You know the way individuals all the time really feel like there’s too many video games popping out? Effectively one of many 12 months’s most fun video games is definitely 50 video games in a single! UFO 50, a collaboration between the devs behind Splunkey, Downwell, and lots of different indie classics, simply got here out, and it presents gamers with a group of fifty authentic video games for a fictional NES-era console. These should not micro or mini video games like Mario Get together or Warioware, coming extra into line with the size and depth of the 8-bit period.
I’ve been diving a bit into the sport, which is overwhelming at first, and the vary of experiences is extraordinarily spectacular. A lot of them are extra arcade-sized experiences with easy mechanics that you just do again and again to beat ranges and chase excessive scores, however loads of the video games are extra sturdy experiences. There’s a small fictional historical past to every of the video games, and you may really comply with alongside as their video games evolve and reply to style traits of the time.
Identical to how the NES had its share of spooky-themed video games like Castlevania or Candy Dwelling, UFO 50 performs round with the style for a few of its entries. I’m nonetheless working my manner via this huge assortment, however listed below are a few the horror-tinged experiences to check out.
DEVILITION
I really like the little tidbits of knowledge you’re given about video games in UFO 50, and Devilition, a intelligent portmanteau of satan and demolition that successfully summarizes the gameplay, has the very best: “Many retailers refused to hold this sport as a consequence of its demonic field artwork.” Whereas it doesn’t go for scares or horror within the precise gameplay, it does use horror imagery in its setup. The easy premise is that your city has been overrun by demons, and you need to drive them out whereas saving the townspeople within the course of.
The precise play of this isn’t an action-adventure sport prefer it would possibly sound, however as an alternative a intelligent little puzzle sport about creating chain reactions of explosions on a grid-based map that’s populated with demons and townsfolk. You’ll all the time have three items which you could put down which have varied explosion patterns, and can proceed putting till you hit your restrict of items for the stage. For instance, a few of them blow up all of the areas round them, whereas others destroy every thing in a straight line.
The actual puzzle of it comes from the truth that you possibly can solely detonate one of many items that you just put down, and the remaining should be kicked off by one other explosion. As soon as you set down the piece, you now not see the sample of its explosion, so it may be rather a lot to maintain in your head as you’re attempting to ensure you can chain response these explosions to kill as many demons as attainable with out additionally hitting townsfolk within the course of. On the finish of the spherical, when you have extra townspeople than demons, you progress on to the subsequent stage. UFO 50 excels at constructing these easy arcadey mechanics which might be enjoyable to do again and again, and Devilition is a first-rate instance of 1 the place I’m all the time able to attempt only one extra spherical.
FIST HELL
The beat ‘em up is a traditional staple of this period of video games, from Double Dragon to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Fist Hell takes that iconic gameplay and units it in a metropolis that’s been overrun by zombies. You go degree by degree as you attempt to rescue your mom, who’s operating for mayor, by your self or with a second participant. The imagery is a brilliant and cartoony tackle zombies, however is, because the trivia truth says, the primary sport within the UFO 50 catalog to depict blood.
You may choose from considered one of 4 characters that, surprisingly for the period it’s emulating, have totally different stats that change how they play. The gameplay is pretty easy, however offers you extra instruments than simply mashing the punch button. Along with that commonplace assault, you even have a spin transfer that may filter out enemies on either side and a throw assault that lets you hurl enemies throughout the display into the oncoming zombies.
As you make your manner via the phases, you’ll choose up money that may be spent on the finish of a degree to improve your character’s stats, so there’s some tangible progress that may be made all through. It’s not a mindblowing reinvention of the style, however I positively discover myself coming again to it once I simply need some easy, butt-kicking enjoyable.
GRIMSTONE
An angel walks right into a tavern on fireplace and saves 4 of the patrons trapped inside. This kinds your social gathering in Grimstone, a JRPG the place you inhabit part of the wild west that has been swallowed into Hell itself. It’s an excellent robust premise that feels prefer it offers Grimstone a singular id inside a style that’s so dominated with fantasy tropes. The Hell setting mixes completely with the Wild West, supplying you with a world the place you’re simply as prone to get jumped by bandit gunslingers as you’re to run right into a dusty city taken over by demons.
UFO 50 positively commits to the bit and doesn’t add an excessive amount of gameplay complexity to Grimstone to be able to maintain it according to JRPGs of the time, however it does have a timing based mostly mechanic that makes it really feel barely extra fashionable. Each time you assault you’ll must cease your arrow alongside a meter that’s both white (miss), orange (hit), or purple (crit). Some weapons are even excessive danger, excessive reward, solely presenting a small sliver of purple among the many white meter.
Many of the battles nonetheless revolve round spamming assaults sometimes blended with expertise and objects, however the timing gimmick retains you a bit extra engaged. It might probably really feel a bit grindy, as relying on the characters you choose at the start it’s possible you’ll be underpowered for the threats you’ll encounter, however general it’s a surprisingly sturdy sport within the assortment.
NIGHT MANOR
One sport in UFO 50 not solely has horror-theming, but additionally goals to really scare gamers, and that’s Night time Manor, a degree and click on journey sport the place you get up after a automobile crash, trapped in a mysterious home the place you’re hunted by a monstrous killer. To flee, you’ll must discover the manor, resolve puzzles, and run away from the killer as he chases you from room to room. It feels very very similar to Clock Tower for the SNES, with nice visuals and stellar music.
Rooms are introduced as single screens, and gameplay entails both taking a look at an object or making an attempt to work together with it. Puzzles are fairly intelligent and don’t rely an excessive amount of on out-of-left-field options that may be annoying in different journey video games. There can nonetheless be some finickiness concerned, significantly when attempting to make use of one merchandise on one other, however I used to be a giant fan of the way in which the puzzles slowly unlocked the manor like a survival horror sport.
When you find yourself getting discovered by the killer, he pops up in your display, inflicting your cursor to begin to get shaky. You’ll must navigate your trembling cursor to the exits of the room in an try and run room to room and lose him. Sure rooms have locations to cover, which prompts you to do a Darkish Photos Anthology-style fast time occasion to remain hidden. It may be fairly startling for such a low-fi sport, knocking you out of your calm puzzle fixing rhythm and sending you right into a blind panic attempting to recollect the very best locations to hunt shelter. Even if you happen to do die, it doesn’t reset your progress, as an alternative waking you up within the beginning room, leaving you questioning in case your demise was only a dangerous dream.
UFO 50 is an absolute deal with for retro gaming followers, and I’m nonetheless simply scratching the floor on the experiences contained inside. It’s been a blast to talk with my different mates who’re enjoying it, sharing which experiences are working for us. For those who’re been enjoying, hold forth within the feedback along with your favorites thus far!
