UFO 50 is a retro gamer's dream - I highly recommend it
UFO 50 is a retro gamer's dream - I highly recommend it
I know this might be an unusual post, since this is a new game, but hear me out!
I just picked up UFO 50 this week, and I can't recommend this enough to anyone who loves retro gaming. The premise is that this is a collection of 50 games from a fictional 8-bit console in the 1980s, with a little info card for each one providing its release date, developers, and some trivia. The game selection screen shows 50 cartridges to choose from:
These are all full games like you might have seen during the era - not minigames or demos, and the ones I've booted up feel pretty authentically 8-bit (with some modern QoL things thrown in). There are all sorts of cool ideas and game types: platformers, a point and click adventure, bullet hells, at least one full JRPG, etc.
Some examples:
It looks like as you browse through the chronological library, you see a sequel or two of previous titles. This was made by the team that created Spelunky, and it wasn't even on my radar until I fortunately saw a video a few days ago of one of the individual games (followed by some confusion when I couldn't figure out where to buy that game by itself). If any of this appeals to you at all, I highly recommend checking it out.
You're viewing a single thread.
I'm holding off on buying this until I clear some stuff in my backlog (and hopefully getting the game at a deeper discount).
However from the videos I've watched my only criticism is that some of the games look rather complex and would benefit from supplying more information than a small blurb and a controls page. I wish UFO 50 had taken a page from Retro Game Challenge and had some in-universe game manuals and magazines. Still, since I'm planning on buying it at some point obviously not a deal breaker.
I think this is very deliberate. Having played at least a chunk of all 50 games, there are only two or three that I think would have benefitted greatly from more instructions or tutorialization. Figuring out how each game works and being surprised when you find a new way to use the very simple controls is part of the experience.
Yeah, I have been confused by some at first. However, that was also my experience playing games like this back in the day, so in a weird way it has added to the authenticity for me. Lol
If I can't figure some of them out (looking at you, Barbuta), I'll have to look up some stuff.
However, that was also my experience playing games like this back in the day
Exactly my experience as well. It's very reminiscent of that time when I was given a GBA emulator with a bunch of US and JP roms without any explanation. I didn't know what an emulator is, or that there were game consoles other than the GBC. I didn't knew my way around English either and Japanese looked like some sort of bug to me.
There's just something stumbling through a big library and slowly making inroads in your favorite titles.