate, range, invulnerability time, weapon unlocks, and weapon power.
• Roguelite-style progression: runs develop through weapon unlocks, stat upgrades, and weapon-power upgrades while the action stays immediate.
• Two-player mode: a second player can join from the title screen; two-player games use a longer snake that spawns more seeker drones.
• Special weapons: explosive shot, piercing shot, scatter, grenade, boomerang, sentry, and phase dash.
• Pure assembly, multiple platforms: Atari XL/XE, NES, and C64 versions are written in assembly, with profiled level systems, gfx and sound effects consistent across different 8-bit hardware.