![]() This great animation, coupled with the game’s movement speed and overall pace of combat, gives you a great feeling of momentum.Īlthough its movement speed is fantastic, my only gripes with the game come from the way controls are handled and the preciseness of platforming mechanics. Even the way Narita Boy pants when low on health, his meditation and prayers, and the adorable dash animation, the are all sublime. From the way Narita Boy runs, to attack animations, enemy attack telegraphing and the way the Techno Sword burns with red, yellow and blue fire as it slashes through the air. Even the death screen (which you just have to see to appreciate) pumps you up to defeat whatever enemy is in your way.ĭespite its simple graphical style, the game features some fantastic animations. This forward progression, as well as the feeling that you’re becoming stronger and more equipped, kept me glued to the game even through difficult sections against some tricky bosses or tougher enemy encounters. Throughout my entire playthrough I felt constant progression – unlocking abilities, reaching the next memory, fighting new enemies and bosses, and pushing the story forward. More of an action-adventure title, there is little exploration or backtracking which I actually think is to Narita Boy’s benefit. In the indie game scene, there are a lot of metroidvanias, and despite this game’s inspiration from Castlevania, I would hesitate to place it within this genre. There’s barely a moment where you’re not utilizing one of your skills for either traversal or combat, and reaching that synergy when you’re firing on all cylinders and using all of your learned abilities together, is incredibly satisfying. Narita Boy’s skillset is no slouch though, with new abilities frequently added to your arsenal, and that is one of the components of Narita Boy that I really appreciate. The combat is always fun and you’re always tested to utilize your abilities. All the enemies require a slightly different approach to defeat. From basic zombies, to jumpers, brutes, armored swordsmen, witches, warlocks, ranged enemies, shield-bearers and so many more. Armed with the gorgeously designed Techno Sword, you, Narita Boy, the Son of the Trichroma, set out on a journey across the Digital Kingdom’s three dimensions to stop the Stallion forces and return peace to this digital landscape.Īlong his journey Narita Boy is continually upgraded to face an increasing array of hostile forces, and there is quite a diverse range of enemy types throughout. ![]() I hesitate to go into any story beats here and spoil the game, but for a basic understanding, your titular character is pulled into the ‘Digital Kingdom’ where he is dubbed The Chosen One, and must eliminate the evil forces of the Stallion, led by HIM, and return the memories to the almighty Creator. In particular it reminds me of Another World. The game was successfully Kickstarted, with over €160,000 pledged by fans, and really is a love letter to classic pixel games. It is beautifully expressed as a 2D pixel-art, action adventure. Developed by Spanish indie team, Studio Koba, and published by Team 17, Narita Boy is a tale of repressed memory, the pain of lost loves, and escapism. I know it can feel played out and overused, and it’s thought of as a somewhat cliché narrative, but I think it can stand the test of time. Through tense combat and constant progression, great boss fights and enemy design, along with an intriguing and heartfelt story, Narita Boy is an absolute must play for the modern-day retro-futurist. Narita Boy captures these inspirations and vibes perfectly through its stellar visual and audio design, stunning pixel art and animation, and wonderful soundtrack. As an electronic musician, this is music to my ears (sorry). And modular synthesizers are more popular now than ever before. Synthwave music has seen a huge surge in recent years where artists are using vintage synths to create beautiful soundscapes reminiscent of the 1980s. Yet we long for the days of VHS tapes, CRT televisions, analog synthesizers and patch cables. These things seem so prevalent in our modern, technological world where we have some incredible tech at our fingertips. You can find Seasoned Gaming’s review policy here
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