Narita Boy is one of the Spanish video games that we most expected in this 2021. Its retro trip to the past takes us inside a fictional video game in which we are the heroes. Appetizing? Well, I think it will be much more so after you read everything it has to offer in the analysis.
There are video games that catch you for their surprising aesthetics, for their careful atmosphere, for how well they are designed. I want to make it clear to you from the beginning that Narita Boy is one of those games. Without wanting to detract from its playable section, which is remarkable, what has pushed me to continue playing has been its retropixel nostalgia based on the 80s , that time when you put your cassette in the player and waited several minutes until it loaded the Program.
For this reason, I think it is convenient to say that this game will be enjoyed more by those who are already older (like me, why fool us), or who feel connected to that time. I remember that those of us who lived those years thought about what it would be like to get into a video game, and in fact many programs and television series dealt with that premise. It was an ever-present fantasy. Therefore, it is no coincidence that it is the main theme of the Studio Koba title , which by the way has been running for many years . We take on the role of a young gamer who travels to the other side of the screen to become a digital hero, with the mission to defeat the villain who has taken control of the software.
All in the form of a metroidvania with many platforms, action and the odd puzzle … but above all a lot of originality, as well as a highly quirky character. That is precisely the hallmark with which Barcelona developers want to make themselves known. And in my opinion they have succeeded. Narita Boy is a unique game, of course with its flaws, but with an overwhelming personality . My recommendation is that you try it, but read on first, because there are very interesting things you have to know.
Journey inside a retro video game
Narita Boy gameplay video: a metroidvania homage to 80s pop culture
Seeing so much pixel in motion and with that eighty-bite color palette is an absolute marvelOne of the things that makes the title unique is its narrative premise. A genius programmer from the 80s creates not only a console (Narita One), but a video game (Narita Boy) that sells what is not written. What is the problem? That the program has some kind of connection with reality and a being called Him destroys the creator’s memory. To avoid disaster, the entity in charge of ensuring the security of the program, Motherboard, activates a special protocol to save the situation, and that is where we, the heroes of the adventure, come in.
Basically, the game is based on the fantasy that I described earlier, that of a game that takes on a life of its own, to the point that it will become our reality. It is a metagame, so to speak, so you will see bugs, strange things in the code, among which are the enemies that you come across. All peppered with references to the culture of the eighties , where there is no lack of moments of computer humor, like a character speaking to you in source code. In fact, if you are passionate about programming, you will really enjoy the terminology that the creators have incorporated.
After all, we are in a digital realm. It is one of the best resolved keys in the game, mainly through the impressive graphic section of the title. I am totally sincere if I tell you that aesthetics have been my greatest incentive to play . Seeing so much pixel in motion and with that “eighty-bite” color palette is an absolute marvel. There are a variety of scenarios with a high chromatic variety and, above all, a number of effects that transport you to the past, the one in which we used CRT monitors. In fact, the game has a filter that incorporates this effect, together with the image shake.
However, I do not want you to think that it is like playing a title of the time. The feeling is another. It is a tribute, and as such the game knows how to unfold playable today. Basically, it is a metroivania . You advance through environments with different rooms and situations, be it platforms, battles or puzzles. You have very varied actions that are unlocked, with a progression that is mainly based on that: learning to jump between walls, climb, propel yourself in the air and acquire more and more attack and defense skills.
Despite these defects – which are important – I could not stop playingThat is why it is varied. From start to finish you have new techniques to take advantage of both in interaction with the environment and in battles against enemies. For example, there are bosses that cannot be overcome without mastery of the lunge, and jumps that would be impossible without the use of momentum. The difficulty is not very high, because the respawn is immediate and has almost no penalty … However, sometimes things get tricky. All in a mapping that supports backtracking , because progress is based on acquiring keys to access new areas. The objective? Mainly, unlocking the creator’s memories, which by the way are very beautiful moments (as a flashback) in which we will learn more about his childhood in Japan.
Therefore, the game is interesting in several aspects. In the setting it picks up the magical and cinematic aspect of the classic Another World , as defended by those responsible . In the playable it is a bet that mixes the action with the platform and, above all, the exploration. You have to continually go from one place to another on a map that is generous in dimensions. I have been missing a map to guide me , to move better between instances and not waste time going to places that I had already visited. In a metroidvania it is almost a requirement, and for that reason the experience has been a bit uphill for me. Otherwise, navigating the stage is smooth and satisfying, with fairly short loading times.
The puzzles are the other aspect that has not finished convincing me. Basically, they are based on exploration, going to a site, remembering a series of shapes and colors and then activating a device. Little more. They are more of a memory exercise, in which you are even told that you can take out paper and pencil to write down the figures (the complicity with the user that is not lacking). Without ceasing to be a nod to the old school , and that fits the type of game that it is, I think that in this aspect I would have appreciated a little more inventiveness and variety.
And it may seem strange to you, but despite these defects – which are important – I could not stop playing. The aesthetic and sound (with the use of full synthesizers) strongly push a work that has character . That, today, is difficult to find, and for that alone it deserves your attention. To be more precise, it will be available from day one on Game Pass , and at a reduced price on other platforms. Recommended for those nostalgic for retro and suitable for everyone else. Narita Boy appreciates every minute you spend with him.
“A retro marvel”
Narita boy
Narita Boy is a fantastic ode to retro that will excite lovers of microcomputers of the eighties, but also anyone who is interested in its aesthetics and personality. Precisely, the retro graphic aspect of this action adventure and platforms is the main claim to enjoy, on the other hand, a metroidvania that does not do everything well, but that is fun from beginning to end. The conclusion? It deserves that you give it a chance, because it shows that it is developed with great taste and affection.
5 Things you should know:
- Wonderful visually and soundly – stunning retro aesthetic
- Intense action, with no scarce final bosses
- Good sense of progression – new skills from start to finish
- The scan becomes confusing, sometimes frustrating
- The puzzles are not very clever
