If I had to recommend one indie game this year, it would probably be Mossmouth’s UFO 50, mostly because it’s a retro anthology of games that actually feels like it dates back to the NES era (mostly), while offering a fresh package.
Towards the end of the year, there’s usually a plethora of big releases, and if you’re in this line of work, it can be hard to find the time to make smaller games. Hell, I spend about half of my working life consuming and writing about other things, but video games are a medium that requires more time and attention. People burn out easily, which is why small, easy games are almost as important to staying healthy as larger games.
iGamesNews
UFO 50 (currently only available on Steam) has been my “game running in the background” for the past few weeks, and I’ve been impressed by Derek Yu and the talented developers behind Downwell, Air Land & Sea, Skorpulac, Catacomb Kids and Madhouse have been brought together over the course of nine years (check out this report on the collection from iGamesNews back in 2017).
Of course, almost everyone has more projects going on at the same time. Chief among them is Spelunky 2, finally released in 2020. Meanwhile, UFO 50 continued to develop quietly, quietly dropping last September until the press picked up on it. After spending some time on my own (less than I would have liked), I’m happy to report that people no exaggerate. This thing is intense and should come up in the next GOTY conversation.
Of course, many indie developers and indie studios over the years have fully mastered the aesthetics and general design philosophy of the NES era (I’m just not going to name countless examples here), but my recurring feeling is that most of them either Everything else though feels a little too modern, or just old in the worst way (rusty and not very fun to play). UFO 50, meanwhile, while not a complete home run (I mean, it actually contains 50 fully featured old games), totally feels like one of those games that’s packed with everything. One of the pirated cassettes.
I’m not going to lie: the few games I’ve played so far have all sucked at me, mostly because I wasn’t in the mood to figure out sluggish mechanics or perfect timing, but there are almost no titles in this fictional collection Feeling flat or uninspired. There’s a clear intention and vision behind all of them, and even though a lot of people don’t agree with me, I can see others enjoying their shit. After all, they cover a variety of genres and even attempt to replicate the “evolution” of a fictional gaming company from the 1980s. Of course, this leads players to discover a meta layer, which only makes this pack even crazier.
The controls are also kept very simple for the most part, which definitely helps with the accessibility factor that permeates the whole thing. I think by today’s standards most games contain “difficulty”, but in most cases it all comes down to unique game design and the developer’s idea of ”look, you have to master this thing like before”, No excuses” (which is a blast). This also applies to games that include multiplayer options or are designed directly as local party games; they should be easy to pick up and play quickly.
This is not a review, so I won’t pretend to have played the entire collection, nor will I go into detail. It’s a super juicy joy that I’ll be playing for a long time, and I’m taking my time with it. It shines brighter when playing between heavy sessions or during lunch breaks, and I’m convinced it won’t benefit from the brain-rotting, sweaty marathons more suited to modern video games. That’s the message I want to convey; I want you to discover what it has to offer for yourself.
This also means it’s a perfect game to play on the Steam Deck; I’d be surprised if it didn’t come to Switch soon. You don’t say “one more round,” you say “one more game,” because you never know what you’re going to encounter next. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never beaten them, because the experience of just activating them and exploring them is magical and enriching enough. In a way, UFO 50 brings back That You activate the magic of the ancient game over and over again, but rarely succeed. However, achievement awaits the true pathologist.
Well, maybe before I leave I’ll give you some of my personal recommendations: Mortol, Velgress, Attropics, Bushido Ball, Camouflage, Campanella, Warptank (this one is really good), and Porgy. Try not to look them up before jumping in; Believe me. Our modern consumption patterns shouldn’t ruin this wild ride. Your favorite list might look very different, which is what this trip down memory lane is all about quite exist.
