Anniversary update v2.2.0 - 10 years of the Painted Legend series!
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the Painted Legend series and the very first game that started it all! Over the past 10 years, the original Painted Legend from 2016 has changed beyond recognition. But if you've ever wanted to see what it looked like back then.. and even befor
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the Painted Legend series and the very first game that started it all!
Over the past 10 years, the original Painted Legend from 2016 has changed beyond recognition. But if you've ever wanted to see what it looked like back then.. and even before that.. I've decided to release two special versions for you: Painted Legend Classic and a re-release of the original launch version, Painted Legend: First Edition.
If you don't own the main game on Steam, don't worry! Both Classic and First Edition are available completely free.
Changelog:
Added the classic version of the game: Painted Legend Classic
Added a re-release of the original version: Painted Legend: First Edition
Added a local 2-player Duel Mode
Added a new secret character
Added hit sound effects
Updated the main menu environment
Replaced all in-game music
Updated character running animations
Updated character jumping animations
Added more decorations to the game levels
Added a new cursor
Updated the bonus game overlay
Fixed several textures
Updated the opening intro
Fixed a bug where the second player's character save data could be reset
What's the difference between Painted Legend Classic, First Edition, and the main game?
Painted Legend Classic includes all of the content and visuals from before the major 2.0 update, along with a handful of fixes and quality-of-life improvements. It's the same old Painted Legend that many players came to love for its simplicity and charm.
Painted Legend: First Edition contains all of the content and graphics from the original 2016 release up to 2018, before the first major graphics and animation update.
This version also restores content that was removed in later updates, including the "Skeleton Quest" level and a secret level that can be unlocked by clicking the key 10 times, then clicking the lamp switch in the main menu.
You'll also find the removed Skills menu, where you can purchase a movement speed upgrade and a flip jump ability, both of which were originally required to progress further through the game. In the main version, this system was removed to prevent players from getting confused about progression.. although, to be honest, I've often regretted that decision.
It has been a long, but incredibly exciting journey.
Thank you for being with us!
1. A simple two-player tech demo, where two knights on opposite sides of the screen had to fight each other. That was the moment when the idea of making a 2.5D platformer about a basic, cliché knight-versus-dragon battle first came to me. (2016)
2. A tech demo where my idea of “knights on a notebook page” started to take shape. At that point, the game was still entirely in blue ink on a white notebook sheet, but these were the very first screenshots ever published on Steam Greenlight for community feedback. (2016)
3. One of the first early alpha versions, where the visuals gained color thanks to suggestions from the aforementioned community. And honestly, that turned out to be the best and most defining decision in the entire history of the project. (2016)
4. The release version 1.0.0 on Steam. Development was finally complete, and from that point on only minor updates and fixes were expected. The first reviews and feedback were written based on this version. (2016)
5. A major graphical update in 2018! Two years after the original release, my drawing and animation skills had improved a bit, and I wanted to add more decorations, background elements, and make the game more vibrant overall. That’s when the graphics were fully redrawn for the first time, lighting was improved, and background effects were added. (2018)
6. An even bigger graphical redesign update! By the end of 2023, I got a pretty solid drawing tablet, and my passion for art came back stronger than ever. As a training project, I first reworked all the graphics in The Game of Squids: UPG, and after gaining a lot of experience with the new tool, I moved on to repainting Painted Legend. This time, the changes affected not just backgrounds and effects, but the entire visual side of the game, including characters, animations, and overall style. The core idea stayed the same, but the execution became much more polished compared to the original release versions. I also had to update the music, since my earlier attempts didn’t really resonate with players :)
