33 Games Boutique Collector Editions | Zool, Astro Burn | ZedLabz

Shop 33 Games at ZedLabz. 33 Games is a UK-based boutique physical video game publisher and premium art studio creating standout boxed editions, collector specials and companion products for cult and heritage titles. The current line-up at ZedLabz covers the Zool Mega Drive reissue programme, the Astro Burn deluxe gatefold vinyl and the wider 33 Games catalogue as releases come online. Every title in the current range is a pre-order shipping Summer 2026.

ZedLabz is an authorised stockist of 33 Games. The full 33 Games pre-order programme on our shop sits inside the wider ZedLabz pre-order collection alongside other vendor pre-orders, and the canonical 33 Games hub lives at /collections/33-games.

Why we stock 33 Games

We took 33 Games on as a partner because the founders carry the same standard for premium physical products that we try to hold across the ZedLabz retro range. The brand is built on real craft experience and a clear collector-first philosophy, and the early conversations with the team made it clear this was a release programme worth backing properly.

The relationship goes a step further than a typical stockist arrangement. ZedLabz carries the 33 Games retail range, and in parallel we supply 33 Games with components needed for certain title releases where our retro production capability fits the build. That makes this a two-way partnership across both sides of the catalogue, with each small business supporting the other to make the releases land properly.

Four things keep the brand on our shelves:

• Real partnerships with classic retro licence holders. 33 Games is developing licensed programmes directly with the original rights holders of cult retro titles, starting with Gremlin Graphics' Zool. Working with the people who hold the licence (rather than producing unlicensed reproduction cartridges) is what places these releases inside the game's history rather than as a tribute to it. It is also what gives the editions long-term collector value: an authentic, properly authorised piece of the title's catalogue.
• A clear roadmap of premium related products built around each title. Each 33 Games release sits at the centre of a wider, deliberately curated collector range. The Zool programme is the clearest current example: an authentic Mega Drive cartridge at the core, with the soundtrack on cassette, the wider Gremlin Interactive soundtrack on deluxe gatefold vinyl, the Bitmap Books hardcover, the hard enamel pin badge, the premium trading card set and the foil reservation card built around it. The roadmap widens further as additional titles come online.
• Boutique scarcity, not artificial scarcity. Print runs are small and capped at edition level. The Zool Premium Collector's Edition and Ultimate Archive Edition are both strictly limited boutique production runs, with the Ultimate Archive Edition being the scarcer of the two. The companion vinyl releases are strictly limited pressings. The reservation-window foil trading card is included only with qualifying early orders and is not sold separately afterwards.
• A clear publishing standard across every release. 33 Games operates under four stated principles: creative integrity, collector appeal, partnership with rights holders, and presentation. The result is a catalogue where the box, the printed materials, the included extras and the format choices feel deliberate rather than thrown together.

The current 33 Games line-up at ZedLabz

A short tour of what we carry, by title. Linked names below point to the manufacturer's edition page where the in-depth product detail lives. ZedLabz product pages for each individual SKU are being built out and will be linked from this hub as they go live.

Zool for Sega Mega Drive (lead launch title)

The headline release is the Zool reissue programme, Gremlin Graphics' cult 1993 Mega Drive platformer returned to physical form. Two editions, both shipping Summer 2026, both currently open as pre-orders at ZedLabz:

• Zool Premium Collector's Edition for Sega Mega Drive. Authentic 32MB Mega Drive cartridge, classic clamshell case, full-colour game guide booklet, three premium collector art cards on 350gsm Magno Silk stock and a die-cut vinyl Zool sticker. Strictly limited boutique production run.
• Zool Ultimate Archive Edition for Sega Mega Drive. The full Premium Collector's Edition housed within a deluxe archive-grade presentation box and extended with companion pieces: the Bitmap Books A Gremlin in the Works hardcover, the Music of the "Nth" Dimension translucent green audio cassette (original soundtrack on side A, remix interpretation on side B), a numbered and signed certificate of authenticity, a 50mm heavyweight Zool collector's coin and a die-cut presentation wallet for the coin. Strictly limited boutique production run.

Both editions include a reservation-window foiled Zool collector's trading card with qualifying early orders. That card is being produced as a strictly limited early-release extra and is not being sold separately afterwards.

Zool companion products and add-ons

The Zool companion range is designed as a way to reconnect with one of the cartridge era's most distinctive cult characters through a licensed collector line. Each piece is produced inside the same 33 Games release window as the main editions, with the same archival standard and the same rights-holder partnership behind it. The companion pieces work three ways: as standalone collector objects on the shelf, as a way to deepen a Premium Collector's Edition order with more of the Gremlin Interactive heritage, or as singular pickups for Zool fans who already own the game and want a printed, audio or pin-form object from the same licensed programme. None of the companion pieces are being reprinted: they exist only inside this 33 Games release window.

• Zool Premium Trading Card Set. A set of 12 collector trading cards printed on 350gsm Magno Silk stock. Strictly limited and not being reprinted.
• Zool Special Issue Enamel Pin Badge. A 50mm hard enamel pin badge featuring exclusive new artwork by an original Gremlin-era illustrator, presented on custom card backing.
• Music of the "Nth" Dimension Audio Cassette. A standalone translucent green audio cassette release of the Zool soundtrack and remix interpretation. The same cassette that ships inside the Ultimate Archive Edition, offered separately for collectors who want the audio object without the archive box.
• A Gremlin in the Stereo Deluxe Gatefold Vinyl LP. A boutique soundtrack release celebrating the wider audio identity of Gremlin Interactive, pressed on translucent green heavyweight vinyl in a premium gatefold sleeve. Tracklist spans Monty Mole, Auf Wiedersehen Monty, Jack the Nipper, Thing on a Spring, Utopia, Zool's Zoolaphobia, Loaded, Re-Loaded and Realms of the Haunting. Limited to 250 pressings.
• A Gremlin in the Works Hardcover Book. A Bitmap Books hardcover by Mark James Hardisty exploring the history of Gremlin Interactive and the creation of Zool. The same book that ships inside the Ultimate Archive Edition, offered separately as a standalone collector volume.

Astro Burn deluxe gatefold vinyl

Astro Burn is a fast-paced cute-em-up bullet hell by Beyond the Pixels. ZedLabz carries the Astro Burn Deluxe Gatefold Vinyl as part of the pre-order programme: the original game soundtrack by Venice Bleach pressed on translucent orange heavyweight vinyl in a deluxe gatefold sleeve, strictly limited to 250 pressings. The wider Astro Burn physical edition (the Collector's and Archive boxed releases) is a Kickstarter-tier reward and is being delivered through the Beyond the Pixels Kickstarter campaign rather than direct retail. We carry the vinyl. The boxed game itself ships through the Kickstarter route.

The wider 33 Games catalogue

33 Games has further titles in the pipeline that aren't yet open for pre-order at retail. Mithra, a cryptic adventure with cult-investigation framing, and Sleepytime Village, a hand-drawn point and click adventure, are both named on the 33 Games release roadmap. We expect those to surface as pre-orders in future waves and will add them to this collection as they open. For now this hub focuses on the Zool programme and Astro Burn vinyl.

Inside the Zool pre-order: two editions explained

The two Zool editions cover different collector intents. A short retailer breakdown to help you choose:

The Premium Collector's Edition is the deluxe essential edition. It is the format you want if your goal is to own Zool on an authentic Mega Drive cartridge with a properly produced clamshell case, a printed guide booklet and a small set of premium printed extras. The cartridge is region free, so the same cart runs on Sega Mega Drive (PAL and Japan), Sega Genesis (US), the Sega Nomad and most third-party or clone consoles capable of accepting Mega Drive / Genesis cartridges. It presents on the shelf as a considered, beautifully made boxed game.

The Ultimate Archive Edition is the curated definitive edition. It contains everything in the Premium Collector's Edition, plus the deluxe archive-grade box, the Bitmap Books hardcover, the translucent green soundtrack cassette, the numbered and signed certificate, the heavyweight collector's coin and the die-cut coin wallet. It is the format you want if you are buying Zool as a piece of video game history rather than just a cartridge release. It is the scarcer of the two.

Both editions ship Summer 2026 from 33 Games' UK production run. Pre-order pricing and Klarna pay-in-three are visible on the live ZedLabz product pages as those go live.

Which edition fits which collector? Two profiles in particular suit the Ultimate Archive Edition. The first is the long-term collector who wants a single statement piece on the shelf and intends to keep the edition as a sealed collector's item, the kind of release where the presentation, the certificate, the coin and the archive box are the point. The second is the Zool enthusiast who wants to dive deeper into the title's heritage: the Bitmap Books hardcover, the soundtrack cassette including Patrick Phelan's newly created remix and the wider archive presentation together carry far more of the Zool and Gremlin Interactive story than the Premium Collector's Edition alone. It is also the scarcer of the two formats.

The Premium Collector's Edition is the right fit for the buyer whose primary interest is the game itself. The authentic Mega Drive cartridge, the clamshell case, the printed guide booklet and the premium art cards are sized for a Mega Drive collector who plays the games they buy. It still presents beautifully on the shelf, and it is the more available of the two, but the focus is on the core release rather than the wider archive layer.

About 33 Games as a publisher

33 Games operates across two connected sides. The shop side produces and sells boutique physical editions, collector specials and companion products direct to collectors and via authorised stockists like ZedLabz. The studio side works with developers, licensors and rights holders to shape physical propositions, collector products, launch assets and Kickstarter campaigns. The same publishing standard applies across both sides.

The brand's working position is summarised on their About page as "from digital to forever": the case for permanence in a market increasingly shaped by downloads, subscriptions and disappearing storefronts. The Zool programme is a clean illustration: a 1993 cartridge-era title returned to physical form with the original creative team involved, archival presentation, and a print run sized to feel like a release rather than mass merchandise.

For ZedLabz collectors this matters because the Zool reissue sits alongside our wider retro catalogue. Mega Drive cartridges, GBA and DMG mods, controller upgrades and modding tools are the everyday range. 33 Games adds a layer of properly produced collector releases on top of that catalogue, with the publishing rights, original-team involvement and archival sensibility that the wider retro market often lacks.

Pre-orders, shipping and what to expect

Every product on this hub is currently a pre-order shipping Summer 2026. A short retailer-level explanation of what that means in practice:

• Pre-order timing. Orders placed now reserve a slot in the production allocation. 33 Games is producing the Zool editions in a single UK production run, after which the editions close. Once the strictly limited run on a given edition is reached, no further units will be produced.
• Reservation bonus window. The foil collector's trading card is a reservation-window extra. Orders placed during that window receive the card. It will not be sold separately afterwards. Specific window-close timing is being managed by 33 Games and may move as the production run firms up.
• Despatch. Stock will be allocated to ZedLabz from 33 Games' UK production run and we will despatch pre-orders to customers as soon as we receive stock. Tracking and despatch confirmation goes out by email at the point of shipping.
• Cancellation. Pre-orders can be cancelled before despatch. Once a unit is allocated to a specific edition the standard returns policy applies on receipt.

Worldwide delivery and authorised stockist

We ship 33 Games pre-orders worldwide with tracking. Stock is allocated to ZedLabz from 33 Games' UK production run and we despatch as soon as units arrive in our warehouse. Returns and replacements are covered by our returns policy. ZedLabz is an authorised stockist of 33 Games. For specific questions about an edition, a companion product or a pre-order order, message support before ordering and we will check directly with 33 Games on your behalf where needed.

Related collections at ZedLabz

• All ZedLabz pre-orders: the full sitewide pre-order programme across every vendor we carry, with 33 Games sitting alongside Retro Fighters pre-orders and other current pre-order waves.
• Sega Mega Drive parts and accessories: the wider Mega Drive catalogue at ZedLabz for buyers building a Mega Drive setup around the Zool release.
• Sega Genesis parts and accessories: the US Genesis equivalent catalogue. The 33 Games Zool cartridge is region free and runs on both Mega Drive and Genesis without an adapter.
• Retro Fighters controllers: modern wireless and wired controllers for retro consoles including the BrawlerGen for Mega Drive, Genesis, Master System and Saturn, the closest controller fit for a Zool play setup.
• Bitmap Books and retro art books: the wider hardcover and art-book range that sits naturally alongside the A Gremlin in the Works Bitmap Books hardcover included in the Ultimate Archive Edition.
• Vinyl and soundtrack releases: wider soundtrack vinyl catalogue at ZedLabz, the natural neighbour collection for the A Gremlin in the Stereo and Astro Burn deluxe gatefold vinyl releases.