GO FOR IT! Is a New Sega Genesis Fighting Game Built for Real Hardware

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GO FOR IT! is an upcoming original fighting game made for the Sega Genesis, also known as the Mega Drive outside North America. It is being developed by the small indie team at i heart pizza LLC, based in Indiana. The project stands out in the retro homebrew scene because it is designed to run on real 16-bit hardware, without using modern tools or AI. The goal is to deliver a true classic feel, with smooth gameplay, varied stages, and characters full of personality.

The game features a colorful cast of fighters, including original characters like Kione, a fierce warrior dressed in purple, G-Lo Sims, a powerful brawler, Afroditty, Slay Belle, Juan Condor, “Bodacious” Jack Rex, Xris, and even Korukoru, a skateboarding turkey. One of the biggest highlights is a guest character: professional wrestler “Smiley” Kylie Rae, a real-life indie wrestling star known for her upbeat personality and athletic style, who appears as a fully playable fighter.

Development began around 2023, with early plans aiming for a release that same year. Since then, the team has faced several challenges, including rebuilding the game from the ground up using a new engine. After starting in NextBasic, the developers switched to SGDK to fix problems and improve overall quality. The team is now planning two different versions of the game, each with its own engine, music, characters, and possibly more guest fighters. These versions may even be combined into a single cartridge.

The project is led by John Springer, the founder of i heart pizza LLC. After surviving stage 4 cancer, he turned his love for the Sega Genesis, pizza nights with friends, and retro games into a personal mission. His goal is not only to create new games for his favorite console, but also to open a themed pizzeria in Fort Wayne where people can play them. Alongside game development, the company also works to preserve and restore classic Genesis titles.