circleWhen it comes to video games, they all have one thing in common: Releasing one game is hard. But releasing 50? All at once? That’s a whole other challenge. That’s the challenge for the team behind UFO 50. Seven years after it was announced, this long-awaited anthology of 8-bit, retro-style games is finally set to release this September. With 50 games included, it’ll be worth the wait.
UFO 50 is a giant variety pack of complete video games, each with its own title, genre, and story. “These aren’t mini-games,” asserts Derek Yu, creator and developer of the 2008 platform game Spelunky. Considered one of the greatest games of all time“All of the games could potentially exist as full releases on ’80s consoles or computers.”
The concept that holds this collection together is that these games were all developed by UFO Soft, a mysterious (fictional) 80s video game company that developed an entire catalog for an equally fictional gaming console. There’s a mix of single-player and multiplayer, and everything from puzzle games and platform games to tactical war games and RPGs. Some games don’t fit into typical categories at all, like Pingolf, a side-scrolling pinball-golf hybrid, or Waldorf’s Journey, where you try to crash your flying walrus into your friend’s flying walrus. Every game looks like it was released for the NES, but with a decidedly modern gaming feel. Think low-res, high-concept games.
While some genres in the mix didn’t exist in the ‘80s, like roguelike platformers and tower defense games, classic genres bring new mechanics to their retro roots. “Take Mini & Max, for example. It looks like a regular platform game, but you can make yourself small or big anywhere and explore the world. You might find an entire microscopic city on an unremarkable dirt tile,” hints Yu.
A simple arcade style experience…UFO 50 screenshots. Photo: Mossmouth
Some of the games are simple arcade-style, where the goal of the game is to get a high score, but others are on a grander scale. “Grimstone is one of the largest games in our collection. It’s an RPG, so I think it’s not crazy to say it takes 20 hours to play,” Yu reveals. “UFO Soft’s history stretches from 1982 to 1990, and games have become more technologically advanced over the years. If you go through the timeline, you’ll notice that there are games with sequels and recurring characters.”
One such character is the company’s mascot, the Pilot, who appears in many of its games, including in Pilot Quest, a dedicated top-down action game in which players explore dungeons and expand their base.
The not-so-fictional team behind UFO 50 is a six-strong supergroup of indie game developers known for cult hits like Spelunky, Catacomb Kids, Cadence of Hyrule, and Madhouse, as well as card games like Air and Land & Sea. For the group, the ‘80s gaming style is more than just an aesthetic: “Everyone on the team loves the mystery and charm of ‘80s games,” says Yu.
Adventurous design…UFO 50 screenshot. Photo: Mossmouth
“You didn’t always know what experience you were going to have, which only added to the tension and excitement. I wasn’t afraid to get a little lost while playing. The design was more adventurous, despite the limitations of the hardware.” The original Legend of Zelda was a particular reference for Yu. “I remember playing the game while my dad drew maps, marking dungeons and secret locations. It really felt like we were on an adventure together. Working together as a team, we began to understand where everything was and how it worked. The graphics weren’t realistic, but the world felt incredibly real.”
There’s a lot to explore in UFO 50. It could take you months to play through all of these games, unlock their secrets, and find their connections, but whether you’re familiar with video games from this era or not, you’ll have a ton of fun making those discoveries.
Source: www.theguardian.com
