Retro gaming fans will undoubtedly be familiar with DropZone, which is one of the best Defender-style games of the 1980s.

Designed by Archer Maclean, DropZone made its debut for Atari systems back in 1984, before being ported to the Commodore 64, NES, Game Boy and more.

To celebrate the iconic title's 40th anniversary, System 3 has announced plans to release a new version of the game this December.

While there's no official release date, Archer Maclean's DropZone 40th Anniversary will launch before the end of the year.

The game can be wishlisted on Steam right now, and will also be available for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch.

The 40th Anniversary edition makes a number of enhancements to the original game from the 1980s.

For starters, it will feature upgraded HD visuals, which will allow players to get a better view of the action and enemies.

However, if you don't like the new and improved visuals and want a more authentic experience, you can switch between HD and 8-bit graphics with the press of a button.

Needless to say, it has also been redesigned for modern controllers, although keyboard input is still supported on PC.

The game itself is a side-scrolling shooter set in space. Unlike the vast majority of horizontal shoot-em-ups, however, DropZone lets players explore left and right.

System 3 explains more: "The stakes are higher than ever! Humanity’s survival depends on you as aliens descend upon Jupiter’s moon, Io, threatening its vital Ionian crystal mining operations.

"Rescue the survivors, retrieve the crystals, and deliver them safely to the DROPZONE while fending off relentless enemies, including the dreaded Planters, explosive Nemesites, and the fearsome Nmeye.

"With every level, the pressure mounts, but the thrill of victory is unmatched!"