UFO 50 is a retro gamer's dream - I highly recommend it

The Picard Maneuver@lemmy.world to RetroGaming@lemmy.world – 104 points –

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.

15

I have been obsessed with this game since it came out. I've already put in 60 hours and got 14 games cherried (which means 100%ing them, getting a true ending, or beating a difficult challenge).

I'm writing an incredibly long blog post where I review every single game in the pack. Excited to finish & share it once I'm done playing through everything.

Holy wow.

Where are you posting this? I'd be very interested in reading! I've only just gotten started, but I can already feel that I'm going to sink a ton of time into this game.

I'll post it on Lemmy once it's done. I'm still not entirely sure which gaming communities would be most suitable but it'll definitely be in !blogging@programming.dev :)

That said, UFO 50 is truly massive, so it'll be some time before I finish this thing. One of the games I haven't started yet is apparently a 20+ hour JRPG, so that'll be fun.

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.

Seconded. The (50!) games in this collection are lovingly authentically retro in style and difficulty. But smooth and modern in gameplay. Even games which copy a well known genre still have their own twist to them. A joy to play.

The (50!) games

50! presumably referring to the number of different orderings in which you could play them?

Mortol is the game of the year. I got gold and cherry at the same time. I replayed each level 10-50 times to try to get the best runs I could. Ended the game with 150 lives. Played it for about 8 hours. I would have paid $10 for that game alone!

And I still have Mortol 2 to play!

This was the one that I saw a video about before I knew what UFO 50 was! I tried searching for Mortol on steam, to no results. Lol

What a creative idea for a platformer.

I have been completely hooked on this game. Night manor so far has been my favorite and I cherried that on. But Bushido blade has been great too. Lately I have been bashing my head against star waspir, and it is so much fun.

Vainger is also really cool.

So far everything I have played on this game has been great.

I've barely dipped my toes into the games so far because I keep coming back to Ninpek and (I forget the name) the one where you keep jumping upward and try not to fall.