UFO 50is a collection of fictional retro games designed as if they were made for a non-existent games console 40 years ago, but in reality have been developed as brand new titles for an upcoming collection from indie devs includingSpelunkycreator Derek Yu. With the ambitious project nearing a decade in its own development, though, those games have now taken on their own real history in addition to their made-up one. Those histories will meet this September, when UFO 50 finally sees the light of day.
That framing is key to UFO 50’s ambitious take on modern-retro offerings, with the 50 games designed in such a way to trace the in-world history of the company from 1982 to 1990. The commitment to the concept goes as far as limiting their colour palettes and audio capabilities to the hardware of the time, with the progression of technology seen in the advancing visuals and soundscapes across the games. There’ll even be some straight-up sequels within the fictional catalogue, as well as recurring characters and other ties across the games to make it feel like much more than a grab-bag of random ideas.
What hasn’t been limited to the time are the design sensibilities and genres of the games, with UFO 50’s creators approaching UFOsoft’s output as “ahead of their time” in terms of gameplay. The collection runs the gamut from platformers, brawlers and shmups to turn-based strategy games, RPGs, fighters and sports games - I spotted something that looked distinctly Windjammers-inspired. Of those games, half also have some kind of multiplayer, whether cooperative or versus.
