Emulation Guide

Play Novagen Games Today

All major Novagen titles are playable today via free, open-source emulators. The C64 games run in VICE; the Amiga titles work best in FS-UAE with WHDLoad installers. This page covers setup for each platform.

C64 Games via VICE

VICE (Versatile Commodore Emulator) is the standard C64 emulator, actively maintained and available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It accurately emulates the C64's 6502 processor, SID chip, and display hardware. Both Mercenary (1985) and Damocles C64 (1990) run correctly in VICE.

C64 games run from disk images (.d64 files). The Internet Archive hosts multiple versions of both Mercenary and Damocles for C64.

VICE -- Versatile Commodore Emulator

C64 / Amiga

Free, open-source, cross-platform. The definitive C64 emulator for running Mercenary and Damocles C64 disk images. Also supports C128, VIC-20, and other Commodore systems.

Games supported on C64:

  • Mercenary: Escape from Targ (1985)
  • Damocles: Mercenary II C64 (1990)
  • Mercenary Compendium (1986)

Quick start:

  1. Download VICE from the official site and install for your OS.
  2. Download a Mercenary disk image (.d64) from the Internet Archive.
  3. Open VICE (x64sc for best accuracy), go to File > Attach Disk Image > Drive 8.
  4. Select the .d64 file and press OK.
  5. Type LOAD"*",8,1 and press Return, then type RUN.
  6. The game will load. Enable warp mode (Alt+W) to speed through loading screens.
Mercenary uses a 3D wireframe engine that runs at full speed on any modern machine. No configuration adjustments are needed for either Mercenary or Damocles C64.
Download VICE C64 Disk Images (Archive.org)

Amiga Games via FS-UAE and WHDLoad

The Amiga versions of Novagen games are the most technically capable editions -- Damocles in particular benefits from the Amiga's faster processor and Paula audio chip. FS-UAE is the recommended Amiga emulator; WHDLoad provides hard-disk installable versions that avoid floppy disk loading delays.

FS-UAE -- Amiga Emulator

Amiga 500 / 1200

Free, open-source Amiga emulator based on WinUAE. Runs Amiga 500, 1200, 4000, and CD32. FS-UAE Launcher provides a GUI for game library management. Supports WHDLoad for hard-disk installations.

Games supported (Amiga):

  • Damocles: Mercenary II (Amiga, 1990)
  • Mercenary III: The Dion Crisis (Amiga, 1992)
  • Backlash (Amiga, 1988)
  • Mercenary (Amiga enhanced, 1986)

Setup with WHDLoad (recommended):

  1. Download FS-UAE Launcher from the official site and install.
  2. Obtain an Amiga Kickstart ROM for your chosen Amiga model (Amiga 500 for Damocles; legally source from Amiga Forever or your own Amiga).
  3. Configure FS-UAE Launcher: set Amiga model to A500, add the Kickstart ROM, and set RAM to 0.5 MB Chip + 0.5 MB Slow (standard A500 config).
  4. Download a WHDLoad install package for the game from WHDLoad.de or the English Amiga Board.
  5. Extract the WHDLoad package to a hard-disk folder; point FS-UAE to this folder as the hard disk.
  6. Install WHDLoad (whdload.de) into the same hard disk image.
  7. Boot FS-UAE and run the game's .slave file from the hard disk.
Damocles runs best on an Amiga 500 configuration (OCS chipset, 512KB + 512KB RAM). No accelerator is needed. The game is optimised for stock A500 hardware.
Download FS-UAE WHDLoad Packages

WinUAE -- Windows Amiga Emulator

Windows

The original and most feature-complete Amiga emulator, Windows-only. WinUAE has more configuration options than FS-UAE and is preferred by Amiga enthusiasts who want cycle-exact accuracy. Supports the same WHDLoad workflow.

Games supported (Amiga):

  • Damocles: Mercenary II (Amiga, 1990)
  • Mercenary III: The Dion Crisis (Amiga, 1992)
  • Backlash (Amiga, 1988)
  1. Download WinUAE from the official site (Windows only).
  2. Source a Kickstart ROM (Kickstart 1.3 for A500 / Kickstart 3.1 for A1200).
  3. Configure an A500 or A1200 hardware profile in WinUAE.
  4. Use the WHDLoad workflow as above to install and run Amiga Novagen games.
Download WinUAE

Quick Play via Internet Archive

The Internet Archive hosts Mercenary and Damocles disk images with in-browser emulation. This is the fastest way to try the games without any local setup. Performance may vary but is adequate for a quick look.

Internet Archive Browser Emulator

Browser / No install

The Internet Archive provides in-browser emulation of C64 and Amiga software using JavaScript-based emulators. No installation required. Suitable for a first look at Mercenary or Damocles without configuring a local emulator.

Available for quick play:

  • Mercenary: Escape from Targ (C64)
  • Damocles: Mercenary II (Amiga)
  1. Search archive.org for "Mercenary Novagen Software" or "Damocles Mercenary II".
  2. Select an item; click the Run/Play button on the item page.
  3. The browser emulator will boot. For C64: type LOAD"*",8,1 then RUN.
  4. For Amiga: the disk image should auto-boot from the Workbench environment.
Mercenary on Archive.org Damocles on Archive.org

Novagen Software ceased commercial activity in the early 1990s. Paul Woakes died in July 2017. To the best of available knowledge, no commercial re-releases or active rights enforcement exist for any Novagen title as of 2026. The Mercenary and Damocles games are widely distributed via the Internet Archive and preservation communities as abandonware.

"Abandonware" is not a legal classification -- copyright in these titles persists under UK law for 70 years after the death of the author. However, in practice, these titles are no longer commercially available and no rights holder has pursued enforcement against preservation or fan distribution.

For Amiga software specifically, the community position is supported by the English Amiga Board and preserved through the WHDLoad project and Internet Archive. The HVSC preserves Paul Woakes' C64 SID compositions as part of its cultural preservation mission.

If you hold rights to any Novagen Software title and wish to assert them, contact the Internet Archive or WHDLoad project directly.