Una historia cargada de nostalgia, y ese debe de ser el mayor logro de éste juego, que no es para nada malo, pero tampoco presenta un reto formidable.
Juego muy corto (1h aprox), donde la gran parte es un walking simulator.
Juego muy corto (1h aprox), donde la gran parte es un walking simulator.
I just had to get out.
198X feels obtuse as a playable game with time consuming menus and games with extremely basic and unforgiving controls. But that’s exactly how it should be. Mimicking the struggle of traveling to an arcade you know you shouldn't be to play the hardest, most unoptimized games. Its how it was always meant to be, and 198X knows it.
198X feels obtuse as a playable game with time consuming menus and games with extremely basic and unforgiving controls. But that’s exactly how it should be. Mimicking the struggle of traveling to an arcade you know you shouldn't be to play the hardest, most unoptimized games. Its how it was always meant to be, and 198X knows it.
Nice little story game in a 1980s setting. Cool pixel art, funny mini-games, good sound design.
Buen juego, con historia que resulta muy familiar si viviste esa época de las máquinas arcade, con una música muy de la época (tengo unos cuantos temas en spotify), y que se puede acabar en un par de horas.
More of a vibe than a game. I wound up giving up on the arcade shooter segment, and watched the rest on a let's play; the vaporwave arcade-core aesthetic is hugely appealing but the game itself is barely there.
'na sequela rapida di stronzate e minigiochi, proprio una compilation
Insufferable solipsism.
Is this what video games hath wrought? Navel-gazing self-absorption?
Is this what video games hath wrought? Navel-gazing self-absorption?
Cringe fest.
It’s like a taste sampler for a few popular games/genres of the late 80s and early 90s. One of the five games is an endless runner section which, while certainly still fun, stands out for not being a direct homage to another game. The plot served enough of a purpose to link the games together though the cutscenes could have been shorter for my tastes. The story felt meandering and somewhat unearned, and it took me out of enjoying the game for its presentation of a bite-sized gameplay variety pack.
I have mixed feelings about this game. On one hand the short story really didn't stick with me at all. If the game were a bit longer the story could have been fleshed out more and could have taken a more relatable route.
On the other hand, the arcade games. THE ARCADE GAMES. I was not expecting these arcade games to be so much fun. Not only that, but they were also mechanically very well made. I usually expect arcade games like these to have poor mechanics or wonky controllers, but both of these were in excellent condition. These arcade games really carried this game to the point were I can happily recommend the game and hope that maybe there is a sequel sometime in the future.
On the other hand, the arcade games. THE ARCADE GAMES. I was not expecting these arcade games to be so much fun. Not only that, but they were also mechanically very well made. I usually expect arcade games like these to have poor mechanics or wonky controllers, but both of these were in excellent condition. These arcade games really carried this game to the point were I can happily recommend the game and hope that maybe there is a sequel sometime in the future.
Originally posted here: https://cultclassiccornervideogames.wordpress.com/2023/07/28/198x-2019-pc-ps4-xbone-switch-review/
Welcome to Suburbia, just outside the City, some time in the 1980s. This journey follows Kid, a teenager stuck between the limitations of innocent youth and the obligations of inevitable adulthood. Their story unfolds when they happen to stumble across a local arcade – an arcade that shows them new worlds, new meanings, all through the lens of video games. With each vidit to the arcade a new game is uncovered, the Kid grows stronger. Soon the lines between the games and reality starts to blur….
198X pitches itself as an homage to the golden age of 80s games, covering a swathe of the genres that were popular at the time, such as brawlers, shoot ’em ups, racers, side scrollers, and even RPGs, and it makes for a good sampler pack of what the decade had to offer. None of them last all that long nor are they all that difficult, requiring nothing more than some level memorization. The only downside is that while each section has checkpoints for when you die, if you have to quit the game for any reason you have to start the entire section of the game over again. I wish there was some option to choose between “Classic/Retro” or “Modern” in which you could jump back into whatever part of each section you were in before you quit the game.
Plus the game’s presintation is mixed with other things that were popular in the 80s, such as coming of age family and adventure movies along with the anime that was popular in Japan that was also seeing a rise in popularity in the West at the time. But it ends up being incredibly basic, for reasons that I’ll get to in a sec.
Unfortunately there isn’t much more to the game outside of showing off what people find nostalgic about the 80s, as the game as a whole is pretty short. When I say that this games comes off as a sampler pack for the decade, I do mean sampler pack, as it’s only a small offering of what each of the genres it’s showing off look like. Not that its necessarily a bad thing, but it the game was centered around something more substantial.
But I guess this was due to the fact that it was funded through Kickstarter means it was too limited by it’s budget to really do much more than what is presented here.
There is a lot to like here, as brief as it is, but the result is a game that has only the bare bones of an interesting concept. And unfortunately there isn’t going to be a sequel that could iron out any of the issues or expand on it’s good points since the company that developed the game went under. And considering that the digital storefronts for this game claim it as ‘Part 1’, they clearly had plans for more games.
I wish that the studio had the chance to put out at least a second part to iron out some of the issues here, as 198X feels more like a prologue or extended demo of something larger.
I also briefly want to compliment the soundtrack, with tracks ranging from something that would sound right out of a game from the decade it’s making homage to to tracks that give a nice sense of nostalgia. It’s not much but it makes it feel more like a complete package.
I know the game’s length is probably going to put a lot of people off, but I would recommend it on a decent sale, even if it’s too little to late for there to be a sequel.
Welcome to Suburbia, just outside the City, some time in the 1980s. This journey follows Kid, a teenager stuck between the limitations of innocent youth and the obligations of inevitable adulthood. Their story unfolds when they happen to stumble across a local arcade – an arcade that shows them new worlds, new meanings, all through the lens of video games. With each vidit to the arcade a new game is uncovered, the Kid grows stronger. Soon the lines between the games and reality starts to blur….
198X pitches itself as an homage to the golden age of 80s games, covering a swathe of the genres that were popular at the time, such as brawlers, shoot ’em ups, racers, side scrollers, and even RPGs, and it makes for a good sampler pack of what the decade had to offer. None of them last all that long nor are they all that difficult, requiring nothing more than some level memorization. The only downside is that while each section has checkpoints for when you die, if you have to quit the game for any reason you have to start the entire section of the game over again. I wish there was some option to choose between “Classic/Retro” or “Modern” in which you could jump back into whatever part of each section you were in before you quit the game.
Plus the game’s presintation is mixed with other things that were popular in the 80s, such as coming of age family and adventure movies along with the anime that was popular in Japan that was also seeing a rise in popularity in the West at the time. But it ends up being incredibly basic, for reasons that I’ll get to in a sec.
Unfortunately there isn’t much more to the game outside of showing off what people find nostalgic about the 80s, as the game as a whole is pretty short. When I say that this games comes off as a sampler pack for the decade, I do mean sampler pack, as it’s only a small offering of what each of the genres it’s showing off look like. Not that its necessarily a bad thing, but it the game was centered around something more substantial.
But I guess this was due to the fact that it was funded through Kickstarter means it was too limited by it’s budget to really do much more than what is presented here.
There is a lot to like here, as brief as it is, but the result is a game that has only the bare bones of an interesting concept. And unfortunately there isn’t going to be a sequel that could iron out any of the issues or expand on it’s good points since the company that developed the game went under. And considering that the digital storefronts for this game claim it as ‘Part 1’, they clearly had plans for more games.
I wish that the studio had the chance to put out at least a second part to iron out some of the issues here, as 198X feels more like a prologue or extended demo of something larger.
I also briefly want to compliment the soundtrack, with tracks ranging from something that would sound right out of a game from the decade it’s making homage to to tracks that give a nice sense of nostalgia. It’s not much but it makes it feel more like a complete package.
I know the game’s length is probably going to put a lot of people off, but I would recommend it on a decent sale, even if it’s too little to late for there to be a sequel.
Sights & Sounds
- I really enjoyed the variety of arcade-style pixel art used throughout the various games you play. The real visual show-stoppers, though, are the story vignettes you see between the gameplay sections
- The music is what exactly what you'd expect given the 80's aesthetic. Lots and lots of synth
Story & Vibes
- Not much of a story going on; this game is all about the specific feelings of suburban isolation and stagnation experienced by basically every young person who's had the misfortune of a suburban childhood. It's an easy feeling to relate to for everyone who eventually fled their pond
Playability & Replayability
- Gameplay consists entirely of five short arcade game sections. You start out with a beat-em-up, move on to a scrolling shooter, dodge slowpokes in a racing game, test your reaction times in a surprisingly difficult ninja autoscroller, and wrap up with a mysterious sci-fi RPG
- Given their short lengths, none of these games are mechanically deep. They don't really need to be, either
Overall Impressions & Performance
- It's a very short game that will really resonate with anyone who had dreams in high school that were bigger than their environment could accommodate. I'm no Gen-Xer (I was born in the late 80s), so I can't relate to the time period as much personally beyond the media I consumed as a kid. The mood still feels familiar, though
- Keep that short run time (easily < 2 hours) in mind when setting your price
- No bugs or performance issues to report
Final Verdict
- 6/10. A nice little snack to try between longer games
- I really enjoyed the variety of arcade-style pixel art used throughout the various games you play. The real visual show-stoppers, though, are the story vignettes you see between the gameplay sections
- The music is what exactly what you'd expect given the 80's aesthetic. Lots and lots of synth
Story & Vibes
- Not much of a story going on; this game is all about the specific feelings of suburban isolation and stagnation experienced by basically every young person who's had the misfortune of a suburban childhood. It's an easy feeling to relate to for everyone who eventually fled their pond
Playability & Replayability
- Gameplay consists entirely of five short arcade game sections. You start out with a beat-em-up, move on to a scrolling shooter, dodge slowpokes in a racing game, test your reaction times in a surprisingly difficult ninja autoscroller, and wrap up with a mysterious sci-fi RPG
- Given their short lengths, none of these games are mechanically deep. They don't really need to be, either
Overall Impressions & Performance
- It's a very short game that will really resonate with anyone who had dreams in high school that were bigger than their environment could accommodate. I'm no Gen-Xer (I was born in the late 80s), so I can't relate to the time period as much personally beyond the media I consumed as a kid. The mood still feels familiar, though
- Keep that short run time (easily < 2 hours) in mind when setting your price
- No bugs or performance issues to report
Final Verdict
- 6/10. A nice little snack to try between longer games
Interesting idea but too short