Mossmouth said:

UFO 50 is a collection of 50 single and multiplayer games from the creators of Spelunky, Downwell, and Catacomb Kids. Explore a variety of genres, from platformers and shoot 'em ups to puzzle games, roguelites, and RPGs. Our goal is to combine a familiar 8-bit aesthetic with new ideas and modern game design.

50 BRAND NEW GAMES - These are NOT minigames or microgames! Although the size of each game varies, every one is a complete experience, from its opening title screen to its ending credits. Some are small arcade-style games but there are also larger open-world adventures and a JRPG that could take many hours to beat.

AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE - According to the story of UFO 50, the games were all created by a fictional 80s video game company that was obscure but ahead of its time. Some games are sequels to other games in the collection and various characters appear in multiple titles as part of a shared continuity.

AN INSTANT LIBRARY - All 50 games are available to play at the start! The concept was inspired by multicarts, retro collections, and the experience of going to a friend's house and perusing their game library. Jump in and out of games at a whim - exploring the collection is part of the fun!

AUTHENTIC BUT ALSO MODERN - We carefully chose what elements to modernize. Every game shares a unique 32-color palette and we took great efforts to make them look and sound like actual 8-bit titles from the 80s. On the other hand, it was important to us that UFO 50 was fun and surprising for modern players, so we chose not to limit ourselves to the genres and design conventions of the past.

VERSUS AND CO-OP PLAY - Half of the collection features local multiplayer, including co-op and versus. You can compete head-to-head in a new fighting or strategy game... or team up to beat a classic arcade game from an alternate timeline. It's great for groups!

One of the best games of last year is finally on Switch! It's a travesty it took this long—Switch is where this game belongs.

My recommended way of playing it is to dip your toe in and not think too hard about what order you play the games in or how long you play them. I alternated between working my way down the list and jumping around.

The Eggplant podcast has been doing a Year of UFO 50 game club where they dive deep into one game each week. I might make a Week 1 thread for that here on Sunday.

I appreciate the idea of this, but I admit growing up when I did this reeks of those CD-ROMs at Office Depot that are like "50 complete games! Wow!" for $10.

And they were always a disappointment. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson after the first few...

Anyway, I'll have to see if this one hits the library at some point to see how they handled it. It's not every day you see a massive compilation that is halfway decent.

J.K. Riki said:

I appreciate the idea of this, but I admit growing up when I did this reeks of those CD-ROMs at Office Depot that are like "50 complete games! Wow!" for $10.

Those compilations were the inspiration for this! The concept behind UFO 50 is "what if every game in one of those collections was actually good?"

I'm interested in this! But it may have to wait at least a little bit before I can give it the time it probably deserves. I appreciate how half of the games have co-op too, could be fun for my kids.

On that note, which games should I avoid playing in front of, say, a 5-year-old?

@J.K. Riki
Check your PMs already you nerrrrrrd

I have ANOTHER question: is this kind of like Retro Game Challenge? That was a great game more for the sum of its parts than the individual nuggets (which were fun too). And is there a sort of larger "thing" tying the games together somehow? Like a way to keep track of what I've beaten or even some sort of (very light) narrative element or sense of progression? I like stuff like that.

Co-op eh? That piques my interest. What would you say is the best co-op game of the bunch?

@TriforceBun

There's one game in the collection called Night Manor which is very much an M-rated point-and-click horror game. I'm curious if they had to censor it at all to get the game down to a T rating; lots of blood.

Everything else in the collection only ever gets to be about as gruesome as an old school Castlevania game at worst.

@TriforceBun

Each game has a trophy you can earn for beating it and a cherry you can earn for mastering it which are displayed on the main menu as game borders, as well as a toy that you can unlock that gets displayed in a little museum area. There's a loose meta-narrative about this fictional game company that you can pick up threads of as you go. You'll see that certain in-game developers have specific design styles that recur throughout their works, and there are ideas from the older games in the collection that you'll see refined in later entries. There's a lot to uncover if you pay close attention.

@Mop it up

I haven't tried the co-op modes of any of the games in the collection, but out of the list of co-op games I see on Wikipedia, I loved the single player in Mortol, Mooncat, and Ninpek. Mooncat in particular would be hilarious to play with someone else your first time.

I played the first 10 games a bit. They're all pretty solid. Some are even maybe great?!

But man do I not like the lack of explanation for a lot of the games. I know it's OLD SCHOOL but still!

@Zero

Barbuta, the first game in the collection, is my favorite. It's slow and janky and explains nothing, but it really taps into the sense of mystery I get from NES Zelda (and feels very Spelunky in that way). It's the Dark Souls of Manic Miner!

I s'pose this would have been too costly, but it would have been neat if they included instruction manuals for each game, which detailed some of the story and had some rudimentary instructions for things like controls and items. And for that true authentic experience, the manuals should include strange phrases and odd wordings, perhaps even some inaccurate information. Kinda like this page from the Mega Man manual, for example:



Or perhaps I should say MEGA MAN.

@Mop it up
"Pressing any of four tips moves you and MEGA MAN in that direction."

Whoa! This game was way ahead of its time!

Dinosaur strategy game is my favorite so far, though I'm still early in. I don't fully understand it but I'm getting there, it reminds me a bit of this old game we used to play on my cousin's PC, The Ancient Art of War.

@TriforceBun Did pressing up make Mega Man do anything though? I think only on ladders.

OK! So I didn't buy this (yet) but my friend did and I was able to put some solid time into the first few games (chronology-wise) of the set. Overall, I'm quite impressed. If these are the simplest and most basic games, I'm in for a good time. So I'm eyeing that Fangamer Deluxe Edition now...

First impressions of the first four games!

01. BARBUTA ('82) - I was very very stuck here for about half an hour until I figured out the game's first "real" puzzle. Since then it's been a bit of a labor of love, exploring deeper and pushing myself further. I appreciate the restraint in this game; it's slow, clunky, and obtuse. Which has a very specific appeal to a very specific type of player, but hey, I think I fall in that range! Based on the inventory and map, I'd guess I'm a little over halfway through this one so I'm looking forward to playing more and dying less. It challenges my observational skills in a way that rewards patience.

02. BUG HUNTER ('83) - This strategy game feels very much inspired by the board game Pandemic. It took a few attempts to really grasp the systems, but now it's solid addictive fun. I've managed to beat the first "stage" and the game mercifully let me Save and Quit. Things like this are anachronistic but do make it just a little bit friendlier for players to enjoy the games. I also dabbled in the 2-player mode which seemed balanced and fun with the right person. I'm still not quite sure how a few mechanics work yet.

03. NINPEK ('83) - While the screenshots could pass for a (really good) game made in '83, the anachronism-of-the-day here is absolutely how smoothly everything looks and plays. This game would be stutter city on old hardware! So many projectiles and things flying about. Even so, Ninpek is a fun action game with shades of Metal Slug and a little bit of a shmup feel to it without actually being a shmup. I've managed to make it pretty far (the background started getting more sparse and minimalist) and topped the score list. Another one I'm looking forward to playing more of in the future, especially trying out 2-player!

04. PAINT CHASE ('83) - Hey, it's a top-down Splatoon car game! It's a fun and novel idea and often feels more like an action-puzzle game than a racer. I beat about a third of the stages on my first attempt but I'm wondering now what the best strategy for this is going to be. I'm eager to try the 2P mode here too, seems like it'd be a ball. I've only played this once so far so I don't have too many thoughts here yet.

I'm borrowing it this weekend so I'm planning on putting good time into the first 10 games and then saving the rest for when I maybe-probably buy the game for myself. But so far it's very cool! I like the meta-narrative as well and it has shades of Retro Game Challenge (albeit leaning more into the games than the connecting tissue).

Outside of Barbuta, Paint Chase was my biggest go-to early on. So much fun.

Ninpek and Magic Garden are great arcade-style games too. I've never quite gotten the timing on Magic Garden's turning, but racking up huge scores in this one feels great.

Game #6, Mortol, is the first really meaty one you'll encounter. It almost reminded me of Wario Land in how you replay levels to optimize your score.

@Zero

Strategy games have never been my thing, but I really enjoyed Avianos! This one felt like a board game to me.

I think Bug Hunter @TriforceBun was the devs' attempt at making a "broughlike" like 868-Hack or Cinco Paus, where you've got a tiny grid, permadeath, and an emphasis on upgrading your powers to exploit every single move. I got the trophy on this one by setting up a perfect overpowered build, whereas the cherry felt impossible.

Zero said:

Did pressing up make Mega Man do anything though? I think only on ladders.

No, it did not. But I think the down tip is more egregious, as MEGA MAN is still capable of jumping, but he in no way can crouch!

@Secret_Tunnel See I love strategy games, and I especially like the idea of small, limited scope strategy games. Like Into the Breach, one of the only roguelikes that I like!

And I love dinosaurs!

It's a match made in heaven!

More impressions! Once I return this game to my buddy I plan on having tried the first 10. Then I'll need to make an important decision.

05 - MAGIC GARDEN ('83) - This Pac-Man-meets-Snake-meets...something arcade game is cute and instantly fun. I like it quite a bit! Good mechanics and a fair challenge give it that "just one more time" feel that I crave from good arcades. I have one qualm and that's the single life system. I'd much rather it be like Pac-Man (or Paint Chase!) where it's more immediately challenging but you have a few more chances (and a way to earn extras via score). As is, it takes a little too long to ramp up in difficulty and making a single mistake ending your run feels too harsh. I also would like a secondary reason to go for big risky scores and more lives would be perfect for that. Good fun otherwise.

06 - MORTOL ('84) - This darkly-hilarious idea feels a little like Lemmings mixed with a game version of that one Brawl in the Family comic. This more than anything else feels like the kind of high-concept indie game you'd see pop up in a Nintendo Direct, complete with some lame pun from the presenters ("They're DYING to get to the goal!"). Beyond the fun premise, the off-kilter audiovisual element and strong level design combine to create an early favorite for me. The level select really pulls it all together even though it's a real cheat for the 80s. Looking forward to working on better scores here.

07 - VELGRESS ('84) - On the flip side we have the first game of the set that really didn't click with me. Velgress has tight controls and a lively soundtrack but the fact that you can't take any sort of breather makes it feel too frantic for its own good. I love the controlled chaos of Metal Slug or Contra but at least in those I can catch my breath from time to time...and again, having only a single life makes losing feel all the more brutal. I like the shop system and how quick it is to get back into another run. Maybe it'll grow on me when I'm in the mood for (very very) immediate action, as several of these games have gotten better as I've revisited them.

I put more time into several of the others as well. Paint Chase is an early highlight, a very clever action-puzzler with just the right balance of strategy and improvisation. Barbuta is really compelling when you find a new route but devastating when you're stuck (which I currently am). And I love how the whole package is held together; it makes it feel way less like 50 unrelated games that clog my backlog and one connected collection of fun shorter titles. Just gotta decide if I want to wait for the physical version or not now...

@Zero

The setting is hilarious. Humanoid dinosaur-worshipping birds at war.

@TriforceBun

Glad I'm not alone on Velgress; it's the first one I couldn't get into either. Something about the platforming felt finicky to me, and Ninpek scratches the same itch for me way better.

I think your proposed changes to Magic Garden would make it more fun, yeah.

I'm very curious about the player's guide that's bundled with the Deluxe version! Not gonna preorder it, but I'll definitely pick it up when it's freely available.

Time for impressions of three more games!

08 - PLANET ZOLDATH ('84) - This top-down adventure feels like a spiritual successor to Barbuta while building on and simplifying that element of discovery. It reminds me a little of a weird NES Star Trek game I rented way back when, with some Zelda mixed in for good measure. Like a few of these games, it requires a couple playthroughs to shake the grime off and figure out what the heck you're supposed to do, but that's all part of the experience. Once I got my sea legs (space legs?) I was pretty hooked and managed to reach the ending in a careful 40-minute run. All in all, this one's pretty good! The difficulty is fair and the different items are pretty self-explanatory. Sometimes it's tough to tell which of the beasties are friendly. Now, the randomly-generated map is a double-edged sword: I think it'll make replays more interesting, but it has the effect of making Zoldath itself kind of a mishmash, lacking any real memorable landmarks or clever design. Not bad overall though!

09 - ATTACTICS ('84) - Strategy titles always feel strangely intimidating to me since I'm more of a twitch-gamer (or RPG guy) and I fear that learning new mechanics is going to take a lot of time. This one keeps things pretty straightforward though, again after the requisite 10-minute learning process. Once I figured out basic strategies like maximizing your archers' damage and minimizing getting shot at, things started to fall into place. This is a weird and fun RTS that grew on me as I won and lost over the course of the first dozen stages. Looking forward to playing more and checking out some of the other modes. I like the squat character design too.

10 - DEVILITION ('84) - Sadly this is probably the first game that didn't grip me on some level. It's confusing from the get-go and once I figured out the main gameplay hook I still wasn't too interested. But it was late last night when I gave it a spin and I only put about 15 minutes into it, so maybe it'll be a grower. I could see it potentially being fun in a Rube Goldberg/Mousetrap kind of way but I'm gonna need to be in the right mood for it. The lack of saving didn't help!

Alas, it's time for me to return this game to thefly. But I've seen enough to know that I'm gonna want to spring for the full deluxe physical version of this game--a reasonable 60 dollars that also comes with a full book detailing every game! Honestly I can see myself playing this for a good while, just assuming that the 20% of the content I've seen already accurately represents the rest of the games. It's really neat and gets me to make mega-posts on NW!

I'll rank the ten games I've played so far (just as a gut thing from what I've sampled) and then be on my way until I have the chance to play more in the future. #7 through #4 are all super close and practically interchangeable.

10. Devilition
09. Velgress
08. Barbuta
07. Bug Hunter
06. Planet Zoldath
05. Ninpek
04. Attactics
03. Magic Garden
02. Paint Chase
01. Mortol

EDIT: Actually I played a little more and Devilition is okay.

Another early favorite, #22 - Porgy. It's a 2D submarine open world / Metroidvania? (still not sure what all is necessary to progress) game. Has a nice loop where you explore, find stuff that will help you explore further, bring it back to base, explore more, etc. I've played a ton of it over the last few days so I must be near the end?!

Since exploration is based on fuel you're kind of constantly focused, can't really just mess around too much, but obviously you expand your fuel capabilities over time.

Honestly if I had paid like 3 or 4 bucks just for this on the eShop I wouldn't have been disappointed.