UFO 50 review

UFO 50 review

As a seasoned gamer with decades under my belt and memories etched into the recesses of my mind like ancient runes, I must say that UFO 50 has taken me on a trip down memory lane unlike any other. This quirky collection of games harkens back to an era when pixels were king and the limits of technology were more creative than restrictive.


There’s nothing quite like immersing oneself in a fresh, cutting-edge video game, but revisiting the past to delve into the medium’s profound history can be equally enjoyable. Remarkably, this journey isn’t hard, as numerous gaming companies are continually releasing compilations and vintage consoles that open up their archives for exploration. Among these retro game collections, UFO 50 stands out as peculiar because the company that created these games no longer exists.

In an unusual virtual world, a business known as UFOSoft developed numerous games during the 1980s, and this compilation includes every one of them, totaling fifty titles. When you start the game, you’ll be shown a screen displaying images of fifty video game cartridges (initially arranged by “release date”), allowing you to select and play your preferred choice at will.

The fifty games were designed with certain restrictions to make them seem like genuine creations from the 80s, and Mossmouth has achieved this effectively. With a unified 32-color scheme and all the beeps and boops typical of games as antiquated as UFO 50s are supposed to be, this captivating time capsule evokes nostalgia even though it’s entirely fresh.

UFO 50 review

UFO 50 has been meticulously designed to offer a nostalgic gaming experience, yet the developer was given freedom to incorporate contemporary game mechanics and an abundance of creativity into its games. It’s fascinating to explore titles reminiscent of ’80s classics like Roguelike, Metroidvania, or RTS. I haven’t found a single game in this collection that I didn’t find myself playing for at least twenty minutes or so.

The UFO 50 collection holds not quick mini-games but rather fully-fledged video games that were worth buying 35 years ago. Some of these are ideal for multiplayer fun, while a single player might finish them in half an hour, but others, like the lengthy JRPG, require countless hours to complete.

It’s impossible to discuss every fantastic game from UFO 50, but there are some standouts that deserve special mention. The one that captured my heart instantly and kept me hooked until I finished it is called Porgy, a captivating submarine exploration game. With limited fuel and threats lurking in the depths at every turn, you’ll initially only be able to explore a tiny portion of the ocean before having to return to base for refills. By gathering various fuel and weapon enhancements, you’ll gradually enlarge your safe zone, and the danger-filled loop is incredibly addictive.

UFO 50 review

Another standout title I couldn’t put down is Golfaria, which is one of two fantastic golf games that UFO 50 features. A bizarre blend of open world golf and Metroidvania, this sports game features a fully realised story, upgrades that will enable your ball to explore further across the greens, and a whole lot of charm. This single game is one of the best virtual golf experiences I’ve ever had, and it’s but one of fifty games in UFO 50.

A game called Mortol is one of the earliest games in the chronology of UFOSoft, and was the first that really demonstrated what this sensational collection has to offer. Initially it seems like a fairly standard 2D platformer, but to complete each level you’ll need to use your lives carefully. There are multiple ways to sacrifice your character to clear the path to the goal of a stage, but this comes at the cost of a life. You can blow your little characters up to open up a path, turn them to stone to use as a platform, or even just propel them into walls to use as platforms. It’s such a clever idea, and one was apparently so well liked by the fictional masses that it spawned a sequel.

One of the coolest aspects of UFO 50 is how well fleshed out the alternate gaming dimension it creates is. The first few games you play only feature stationary backgrounds as the developers hadn’t figured out scrolling yet, and the credits of the game feature names you’ll see rise up the ranks as the company grows. Each game features a small bit of trivia you can read that gives you insight on the games too, so you can learn that a hot shot programmer came up with an idea for a particular game when asleep on the office sofa.

UFO 50 review

One thing you might not find lacking in UFO 50 is variety. With a total of fifty games at your disposal, it’s no secret. What might surprise you, though, are the adorable rewards you earn for accomplishing certain tasks within each game. Completing a game will turn its icon gold on the selection screen, or cherry red if you manage to conquer some incredibly tough challenge within it. Filling up the entire screen with cherry icons would be an immense feat, but if I had the time, I’d definitely give it a shot!

In UFO 50, there’s not much to find fault with; it’s simply a remarkable achievement. Some games I have played were less engaging compared to others, particularly the first one which seemed designed to demonstrate the limitations of older games. However, when so many are absolutely outstanding, that doesn’t detract from the overall experience.

Among all the video games I’ve encountered, UFO 50 stands out as exceptionally unique and incredibly enjoyable to play. This compilation boasts an absurdly large number of ingenious concepts within its fifty games, ensuring you’ll likely fall in love with numerous titles in this fantastic collection. It’s hard not to wish that UFOSoft was a genuine game developer, because after playing UFO 50, I yearn for more creations from their talented team.

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2024-09-16 18:16