Despite the urge to satisfy the mainstream
market, filmmakers occasionally produce movies that attempt to honor an earlier
generation. It’s not just the omission of special effects but the way the story
is presented, the acting style, camera angles, and so forth. While insignificant
to the average viewer, these pictures are golden to the small group of
moviegoers they were made for.
Retro Game Challenge was developed with a similar
philosophy. The average FPS-obsessed gamer won’t care about this game. They may
not even understand its purpose. But for those who were kids in the ‘80s or
early ‘90s and can remember the magic of the NES and SNES/Genesis, this is an
inspired take on classic gaming.
A look at the Galaga-inspired
Cosmic Gate.
Skipping Through Time
I’ve often wondered what it would be like to go
back in time and play classic games with the skills I have now, or experience
events (like previous E3s or Tokyo Game Shows) I wasn’t able to attend. The
former plays out the same every time: I walk back into an arcade in 1995 and
defeat every middle-aged Mortal Kombat 3 junkie who said, “Better luck next
time” after each win. The latter doesn’t seem quite as exciting: aside from the
spectacle or amusing booth designs, there wouldn’t be much point in visiting an
old E3. All of the games are already released (or cancelled, in the worst case
scenario), eliminating most of the excitement attached to annual game events.
Retro Game Challenge offers another scenario:
after meeting up with Game Master Arino (a strange virtual character that is
essentially a 3D head with a D-pad underneath), he decides to taunt the player
by sending him back to the ‘80s when he was a young boy. To get back to modern
times, you’ll have to complete four different challenges in eight different
‘80s-inspired games. “Inspired” meaning a Galaga clone (Cosmic Gate), a Dragon
Quest clone (Guadia Quest), and a Shinobi/Ninja Gaiden clone (Haggle Man 3).
All the games – including two racers, two other
Haggle Man titles and another space shooter – are full-fledged products. The
challenges, which vary between simple (ex: get 100 kills) and fairly difficult
(ex: defeat a boss in a specific way), could mislead some players into believing
that they are nothing more than mini-games. But every game may be played
separately and features several levels, ‘80s-caliber storytelling, low-end music
and some very primitive animations that reinforce the message that you have gone
back in time.
Rally King
The developers went the extra mile in creating
fake game companies (who designed each game), release dates and instruction
booklets, the last of which includes some hilarious information about keeping
your games safe and in proper working condition. Remember: don’t dunk your
cartridges in water!
Though the games and challenges are fun, it’s the
overall package that makes Retro Game Challenge something special. Over the
course of the adventure, you’ll make friends with a young boy who is
unbelievably excited by the release of each game, the announcement of new
challenges, and the publication of GameFan magazine (which is readable and pokes
fun at a well known game journalist).
It’s the most nostalgic experience a player
could have. When the young gamer proclaims that he can’t believe that after
numerous delays Guadia Quest is finally here, when he talks about the prospects
of 16-bit gaming (256 colors!? He can hardly believe it), or when he recalls the
time he caught his mom playing his games, you’ll be taken back 10 or 20 years.
It’s unfortunate that the younger crowd – those who grew up with PS2 or a more
recent console – won’t have the same experience. They might relate to the
general humor and nostalgia, but they won’t fully understand what this game is
about, and what gaming was like with only 8-bits.
Star Prince
Crazy Eight
Since Retro Game Challenge includes eight
different games, we should examine each individually or as a series.
Cosmic Gate: Galaga fans will be overjoyed
by this clone which, if you were to slap on a different name, could fool most
players into thinking it was a true Galaga sequel. The gameplay is nearly
identical, minus the cutthroat difficulty of Namco’s iteration. Almost all of
the weapons, enemy flight patterns and attack formations were taken from Galaga.
Star Prince: I’m not sure which space
shooter Star Prince is based on, but it falls in line with the Ikaruga style of
gameplay. There are lots of power-ups, big bosses and an overwhelming dose of
enemy blasts that require the best evasive maneuver skills you can muster.
Guadia Quest: This Dragon Quest clone is a
mixed bag. The dungeon design could drive you mad, thanks to a maze that is very
hard to memorize. The story isn’t too deep, and the battles are very basic… But
if you played role-playing games before Final Fantasy VII (or have an
appreciation for older RPGs), there is some value in Guadia Quest.
Guadia Quest
Haggle Man Series: These games were
designed to illustrate how a series may have evolved during the ‘80s. The first,
which was said to have been released in 1985, is very basic. Playing as a ninja,
you walk around short environments and attack enemies either by jumping on them,
opening doors or throwing stars. The latter can only stun enemies; the first two
can stun and kill them. This strange gameplay style just barely touches the
platform genre but mostly comes off as a quirky action game that would have had
a hard time surviving outside of Japan. The sequel is more of the same but more
difficult: there are more enemies and the levels are a little more complex.
Haggle Man 3, released at the end of the decade,
is where this fictitious series takes a huge leap forward, using elements of
Shinobi/Ninja Gaiden to create an inspired and entertaining action game. Collect
nuts (Haggle Man’s currency) by killing enemies and cash them in for weapon
upgrades, extra lives and other bonuses. Great stuff. And the door nonsense?
Gone.
Rally King Series: If Haggle Man shows the
progression of game development, Rally King shows how the process can fall apart
when cash cows are being milked. The first game is your typical top-down ‘80s
racing game. It’s nothing special – but then again, racing games weren’t that
great back then (hence the reason why the genre didn’t gain mass popularity
until the ‘90s hit). Rally King SP, the sequel, is almost indistinguishable from
the first. Sure, the courses are said to be more difficult (according to an
in-game issue of GameFan magazine, of course!) and felt a little longer… But
it’s not a game anyone would line up to play. This is more of a comedic addition
than anything else.
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Gameplay: 8.0
Retro Game Challenge pays homage to the ‘80s with relevant comedy and
inspired gameplay. As a young man trapped in the ‘80s by Game Master Arino,
you’ll revisit your own childhood by playing eight “classic” games.
Graphics: 6.0
Artistically, Retro Game Challenge looks good. The graphics fits within the
’80s world it aimed to create. However, dated graphics are dated graphics
regardless of their purpose, so don’t count on being impressed by anything you
see.
Sound: 7.9
NES-style sounds and music that are quite catchy, though not as much as the
real 8-bit games we cherish most.
Difficulty: Medium
Nowhere near the difficulty of the games that inspired the Retro Game
Challenge collection, but still fairly challenging.
Concept: 8.0
A brilliant step into gaming’s past.
Overall: 8.0
If you remember the joy of 8-bit gaming, Retro Game Challenge is the
must-own nostalgic gaming experience you’ll ever have.
