There's no denying that for many people, video games offer a means to escape the hum-drum of their daily lives and enter a world that promises plenty of excitement, as well as a stern challenge. For the young protagonist of 198X – known only as 'The Kid' – there's something more than that; video games are how he deals with domestic problems as well as the pains of growing up in featureless, uninspiring suburbia. Living alone with his mother in a tiny house and distanced from his schoolmates, he spends the majority of his time staring out of his bedroom window at the exciting cityscape lying tantalisingly on the horizon – and when he's not doing that, he's at the local basement arcade pumping coins into the latest and greatest games of this fictional yet familiar period in time.
That's the premise of 198X, a game that's as much about celebrating the arcade era as it is about documenting the growing pains of disenfranchised teens. It covers stuff like identity, broken households and unrequited love, but a lot of that dialogue happens in the background as you blast your way through five totally different video games set in five distinct classic genres.
First up is Beating Heart, a game clearly inspired by Sega's Streets of Rage series (the character sprite even has the same pose as Axel in the third Streets of Rage outing). This side-scrolling fighter actually serves as the game's prologue and gives the player a basic move set – you can punch, flying kick, grapple and throw enemies, and there's a special roundhouse kick (executed by pressing attack and jump at the same time) which is useful for crowd control. You can also pick up weapons and consume food to replenish your health. Like the majority of the games in 198X, Beating Heart doesn't outstay its welcome and before long, you're onto the next title, Out Of The Void.
Influenced by games like Irem's R-Type and Konami's Axelay (especially the latter's stage two setting), this horizontal shooter boasts some gorgeous visuals and demanding gameplay, as well as one of the most memorable end-of-level bosses we've ever witnessed in this kind of game. You collect power-ups and even have a charge shot (just like R-Type) which can be utilised to take out waves of enemies or deal extreme damage to tougher foes.
Out Of The Void lasts for two fantastic stages, and you're then dropped into The Runaway, a clone of Sega's Out Run which sadly serves as little more than a means of expanding the narrative. It's a lovely-looking but an ultimately undemanding drive along a smoothly-scrolling highway as the protagonist talks about his hopes, dreams and current situation, amongst other things.
Next up is the forced-scrolling Shinobi-like title Shadowplay, which is easily the hardest game included in this package. Not only does it throw a lot of hazards at you and your limited stock of health, but it also requires you to memorize stage layouts to avoid spikes, and try to outrun a Japanese demon that resembles the character 'No Face' from Hayao Miyazaki's seminal anime movie Spirited Away. During your mad dash, you're expected to collect magical blue orbs to fill up a gauge which, when at total capacity, grants access to stronger blade attacks.
The fifth and final game takes the form of a dungeon-crawling Japanese RPG called Kill Screen – a slightly odd inclusion because these titles are supposed to be situated in an amusement arcade. While this inconsistency might be jarring, the game itself is well-presented and forms a crucial part of 198X's narrative, giving you more insight into The Kid's domestic situation. Each monster you meet is weak to one of your three available attack types, and you have the ability to heal yourself when you take too much damage. Death sends you back to the beginning of the stage, but you retain your experience level, which means eventually you'll conquer the dungeon – even if you're failing repeatedly.
What we've just described might sound like a disconnected selection of faux-retro experiences, but 198X ties these titles together with some impressively-drawn cutscenes showing the player character at school, in their room or exploring their old treehouse, packed with memories of a now-distant childhood. The rather melodramatic voice-over expands on the mood of the protagonist, lamenting the crushing regimen of college and the way other kids have been 'brainwashed' by the education system.
While some of these might seem a little over-indulgent, by the time you reach the conclusion of 198X it's clear there are deeper issues being dealt with here, and while there's still a degree of ambiguity present, the game's narrative is pretty effective at capturing the reasons why people want to escape their worldly worries via the medium of interactive entertainment – as well as why they might crave the feeling of unity and belonging that was engendered by amusement arcades of the '80s and '90s.
Visually, 198X is a real treat. The graphics maintain a detailed, striking look all the way through, boasting a degree of uniformity that is especially impressive when you consider that you've got real-world cutscenes rubbing shoulders with shmup sections and an entire game set in feudal Japan. Many games which try the same 'melting pot' approach end up feeling disjointed and awkward, but 198X avoids that pitfall superbly, creating an aesthetic which bonds together despite the disparate nature of each individual mini-game.
The music, too, is fantastic. Boasting the talents of Anton Dromberg, Daniel Rosenqvist, U.F.L. and – most notably – Streets of Rage composer Yuzo Koshiro himself, the soundtrack to 198X is perfectly suited to the on-screen action. Each game has its own unique musical identity, while the cutscenes which link each title are accompanied by some lush, synth-drenched ambient tracks that do a great job of setting the mood.
While it could definitely be argued that some of 198X's games are lacking in substance and depth when compared to the titles that inspired them, the package gels together nicely as a whole (although we'd dare say we'd love to see developer Hi-Bit Studios tackle a full 2D shooter in the same vein as Out Of The Void – it's perhaps the highlight of the entire game). The other big problem is longevity; we breezed through 198X in around an hour, and while it's possible to play each individual mini-game on its own once the end credits have rolled, there's little reason to return outside of boosting your high score.
However, there's something to be said for quality over quantity; while the game is indeed short, we enjoyed every single second and have played through it again a second time, as well as dropping into each arcade title a few times over as well (they're unlocked for individual play after you finish the game). While we certainly would have liked to have seen more substance here, we're thoroughly glad we experienced 198X, and it has stayed in our minds over the past few days – which is as sure an indication that a game has made an impact as you can get. That places 198X in the same company as titles like Sayonara Wild Hearts and Untitled Goose Game; short and sweet adventures which leave their mark, despite being over all too quickly.
Conclusion
A passionate love letter to a bygone age, 198X celebrates 2D, arcade-based gaming brilliantly and wraps it up in some of the best hand-drawn art we've seen in years. The soundtrack is also exceptional, and, in terms of pure presentation, it's really hard to fault what's on offer here. 198X's biggest weakness is its brevity; you can finish it in around an hour, but the experience will remain with you for long after the credits have rolled. While we're sure many people will consider the game's shortness a cardinal sin, we'd still recommend you give it a try if you're a fan of '80s and '90s gaming, appreciate lush 2D artwork and desire an experience which firmly lodges itself in your consciousness – even if it doesn't last all that long.
Comments 49
slammed that one on my wishlist right after reading this review.
Already loved the visuals. I like short but powerful games.
@Damo That's a pretty decent article right there, man. I know you guys have been getting a lot of flak over certain articles, and it's always easy to go with the negative, but I don't really see the other side of that coin all too often, so I figured it was time to throw out a compliment for a change.
Well written, enjoyable to read, and it has actually made me even more interested in this game than I already was. (I have been watching this game ever since it was announced, so my interest was already piqued to begin with, but it hasn't diminished now, regardless of its brevity)
All in all, a thumbs up from me. And a like for the article, obviously...
The pixel art in this looks really good, both in the game portions and the cinematic story parts. Everything looks really good in motion too. The driving part looks very smooth. Beating Heart(the beat-em-up) looks nicely animated. This is more in line with what I'd like a new Streets of Rage game to look like. Everything looks like it would make a good standalone game. I wonder if that is something they'd consider, though this may be intended as a continuing series. Either way, I'm going to take a closer look at this.
Cool I’m gonna play something that’s not an RPG.
Color me interested in this one for sure. I'm a big fan of retro gaming and this looks right up my alley. I especially like the story concept.
Good review. I've been looking forward to this ever since it was announced, glad to see it plays as good as it looks. The short length doesn't bother me as long as the time I spend playing it is memorable.
It says in the Eshop description that this is just Part 1, so there's obviously at least 1 more on the way. I wonder if Part 2 will tackle new genres or if they will be continuations of the games included here?
You had me at Axelay . . . .
Gotta say... "You can finish it in under an hour" should be in the plus coumn for me!
@Jellyscare amen. Looking forward to getting this, short and sweet is my jam.
I really loved that retro game x (or something like that) on the ds.. this seems similar idea
Was psyched when it was first announced and am still psyched.
I don’t really consider a game being short as much of a problem, we live in an age where we’re obsessed that games must last 20+ hours to be fulfilling, what a load of nonsense some of us like to see the end of these games but just don’t have the time to commit to them.
@ThanosReXXX Thanks man - like you say, lots of people focus on leaving negative comments so it's nice to get a positive one!
@Damo And you're welcome to it. Credit where credit's due.
@OorWullie Part 2: same game, new levels...
198X caught my eye when I first came across previews here on NL. Thank you for the review! I’m relieved to hear it’s a quality experience and will look forward to playing. The world needs more arcade life simulations! 😄
Love, love, LOVE the visuals!
Quick question - how do you pronounce the title of this game?
I'm still living in that bygone age, retro arcade from the 80's and 90's are the best gen of gaming.
Looks class. Will definitely invest.
@EdScissorshands It is mostly referred to as "nineteen-eighties", which also makes the most sense, seeing as it's a story spread across the eighties. Here's the reveal trailer, just in case:
The Kid is a he? I was sure she was female going by a playthrough and the trailer.
Nice review! Glad to hear the music is great. Also stoked about the short playtime.. currently still slogging thru DQXI, and tho I looove it, it’s sort of intimidating to work thru epic games these days. Especially with so many in the backlog.
@ThanosReXXX I would actually be fine with that. It seems each mini game is at least decent, it would be good to see them fleshed out.
I've been reading some comments about the game on Steam and the story seems to wrap itself up but does leave a little teaser for Part 2. Someone predicted Part 2 will be called 199X, which I really like the sound of. The thing is though, this game is called 198X yet 1 of its games is clearly influenced by one of the games that defined the 90's. I was thinking Revenge of Shinibo was a 90's game too but it released in Japan and North America in December 1989.
Looking forward to playing it and I'm glad I backed this project. Have any Kickstarter backers received their codes yet? I'm still waiting for mine.
You had me at "under an hour".
Short but sweet, OK. Enjoy every second, OK. But I hope (this info is not given here) it's not a 19.99 game. Will wait for a price drop anyway.
@Moroboshi876 just checked it’s £8.99/$9.99
I'm in. Love the look of this. And an hour play time is utterly ideal (I'm getting more and more rubbish at games as time ticks on, so this'll probably take me 3-4 hours...)
Great review, thanks @Damo - otherwise I'd have probably missed this (as the eShop is too messy for me to even open anymore)
Nice review!
As someone who grew up going to the arcade, this looks like a fun little nostalgic trip. I'll definitely pick this up when it's available.
@brandonbwii We'll just go with "They" since the kid can be any of us who went through these issues and found video games as an escape and leave it at that.
@Dakotastomp Have you played this game?
Not everybody has dozens/hundreds of hours to spare in order to experience the range of experiences that this hobby has to offer, so it is certainly not a bad thing for those who want to be able to buy a game and see it through in its entirety with little investment.
@Ghost-Piece That’s cool. I’m extremely curious as to what the follow up will hold.
Backed it on KS on day one and i'll buy it on switch again on day one. The games aren't incredible but they are really fun. The intro and intermissions are gorgeously rendered and the soundtrack is slick. If you're an arcade head, born in the 80's or just enjoy classic styled games this is an absolute must. I sincerely hope that someone picks this up for a physical release.
@ThanosReXXX Cool - thanks!
@EdScissorshands You're welcome.
I am all over this.
@brandonbwii No, but does me having to play it necessary to assume their gender?
@Ghost-Piece got it. It’s okay for me. I actually found the voice got in the way. I have no idea why they didn’t just pick a boys voice. It didn’t seem to fit the character at all. The style of the game is pretty cool, music is incredible. Maybe I would have bought I knowing what I know now but I’m on the fence there.
198X is a proof of concept with a premium admission fee.
Should be $2-5.
@Damo
When you unlock and go back to the mini games, is there more to them or are they exactly what you just played?
@Priceless_Spork No - you're literally just jumping back into the game from that point, so once you finish the sub-game, it carries on the narrative and takes you onto the next game.
Under an hour.. dammit !
I would love to see them patch this with more content cause the overall style and gameplay sounds superb.
The work they did on the engine to get each mini game up and running surely
Lends itself to reskinning in the style of other 80s/90s arcade stuff. E.g. that Shinobi type game bit would allow contra or ghouls and ghosts stuff pretty easily
I don't know, man, it looks like Yet Another Nostalgiamilking Indie Thing with Overdone Pixelated Visuals Instead of Something That Stands Out.
"Ninteen Eighty-X" sounds like it'd have made a cool setting for an alternate-history cyberpunk universe and feels completely wasted here.
Finally got my backer code today. I can't wait to play it!
Just finished the game. Your spot on with the review. Enjoyed what is there, left me wanting more. Which when it arrives, I'll be sure to play.
I backed this game and I feel duped. There’s hardly any gameplay and what it offers is bland and simple. I was excited for this but now I wish I hadn’t paid the Kickstarter. Don’t be fooled. Not worth the $10.
Far to short. Paaaasssss!
The kid sounds almost exactly like me growing up! The reason i got so hooked on videogames was because i would sit in my room playing games and trying desperately to tune out the domestic problems going on in my house. It was my escape. Let's just say my childhood was loud and pretty scary sometimes and it involved alot of drinking. Gaming helped me cope. It was my happy place!
As for the main character of this game why are we referring to the kid as him? That voice is clearly female. Even looks it but these days who can tell. Anyway looks like a short sweet type game and very 80's so it's a win in my book!
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