I have played games all my life, but I am far from being a scholar. Despite some skills titles, I struck the legend in Hearth and read Doom mastersAnd I play an average game of Galaga– The reality is that I will always be green in relation to those who preceded me. My knowledge of games before the 90s is difficult and my skills nonexistent.
And yet, that does not prevent me from appreciating tradition. For each modern game as Unexplored Or What remains of Edith FinchThere are older experiences that have opened the way. Pong. Pac-man. King’s quest. These games pushed the limits of their equipment, transcended the limits of our imagination and challenged us to play “one more game”. (If you entered the arcade with a handful of neighborhoods when you were, you got home empty -handed but smiling.)
UFO 50Developed and published by Mosmouth, makes everyone feels like a game historian. Released last September after an eight -year -old staggering development cycle, UFO 50 Does the impossible: give players access to an entire fictional catalog of games from the 80s, says: “Come on! Take advantage of it ”and only charge $ 25 for the experience. (It’s a bag of neighborhoods for any Dang Arcade!)
I covered UFO 50 At the time when it was announced in 2017, and my excitement for this collection of games never hesitated. Now, after playing all 50 titles on more than 90 hours, I am finally ready to share my verdict.
50 cabinets, zero quarters
OVNI 50 ‘The website URL is “50games.fun” – a description of the final product adjustment. Designed by some of the most prolific gaming creators, including Derek Yu (Spelunky) and ojiro fumoto (Low),, UFO 50 is a Love letter at the first days of the game. Each element of the experience, from the aesthetics of the art of pixel to 8 -bit bouncing chiptunes, dates back to Saturday morning huddled in front of a CRT television for a high score in Contra Or Tetris.
From the start, UFO 50 was presented as a collection of 50 games (not “micro” games as in WariowareBut fully made games) that players can explore as they please. These titles go in the genre, from E-ups and RPGs to platforms and sports games, many of which with a solo, a cooperative and versus fashions. Some games focus on quick pleasure and five minutes, while others offer gameplay hours, with backup states.
In other words, UFO 50 is like a bin to NES games for a long time (or an arcade cabinet room, make your choice) that you recently met for the very first time. It is only by dusting the spiders’ fabrics and taking each game for a turn that you can learn what it is – and perhaps discover magic in the process.
If the premise seems too ambitious or ambitious, you are not alone. I haven’t read the initial terrain for seven years, and I still remember wondering, Certainly, they can’t succeed … can they? This did not help that the manufacturers of the game predict the launch UFO 50 In 2018 – then became a silent radio for what looked like an eternity.
Well, it turns out that silence is in fact golden. Not only UFO 50 Honor his original promise, but he goes beyond everything I could have hoped for.
Pressure makes cherries
I’m not going to go deep in any of the OVNI 50 ‘s specific games – After all, half of the pleasure is to discover them for yourself. (If you want the lean complete, consult my mini-evaluations of each UFO 50 game.) What I will Let’s say, however, is that after sampling each game and finished much more, there is a lot to see and do, almost all of which are fun.
Maybe OVNI 50 ‘The greatest force is its variety. As I said before, you don’t just start a single match; You mainly play a library of full titles, each with unique stories, mechanisms and final objectives. A useful domestic interface allows you to browse the 50 games; You can also filter by category (“fast” parts, “epic” parts, etc.) or in multiplayer mode.
Despite the variety of experiences, each game follows the same basic principles. Finish a title (that is to say, reach the fine credits), and you will catch a trophy in play, represented by a golden cartridge on your home screen. Go beyond (beat a high score, reaching 100% completion, etc.), and you will receive a coveted “cherry”, represented as a red cartridge.
These distinctions are not easy to obtain. While I played 50 games, I only finished 20. I said the cherries even less, eight, from writing. UFO 50 is also old-school as old-fashioned games, with limited lives, frugal resources and little handmade. Each game follows a minimalist control scheme – just directional arrows and two buttons – but offers depth lots even rivaling the most modern versions.
If you are wary of “game on” screens, resetting ad nauseam reset or scratching your head to a delicate puzzle, it’s not the game for you. However, for those who are ready to deeply dig and learn its subtleties, UFO 50 has so much to offer.
Okay … but what East He?
UFO 50 is really a game superior to the sum of its parts. While I played through each of his 50 titles, I took the time to note what I liked, I did not like and loved various aspects of the experience.
From the start, the UFO 50 team had started to create An experience that was ambitious, but executed in the execution. The game palette of play only uses 32 colors, but you would never guess it based on extremely creative results. Two -end commands are easy to grab and rarely heavy (a few games would have benefited from an additional or two button, but these are exceptions). And although there are indeed 50 complete games, they are each of appropriate size, ranging from 30 minutes to several hours.
No game has dominated my thoughts enough to justify an individual “game of the year”. Of course, there is the brain strategy game BugThe Twitch-Heavy shooter Campanella 3and the RPG surprisingly long Grimace. But the tightly scope also means that no one never fully competes in the greatness or complexity of, let’s say, 2024 Scales.
But that’s a bit like. UFO 50 Regularly encourages players to bounce from one match to another, “featuring” their favorites and letting the rest bring the dust together. No player will appreciate 50 in the same way. (I loved shmups, sports titles and slower puzzle games, but I didn’t like most platforms.) It is a game intended to trigger discussions between colleagues and rivalries with friends. Heck, you might hate a game, leave it, go back after a friend shared his secret strategy and realize that you have always loved him.
I can’t say UFO 50 is a perfect game; If anything, it’s wonderfully imperfect. And that’s why it’s so special.
Final reflections
UFO 50 is a shameless celebration of the reason for which we play first. Yes, it is brutal and obtuse and even frustrating sometimes, but it is also calm, intelligent, and serene and beautiful. I would like to be able to wipe my brain Black men Style and dive into it with fresh eyes and ears.
For those who have not seen a second of sequences, enter with few expectations and see where the trip takes you. If you have a boyfriend or a partner, even better; Connect your laptop or steam terrace to your television, distribute a second controller and enjoy many of these experiences by their side.
For days, I have been thinking about the final score that I would award UFO 50. It is such a rich experience, and no mileage of two people will be the same. It is also a game designed for a certain era of players – which unfortunately means that it does not go with everyone. Even again, I will recommend UFO 50 almost anyone.
50 games; 25 dollars. UFO 50 has been the best value in the game since The orange boxAnd although other games have beaten in terms of depth, much less can claim its charms. If the game of the 80s is your jam, it is obvious. And if it is not … Try anyway, if only to appreciate how far this wonderful hobby has arrived.
Score: 9.8 / 10
UFO 50Developed and published by Mossmouth, is now available on SteamWith additional platforms planned for the future. PDSF: $ 24.99.
