Nostalgic metroidvania Narita Boy is out now
Wield the technosword
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.