UFO50 packs 50 retro-styled games into one amazing package

thesixthaxis.com:

It might be hard to remember the days of the Atari 2600. Some of you would have been minus 12 or a similar sort of negative age that makes me upset. I do remember though, as I had an Atari 2600. Admittedly is was a good while after the console came out, and it was because we were poor, but let’s not get into that right now. Still, the most wonderful thing about my Atari 2600 was its 52-game cartridge, an unbelievable pack of games with various styles and genres covered. It feels like the team behind UFO50 have similar memories, as we’re about to get the same type of wild, multi-game experience in 2024.

Mossmouth, the team behind the Spelunky games, have been working on UFO50 for a long time – it was announced 6 years ago! – and there’s a clear reason why: these are 50 fully-formed games. Narratively, they’ve created a retro game developer, UFO Soft, given them a timeline between the 80s and 90s, and then gone to work building the games that this fictional developer created. It’s mind-blowing when you think about it.

There’s various different genres here, from SHMUPS, classic 2D platformers and into-the-screen RPGs. Some are shorter, arcade-style experiences; others have narratives and expansive worlds to explore. If you’re a fan of retro-styled indie games, or this was the era of gaming that you grew up in, UFO50 looks like it will be a nostalgic and constantly surprising journey through a developer that you’ve never experienced before.

There’s not been too much through the Summer Games Fest to get excited about, but Day of the Devs showcased that we’re in safe hands with the indie creators out there. Every game in UFO50 includes a singleplayer mode, but if you also have fond memories of 8-bit and 16-bit multiplayer action you’ll be gald to know that over half of the games also offer local multiplayer as well.

UFO50 will be released on PC on the 19th of September, and I, for one, absolutely can’t wait! Stay tuned to TheSixthAxis for more news, previews and reviews as