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Developer Art of Play has just announced a brand-new arcade adventure based on the iconic 1989 movie Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. The new game is currently in development for PC and console platforms, with a crowdfunding campaign expected to launch on Backerit in February 2027.
The announcement trailer sees Bill S. Preston, Esq. and Ted "Theodore" Logan revisiting classic scenes from the original film, including their barroom brawl with Billy the Kid, mall mayhem with Napoleon Bonaparte, and a hard-rockin' jam session with Beeth-oven.
It's obviously early days in development, and the action here looks a little stiff, but the vibrant style, positive energy, and cast of memorable characters from the original film are all present and correct. This includes Jane Wiedlin's Joan of Arc, who I crushed on hard as a youngling.
With two-player co-op and a genre-blending glut of minigames, Excellent Adventure has a lot of potential to be a fun, authentic tribute to a most non-heinous movie. And while the "smash any nostalgic IP into a pixelated side-scroller" gimmick is already getting a little sweaty, it's hard not to be charmed by the day-glo aesthetic and fun character designs of this particular offering. Man, Rufus was a cool dude. We miss you, Carlin.
It should be noted that while the trailer touts original actors Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter "voicing" the dynamic duo, it appears that this means the game will use dialogue pulled directly from the film, as opposed to the actors stepping back into the studio themselves. Positively, Art of Play does note that the game will not feature any AI-generated assets.
Hopefully, Excellent Adventure: Arcade will deliver a game worthy of the mighty Wyld Stallyns. After all, they did save the world, and all they had to show for it was that abominable NES outing. In the meantime, Be Excellent to Each Other and... PARTY ON, DUDES!
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure: Arcade is in development for PlayStation, PC, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch. A crowdfunding campaign, featuring numerous pledge rewards, begins on Backerit February 2027.