Retro Game Challenge

"Retro Game Challenge brings you back to a simpler time in gaming"

What is it with human beings and nostalgia? It seems that people are never happy with the way that things have become, so they dream about the way things were. This seems to be case now more than ever because of the advent of the internet. There are thousands of web sites about old TV shows, old movies, and even old video games. To satisfy these nostalgic masses who are growing older and earning more and more disposable income, various companies are creating a wide-variety of goods. T-shirts featuring Mario, Cobra Kai, and E.T. are found in many "trendy" (and I use the term loosely) stores, and franchises based on popular television programs are saturating the market. In fact, in the gaming world the desire to fulfill the nostalgic needs of the masses has become so strong that new products, homages to "better times" if you will, are being produced to resemble games of years gone by. Retro Game Challenge is one such example.

Well, that's not technically the case. This game was actually based off of a Japanese TV show in which a Japanese man, one Shinya Arino, tries to complete game challenges under a certain period of time. The love of old games and the desire to create something new that reflects those games is there, however.

The premise of this game is simple. Shinya Arino has been so humiliated by losing so many current generation game challenges that his soul becomes trapped in the digital world (or something to that degree; it really doesn't matter). To get his revenge and prove how great he is at classic gaming, he transports the player back in time to the '80s to force him or her to beat his challenges on classic video games. This can range from performing a basic game technique to achieving a high enough score. Once the player completes all of Arino's challenges, he or she is allowed to return to the present.

The presentation of this game is excellent. I especially love the character young Arino that "helps" you complete all of your challenges. He represents any video game player at a young age. He loves games, regardless of how they look, just as long as they are fun. He lives video games, he breathes video games, and the only conversations you have with him are about video games. I especially love how he reacts when you're playing video games. He'll cheer when you beat bosses or get high scores, or he'll be very disappointed when you start to lose. He'll even show surprise when enemies pop out of nowhere and try to attack you. His enthusiasm really encourages you to do your best.

I also love all of the magazines that you can read about the games. That also took me back to a time before the internet, when you needed to subscribe to a magazine if you wanted to learn about new games or if you needed help to complete a game. I always loved reading through my Nintendo Powers, and while looking through the magazines in this game is not the same as looking at real-life magazines, that '80s spirit of "video games are rad" could be found in those fictitious pages.

Now to move on to the games themselves. They are all really fun, and there is a lot of diversity in the titles you can play. Adventure fans will enjoy the Haggleman series, racing fans will enjoy Rally King, shoot-em-up fans will enjoy Cosmic Gate and Star Prince, and old-school RPG fans will enjoy the oddly named Guadia Quest. All of the games are so well done that you would think that they're ports of classic games. Playing them will bring you back (or show you if you're too young to have played 8-bit games when they first came out) to a time when games were made just to be fun. They didn't need to look impressive or have convoluted plots; they just needed to be enjoyable. Best of all, the challenges are good enough that you'll have to work at them a little, but easy enough that no game will ever make you too frustrated (and if you do get frustrated, you can always use cheat codes to make the challenges bearable). My only complaint about the games is that there is some overlap. This is due to the fact that two of the games on this cartridge have sequels that are very similar to their original game. This doesn't take away from the enjoyment that you'll receive from these games.

What I love most about this game is how it brought back something in me that I hadn't experienced in a long time. While I was playing Cosmic Gate, I found myself becoming excited just to clear the challenge of "get 250,000 points." It had been a long time since I've played a game just to keep playing and accumulate as many points as possible, and I was left with a feeling of accomplishment when I finally beat that challenge. To me, that's what retro gaming is all about. It's not about seeing which game has the best water effects or how many hours of game play they can stuff into a game or logic-defying puzzle solving; retro gaming is about challenging yourself and feeling good when you've completed your challenge.

This game is a must have for anyone who grew up during the 2D gaming era. Younger gamers may be put off by the graphics, but they should also be able to have a great time playing. Dear reader, please buy a copy of this game if you have not already. Show the world that there is still room for classic gaming in today's market. You might end up having more radical times than you have in years.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/04/09

Game Release: Retro Game Challenge (US, 02/10/09)