Nostalgia just seems to me like pandering, but Narita Boy‘s ’80s, neon, CRT aesthetic is delivered with enough verve that its trailers almost win me over. It’s a metroidvania about a boy trapped in a videogame world, trying to restore the memories of the game developer with the aid of their weapon, the Technosword. It’s out now via Steam.
Here’s the launch trailer:
Alice B reckoned the game’s demo was one of the best of the recent Steam festival, saying that it was fun and that she “could tell in a hot second that loads of you are going to bloody love this game.”
I don’t know if I’ll love it, but I look of its zippy, hacky melee combat, and of its thin pixel art characters. I like these things precisely because they seem modern rather than retro. It had Superbrothers: Sword And Sworcery among its listed inspirations on its successful Kickstarter back in 2017, and it shows.
I’m less enamoured with the ’80s throwback plot and digital world. I don’t have any genuine first-hand love for arcades, and I’m happy enough with He-Man and Tron being distant memories.
The demo is sadly no longer available, but Narita Boy can now be bought via Steam and GOG for £20/€25.