![]() ![]() For comparison purposes, think of the obvious Tron influence combined with Blade Runner and the Arabian Knights fairy tales, all set almost exclusively at night or dusk.Īs I’ve already mentioned, this is a mixed genre experience. It often genuinely feels like you’re exploring the devastated ruins of a great civilization. It’s all a little silly but it takes itself sincerely with a very subtle humorous hand that prevents it from being cheesy. You are the prophesied hero that the Creator, a Japanese-American computer scientist that designed the system and sports a slick pair of sunglasses at all hours of the day, promised would come to save the Digital Kingdom. It seems that one of the leaders of the three houses of the Trichroma, who is named simply HIM, and his army of programs called “Stallions,” have risen up in an attempt to take over the other two tribes. The Digital Kingdom, which is what the residents of the operating system call their home, is in desperate need of help. You play as the titular Narita Boy, a user of a new and popular computer and operating system that gets sucked into the Digital Kingdom late one night in the mid 80’s. While it is a 2D genre mashup with elements of Metroidvanias, beat-em-ups, and traditional platformers, Narita Boy is very story-driven. Everybody Wants to Rule the Digital Kingdom Personally, I’m not sure why developers keep trying this as the look of a CRT was very much a mechanical thing and can’t truly be imitated without physically replicating the actual limitations of those old sets (look up vector graphics for an even more extreme version of this phenomenon). While it’s better than some CRT filters I’ve seen, it still gave me a headache and was more distracting than anything so I turned it off in the options. The game defaults upon starting with an optional CRT filter to really complete the feel of playing a game set in the 80’s. It’s a masterclass in using modern technology to imitate and greatly enhance the look and feel of a past era.Ī word of critique that I ought to mention. The lighting effects, as well as the background vistas that are employed, go a shocking distance towards recreating a lot more of the dreary aesthetics of 80’s techno-fantasy. ![]() The way the sprites are animated is reminiscent of the detailed animation of the Metal Slug games but with far fewer pixels. You can grasp the “Creator’s” own melancholic pained state of mind as you explore the ruins of the world he’s created only to accidentally allow it to be destroyed by pieces of itself. There’s a real emotional weight to the visuals, as it feels like you’re inside a world encased in an old operating system. The themes and setting contribute heavily to why this works for me.Įvery time I boot it up I’m more impressed with it, and I think largely with just how much I like it. These are pixel graphics, but the art direction, lighting, and effects are absolutely top shelf. Narita Boy is the exception that proves the rule. As a rule, I prefer graphics that either use current tech, are distinctive, or have a strong art direction. Old games are charming because of their pixels but they’re products of their time. I feel obligated to start my discussion by saying that I really don’t like when a modern game has pixel graphics. The questions, then, are how good does it do this? Is it a rip-off or a truly original product that just knows what it’s inspirations are? And, probably most importantly, is it any fun to play? Let’s talk about it. Tron was the most successful of this type of story and it’s this legacy that Narita Boy is looking to pay its ritual tribute to. The rather inaccurate and simple methods of things like The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes fell out of popularity and there was a shift towards the near mystical, and calling this sub-genre ‘Technological Fairy Tales’ wouldn’t be altogether inappropriate. In the ’80s and ’90s, when the technology was still rather new and was just being introduced to the general public in a serious way, there was a lot of interest in exploring and trying to understand exactly what we had created. ![]() It’s interesting to look back at the way computers have been described or depicted at various times in their history.
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