The Bygones Collective

Catalog entry: UFO 50

Thoughts

Since I mentioned it in my first devlog, it only feels right to build a catalog entry for UFO 50. For those unfamiliar, UFO 50 in and of itself is not really a game; it is a collection of (previously) non-existent games from the (previously) non-existent defunct game studio UFOSoft, presented as an archiving project to capture the 50 games they released during their (non)existence. To reiterate, UFO 50 is a collection of 50 retro games, and the vast majority of them are not little bite-sized minigames. They are fully fleshed-out proper experiences, nearly all of them worthy of their own discussions, strategy guides, Discord wikis, and so forth. And here's the even more wild kicker: they are nearly all fantastic. Even the ones that don't gel with me from a preference standpoint are still clearly well-made, and there are very few actual stinkers in the collection. And at any rate, the game is a ridiculous steal at $25 USD.

I don't have much more to say about the game that hasn't already been said by a wealth of review outlets, but I'd like to add my drop to the pond all the same. UFO 50 is a gorgeous love letter to a bygone era of gaming which evokes the memories one might have of playing through many classic entries of the late 80s and early 90s, but does a fantastic job balancing this nostalgia with a mindfulness and attention to quality-of-life improvements that extend the enjoyment of these games without sacrificing the quirks that legitimizes their "vibes." Holy run-on sentence. I'll only posit one more thought - in case you haven't checked out the games themselves, I'd say they are a good blend of games that evoke the NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, and arcade eras. You won't see anything akin to PS1/N64, nor will you see anything very Atari-like (though aesthetically, some are closer to that vibe).

Highlights

N.B. I've enjoyed virtually every game I've played so far, at least for a couple of play sessions. Some have more staying power than others for sure, but the below games are my very favorite so far (acknowledging that there are still ~15 games that I haven't yet given the time of day).

#catalog #games