![]() The Wild Fire abilities add a degree of strategy unlike anything we’ve seen in a Metroidvania game before. You’ll deal massive damage to them, but the tradeoff is that you’ll also experience a massive drop in defense against their attacks. Enemies appear in different colors and activating a Wild Fire ability that matches an enemy’s color turns Narita Boy into a glass cannon against these enemies. Later on in the game, you’ll gain access to Wild Fire abilities. Apart from your typical hack-and-slash moves, you can also use the Techno Sword to unleash shotgun-like blasts, although doing so consumes energy, which slowly recharges over time. Early on, you only have your trusty Techno Sword to rely on, although this is a powerful weapon in its own right. This also creates a sense of character growth, which is more satisfying in the long run, instead of getting everything handed to you on a silver platter. Players are eased into the game’s more complex and powerful moves thanks to the game’s excellent pacing. Narita Boy is satisfying to play, thanks to its tight control scheme and the way you gradually unlock new combat moves. However, we were very pleased to discover that Narita Boy isn’t a case of style over substance. A lot in the appeal is, as we mentioned, in the 80s aesthetic that the game perfectly captures. This is a great Metroidvania game, albeit not a perfect one. It’s refreshing when you encounter one that manages to rise up from the puddle of mediocrity and that actually nails what it attempts to do. Metroidvania-style platformers are a dime a dozen, and the level of quality is often so-so at best. Given the game’s reliance on retro aesthetics, there is no voice acting -apart from the “Narita….BOY” on the opening screen- and sound effects are an afterthought, giving the music front stage. The Daft Punk-esque Narita Boy Theme track is especially wonderful and should find its way to your playlist. We highly recommend checking out the music on YouTube to experience it for yourself. We found ourselves returning to the OST well after we were done playing the game. Given the gorgeous visuals and well-crafted gameplay, that’s saying a lot. While it makes the game feel more authentic, it also detracts from the gameplay experience, simply because the CRT distortion effect is a bit too strong.Ĭomposer Salvinsky’s synthwave soundtrack is perhaps the best thing about Narita Boy. ![]() The obligatory CRT filter is also present, although we do recommend turning this off. The character animations are simply gorgeous, especially during combat. That said, the game embraces the 80s aesthetic but also looks modern, because of how fluid everything moves. The game takes cues from TRON and Star Wars but manages to successfully create its own visual identity. Retro enthusiasts will get a kick out of how the game looks and feels. Narita Boy fully embraces the aesthetics of 80s video games, and looks absolutely gorgeous. As you make your way through the game, you’ll run into characters that were mentioned during the prophecies and stories that litter the game, and things gradually become more clear. It’s technically a simple premise, but you’re bombarded with snippets of lore during the first twenty minutes of the game that hint at a deep backstory that almost rivals the writings of Tolkien. Narita Boy must use the Techno Sword to take down HIM’s forces and restore the stolen memories. The gist is that there is a prophecy that explains how Narita Boy is the Chosen One, who was summoned to the Digital Kingdom to take on HIM. The tutorial also serves as a way to set up the backstory, which feels convoluted and complex at first, simply because of the sheer amount of information that is thrown at you. Through the power of technology, the Motherboard summons this gamer to the Digital Kingdom, in the form of the real Narita Boy. Fortunately, there is a gamer that can stand up to HIM. ![]() HIM manages to cross over to the real world and steals the memories of The Creator, the developer that created Narita Boy. The in-game version of Narita Boy is the best-selling video game of all time, but the cartridges hide a virus, called HIM. The game takes place in the Digital Kingdom, which is inside a video game, offering a meta element to the narrative. Was the 80s inspired Metroidvania title worth the long wait? We picked up our Techno Sword and ventured deep into the Digital Kingdom to find out.įrom the opening scenes, it’s clear that there is a lot of lore behind the story of Narita Boy. Four years and a successful Kickstarter campaign later, the much anticipated retro title is finally here. On January 9th, 2017, Studio Koba dropped the first teaser trailer for Narita Boy.
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