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If I had to recommend a single indie release this year, it’d probably be Mossmouth’s UFO 50, mainly because it’s a retro game anthology that actually feels like it could’ve been made back in the NES era (for the most part) while offering a fresh package.
Amidst the usual onslaught of huge releases towards the end of the year, it’s hard to find time for smaller titles if you’re in this line of work. Hell, I spend like half of my work hours consuming and writing about other stuff, yet video games are the medium that requires more time and attention. It’s easy to get burned out, which is why smaller and breezier games are almost as important as the big ones to stay healthy.
For the last few weeks, UFO 50 (only available on Steam for now) has been my ‘game to play while having something on in the background’ and I couldn’t be more impressed with what Derek Yu and the talented developers behind Downwell, Air Land & Sea, Skorpulac, Catacomb Kids, and Madhouse have put together over nine flippin’ years (check out this report on the collection that VG247 published… back in 2017).
Of course, almost everyone has had more projects in the works meanwhile. Chief among them was Spelunky 2, which Yu finally unleashed in 2020. Meanwhile, UFO 50 continued to evolve in silence, and this last September it dropped without making much noise until the press got on top of it. After spending some time (less than I’d like) with it myself, I’m happy to report folks were not exaggerating. This thing whips and should be in the GOTY conversations coming up.
Sure, plenty of solo developers and indie studios have totally nailed the NES-era aesthetic and overarching design philosophies over the years (I just won’t stop here to name countless examples), yet a recurring feeling I have is that most of those either feel a tad too modern despite everything else or just old in the worst possible way (rusty and not very fun to play). UFO 50, meanwhile, while not a complete home run (I mean, it literally packs 50 fully-featured, old-ass titles), completely feels like one of those bootleg cartridges full of whatever.
I’m not gonna lie: I noped the f**k out of a handful of the games I’ve played so far, mainly because I wasn’t in the mood to figure out obtuse mechanics or perfect timings, but almost no title in this fictional collection has felt bland or uninspired. There’s a clear intent and vision behind all of them, and even if many don’t click with me, I can see someone else enjoying the crap outta them. After all, they cover all sorts of genres and even try to replicate the ‘evolution’ of a fictional game company during the 1980s. Of course, this has led players to discover a meta layer that only makes the package even nuttier.
Controls are kept pretty simple in most cases too, which definitely helps the accessibility factor that permeates the whole thing. I’d consider most of the games included ‘hard’ by today’s standards, but in most cases, it all comes down to the unique game design and the developers going ‘look, you gotta master this s**t like back in the day, no excuses’ (which rocks). This also applies to titles that include a multiplayer option or are straight-up designed as local party games; they’re meant to be easy to pick up and just play in quick sessions.
This ain’t a review, so I won’t pretend to have played the full collection nor I’ll get into specifics. This is a super juicy bundle of joy that I’ll be playing for a long time, and I’m taking my time with it. It shines brighter when played between larger gaming sessions or during lunch breaks, and I strongly believe it doesn’t benefit from brain-rotting, sweaty marathons better suited for modern video games. This is the message I’m trying to get across; I want you to discover what it has to offer for yourself.
This also means it’s sort of the perfect game to play on your Steam Deck; I’d be surprised if it doesn’t reach the Switch sooner rather than later. Instead of “one more round,” you’ll be saying “one more game,” as you never know what you’ll come across next. It’s okay if you never beat them, as the experience alone of booting them up and fumbling around is magical and enriching enough. In a way, UFO 50 brings back that magic of ancient games you booted up over and over again but rarely managed to beat. Achievements await true sickos though.
Okay, maybe I’ll let you have some of my personal recommendations so far before I leave: Mortol, Velgress, Attactics, Bushido Ball, Camouflage, Campanella, Warptank (this one is genuinely fantastic), and Porgy. Try not to look them up before jumping in, trust me. This wild ride shouldn’t be spoiled by our modern model of consumption. Your list of favorites might look very different, and that’s the entire point of this trip down a memory lane that doesn’t quite exist.