Move over Stardew, Mum’s home, and she’s in 16-bit.
In news that has us dusting off our Mega Drive and emotionally preparing to mow pixelated paddocks, Farming Simulator is getting a full retro makeover. That’s right: GIANTS Software has teamed up with the delightful weirdos at Strictly Limited to drop Farming Simulator 16-Bit Edition, a brand new (but also extremely old) cartridge release for actual Mega Drive/Genesis consoles.
Yes, this is not a drill. Farming. Sim. On a cartridge. In 2025. Be still, our nerdy little hearts.
16 Bits of Pure Tractor Joy
This whole thing started as a cute retro-style nod in the Farming Simulator 25 Collector’s Edition, which apparently made fans absolutely feral. People loved it so much that GIANTS said, “Fine, we’ll do it again, but more!” And now here we are: prepping to play a new farming game on a 30-year-old console like it’s 1993 and our main worries are dial-up and Y2K.
The Farming Simulator 16-Bit Edition is a fully playable cartridge, lovingly designed to run on real Mega Drive/Genesis hardware. That means if you’ve got one tucked away under your telly or collecting dust in a shoebox under your bed, guess what, bestie? It’s your time.
Limited Edition? More Like “Get It Before It’s Gone”
Strictly Limited is dropping two glorious collector’s editions:
- Limited Edition (green cartridge) – €49.99
- Deluxe Edition (green cartridge + extra goodies) – €69.99
Only 1,000 of these green bois exist in the whole world, and they’re only available through the Strictly Limited Store from May 14, 2025. So if you’re a collector, a farming sim tragic (hi, it’s us), or just someone who likes shiny green things, mark your calendars and start preparing for the checkout sprint.
There’s also a black cartridge edition heading to select retailers like Amazon and VideoGamesPlus if green’s not your colour, but c’mon, green is the vibe. Green is crops. Green is the way. You know it’s true.
Why This Rules So Hard
This isn’t just novelty for novelty’s sake. This is a genuinely cool homage to the golden age of gaming. It’s a love letter to both the humble farming sim and the chunky plastic cartridges we grew up blowing into like life depended on it.
For neurodivergent folks, there’s something deeply soothing about the structure and gentle repetition of farming sims. They’re our dopamine gardens. Our safe little pixel pastures. And now, we get to live that dream in 16-bit form, complete with chiptune tractor vibes (we assume).
TL;DR
- Farming Simulator 16-Bit Edition is a real retro cartridge for Mega Drive/Genesis.
- Two editions: Limited (€49.99) and Deluxe (€69.99), both with gorgeous green cartridges.
- Only 1,000 units worldwide, exclusive to Strictly Limited’s online store.
- The retail version (black cartridge) is coming later to Amazon, etc.
- Launching May 14, 2025, with Deluxe dropping in July.
- We’re obsessed. Obviously.
We never thought we’d be hyped for the physical release of a farming sim in the Year of Our Lord 2025, but here we are. Frothing over retro pixels and dreaming of pixel wheat. And if that ain’t the most neurodivergent, nostalgic thing ever, we don’t know what is.
Stay unruly (and plant those crops with pride).
