Bro, this is if Action 52 went to rehab, got years of therapy, improved as a person, pursued an education and because a better person and acquired themself a beautiful job, home, spouse, and family.
you don’t need any of those things to be happy especially not “years of therapy”, a home spouse and family people can live in an apartment, they can be single and not have kids, they can get better without any professionals you have a very skewed expectation of what “success” looks like, success is subjective and can simply be being satisfied with your life without all those arbitrary things in your comment
@@MochaSlushes I don't think you know how bad Action 52 had it dude There was a $100,000 cash prize competition to beat level 5 of Ooze that was literally impossible because the game would always crash before you could beat level 3
@@misirtere9836 that’s literally not what the comment was about, I don’t care about the action game, I care about their heavily skewed version of “rehabilitation”
This is a true “game for everyone” Not a bland unoffensive unfocused mess, but a collection of highly focused experiences each pertaining to a certain taste, while also letting you try new things! It also helps that the meta narrative and garden are a subtle nudge to get outside your zone!
I think its also extremely underrated how they included the gold and cherry carts to push you to complete them. If they didn't have 'endings' or if there wasn't a reward for doing so, it would lose a LOT of the charm imo. Such an awesome experience.
@@jesustheres i agree with you on that, a lot of UFOsoft's classics are seriously so overrated, and their games compare in no way to gems of our modern era like minecraft 2 or homestuck : the videogame
UFO50 is my personal GOTY. And even tho I don't like plastering the term "snubbed" on things, this game truly feels like it doesn't even remotely get enough praise for what it's doing. As one steam review perfectly described: "This game reminds you why you fell in love with video games in the first place." No bloat, no forced cross-media focus. Just a bunch of ideas and plenty of room for them to be fully explored. 🌠
I think that for most people just looking at it without any background 1. Will assume the games are more like minigames (I know the Steam page explicitly says they're not, but I personally missed that at first) 2. The visual style isn't bad but it's not something that's going to draw people in I think that over time its reputation will increase via word-of-mouth and it will become more popular
UFO 50 is the best game released this year and it's criminal how few people know about it and played it. There has never been a game like it and I am stunned that a small team of people managed to make something like this and for it to be so incredible, unique, packed full of varied and engaging content, and just so so fun.
Was definitely sad not to see it nominated at the game awards. I think it's a masterpiece that flew under way too many people's radar. But count on this: This game will become a cult classic. Because of its design, it can't get old.
Magic Garden is a masterclass in scoring system design. On the surface, the game is very simple, avoid blue oppies, pick up and drop off red ones, and use potions to clear out space. Repeat until you win. But if you're playing for score? It's a completely different beast. That 200 oppie goal is now a limit, forcing you to be ruthlessly efficient. You're spending the whole game building up to a massive potion chain, but you need to burn the occasional potion to survive. You're constantly weighing risks and rewards, navigating a dense bullet hell of your own making to have just one more potion left for your grand finale, it's going to be a huge payout as long as you can just survive a little bit longer. Playing for score transforms the game as much as it does in Ikaruga.
@@Oneiroclast Really hit the nail on the head, you did. Crazy to think that Magic Garden wasn't even going to be in the collection originally. It had me hooked in no time.
Sold. The game, I mean. Sno, I was on the fence about getting this game (I did grew up with those NES cartridges with 100 games), and with your masterful analysis you've convinced me. This game is bought.
That moment in Mini & Max when you get the ability to shrink a second time was such a surprise jaw-dropper. I thought it was just going to make Mini's sprite shrink to help her navigate through one-tile overhangs, not pull an entire heckin' inverse-Elden Ring-style scope reveal. Like, calm down, UFO 50, that's just ONE GAME.
then you find a powerup that lets you shrink a third time (it actually does just give you a shrunk sprite so you can navigate one tile openings in the micro world)
While I have a _particular_ enjoyment of _several_ games among the 50 (such as Porgy, Party House, Avianos, and Seaside Drive), and even more that I could at least certainly be bothered to try additional times at some point or other, I just don't really feel that way about Mooncat, despite the notion that I did get _an_ ending and thus gold the cart. Granted, I don't hold _disdain_ for Mooncat the way that apparently a _non-trivial_ number of players do - they don't understand that the control scheme is _deliberately_ convoluted and _meant_ to be tricky to use - yet it _is_ still because of that that it just doesn't hold a special place in my heart. I think it's just misunderstood.
My problem with 'short' games not having a save function is that imo, save function is an accessibility issue. Very often I simply cannot focus for an hour or so at the time to beat an entire 'arcade' experience in one go. This isn't about repetition, this is simply about me not having enough attention span/energy to focus for hour+ at a time. The only way I can finish actual old games with that kind of philosophy is thanks to savestate function of emulators - I don't cheat and take game overs as they come, I just savestate when I need to call it a night in the middle of the playthrough.
Yeah luckily I played a lot on Steam Deck which basically does have that functionality, and I assume it'll come to Switch and people can do that as well by suspending the game.
Now that you've said it, there could be a cheat code that just allows you to use a save-state-like function that boots you out of the game and just boots you back at the savestate when you play it again
I can't inderstand how it is not nominated for game of the year. And I don't mean in place of Balatro. Both deserve the recognition. Indie games in general were fenomenal this year
Every podcast, every videos, every tiktok debated game of the year nominee and why a DLC got nominated, I just keep typing UFO 50 over and over and over.
Oh man, this has not only been your longest video, but also one of your best. Amazing job! I feel like UFO 50 has become the ultimate "Game Designer" game. It should be studied in Game Dev courses all over the world. It is a great example of how having a strong core mechanism leads to great gameplay, how limitations can spark the most innovative solutions to design problems, and how important it is to have team chemistry within the development team. In a world where we see a lot of constant layoffs in this relentless industry, it is so refreshing to see what happens when a group of talented individuals get to collaborate and make games for long period of time.
Not sure how intentional this was, but the Mooncat character seems to only have his feet, and the control scheme seems very intuitive/easier to navigate if you actually have to play the game with your feet 🤔
i got all 50 cherries in UFO 50 and this game was such a joy to complete. i wasn't even doing it for the sake of being a completionist, i did it because all of the games were just that fun. easy contender for my favorite game of all time
How many hours? Even though I'm still going strong with the "cartridge" I don't expect to be able to do it. I've finished several games, and even cherried a couple, but have only tried like a fourth of them so far
@@drillerdev4624 by the time i got my last cherry i totaled 300 hours in the game, though in that total is also a couple hours i spent on goofing off on completed games (mainly party house) and playing 2 player
I just started playing and I have to say that I love Barbuta and the fact that I started with it. The esoteric nature of it that makes more and more sense as you go, with each epiphany letting you both progress as well as find things to optimize your time. It's the kind of old school adventure game that's right up my alley and I'm looking forward to seeing what lies beyond getting the wand.
"Me, it's me, I'm the lunatic" And there's your like, well earned and the video is barely started. There you go being incredible in the first minute and a half.
In a world of $100 million "AAA" game failures, it's amazing to see something like this. Fun, interesting, well-crafted, surprising. This is what gamers are looking for.
Great video, some really good points about the game I hadn't considered. I do recommend sitting down and devoting some time to beat Barbuta, though. It's shorter than you think, and surprisingly smooth to progress at. My only tip is that you keep a physical notebook where you map the tower out as you play. Just filling in and noting down rooms as you go should get you most of the way without needing guides, and it's an incredibly rewarding experience, to the point I'd say it's one of my favourites in the collection - nearly on par with the likes of Mini and Max or Rail Heist.
Always love seeing videos from one of my favorite games i've played in a while.... incredible video my friend, thank you for getting some love and attention to UFO50, it deserves it
This game is everything i didnt know i needed. The scope of this game is so far beyond anything else ive ever played, while still also being restrained with each game (except Cyber Owls, the biggest mash up ever lol). Each game feels like such a breath of fresh air.
best video on this game ive seen, love how you go beyond just "you need to meet the game where its at" and really talk about what that means and how the game actually helps you do it if you give it a chance
ppl call this game simalar to action 52, but i feel like ufo 50 is more simalair to a game called retro game challange, that game also had high quality full ass games, although not 50 of them, and honestly is a recommendation for anyone who somehow beat ufo 50 and still wants more
Mini and Max was incredible. I can't say I discovered every hidden thing in that game but I cherry carted it in 11 hours in 2 or 3 sittings. Just the lore and the sense of discovery in it; it's all incredible.
Ufo 50 looks and sounds like a historic game release to someone like me. Thanks for this! I wouldn't have found this otherwise. I subscribe to you and Dunkey and somehow missed his video.
I think what’s so cool and the reason I find myself coming back to have smaller sessions with this game is the fact that because a lot of the games have those old school arcade you die you start over often have me play a game I want to play to see if I can make progress and if not I can choose to play more or just come back later when I feel like I’m ready, they have so many other games I take breather playing something like Party House or Grimstone and then go back to grinding Campanella 💪
I bought this game after seeing a tweet from you recommending it, and seeing your analysis after having tried each game myself was very satisfying. Rail heist in particular really hooked me; it's the perfect combination of action and puzzle solving that scratches my brain just right. Excited to go back to play some more once I get a chance!
This vid is an early Christmas present. Happy to see you still releasing content like this! UFO 50 seems really special and it’s a perfect match for somebody who talks about games like you
I particularly like "Devilition", a game based on creating chains of explosions to kill demons that are ataking a village. It allows you to create impressive Rube Goldberg machines (ala The Incredible Machine).... but with the caveat that unexploded elements remain on the "board" from level to level, so you can strategize much more that it seems at first. One of the most interesting (and nail-biting) games to not only complete, but to "cherry". If I had free time, I would create my own version of it, because it truly is a great example of game design.
I've been playing it a lot more lately, it was the last game I golded and the game design keeps getting deeper and deeper the more I play, very well designed one!
As someone who loved "deck builder" board/card games (Dominion as the classic example these days), Party House is a great deck builder in video game format
I like how some games are happening in the "Same World" as other game, and it doesn't actually tell you, but show you. Like how Mini & Max happen during Party House, but you don't know that until you beat the game
My favorite thing is seeing games of any art style or graphical fidelity find ways to utilize more modern effects & gameplay mechanics. The depth that brings fascinates me
Wait, seriously? It's fifty WHOLE GAMES, not fifty microgames? Okay, I missed something. If I'd known I would have gotten this yesterday before the sale ended. But winter sale for sure. I spent too much on other stuff, see, but I definitely want this with the boppin' soundtrack.
I started playing this game a while back and after like 10 hours, I can tell that I've barely even scratched the surface. I really can't wait to sink my teeth into this one further...
I still haven't tried all UFO 50 games, but I've enjoyed most all the ones I have so far. Even cherried a few. Haven't used guides, and I'm sure eventually I'll find out what I'm missing in Barbuta. House Party really reminds me of the card game Port Royal. Keep drawing cards if you dare. Just remember, if you go bust you get nothing (Except if you have already bought some Jesters), and the more you draw, the more good stuff you leave open to your opponents too. But yeah, I'm a sucker for a good bunch of smaller retro-affairs, like Retro Game Crunch, Devolver Bootleg or the Indie Mixtape. But this just blows those out of the water.
Hah! Interviews with the dev team have been fascinating because they did limit themselves in some ways (color palletes, text pixel size, etc.) but in other quality of life ways they didn't let old restrictions limit their creativity.
Party House sounds like an honest to goodness Deckbuilder game, not in the Slay the Spire sense but in the Dominion sense. You earn resources to buy more cards or upgrades that let you use more cards in a turn, with the goal being to assemble the win condition within 25 rounds of the game.
That was exactly what I thought too. Sure, adding guests with lots of benefits ramps up your economy quickly, but when it comes time to get the starred guests, you don't want your deck too watered down or it will be difficult to get them all together at once. Vice versa, the starred guests are otherwise dead weight so getting them too early slows your econ. Some guests cost you in the short term but provide benefits that let you scale long term. Some provide tremendous situational value but otherwise don't provide any value (e.g. security). Balancing the timing and distribution of guests as well as recognizing synergies definitely shares a lot with deck builders like Dominion.
Excellent video! So cool to see someone cover this more in depth. Maybe this is too ambitious, but if anyone were to make a UFO 50 type game collection but with PS1-style (early 3D) I would be all over it.
i want you to talk about barbuta because even a game like that which is built to be so archaic so stiff so painful has its own fans because they played games just like it on the commodore 64 and other old computer adventure games, this game really does hold the title of having something for everyone even in the most incredibly specific corners or in the broadest senses still with crazy genre bending and mixing to make it interesting and new
Oh! You should do a video on DREDGE next!! That Lovecraftian horror-sailing-fishing game, weirdest combination of things ever but it was SO refreshing and atmospheric and just plain cool!
So glad to hear it and I can second how good it is on Steam Deck, most of my playtime was on it and the perfect game on the go. Since you can suspend games on there it bypassed some peoples' complaints about not being able to save progress in the 'arcade' style games. Huge win :)
started ufo50 for the first time, see barbuta "release date 1982" I say "ok... how 1982 are they making this game" start barbuta, take two steps see how everything moves and stuff "oh, that's what we're doing" immediately close out and jump down to the second row
I will avoid specifics, but everything around the Terminal, especially as a statement of game developers being human beings, in the midst of the last 2 years is a hell of a moment. I think about it daily I also do not think it is a mistake that you’re only way to play these games is technically by emulating (in universe that is) it on top of that.
Can't wait until this comes to Playstation! I'm sure even my crappy potato of a computer could play it fine, but this is the sort of game that deserves to be played on a console system.
This is a random place to leave this suggestion, but I think you should play Super Metroid map randomizer. I know you took a liking to SMW kaizo hacks. Super Metroid is already a masterpiece, and the map rando makes it endlessly replayable. I started on basic difficulty to feel it out and worked my way up to Hard / Tricky / Tame settings which are the norm for community races. You learn how to do tricks in the game that feel great, and the rando logic turns it into a fascinating Metroidvania puzzle as you try to decipher the path forward. Once you get good at them they are less than 2 hours to complete and are such a blast. It took one of my favorite games and made me learn it and appreciate it so much more.
Party house is similar to (If not the same as) a card game called Flip City, that uses pretty much all the mechanics mentioned but they are called different things.
When I heard you say it was a game by "moss mouth", my brain said "Wait, the Hollow Knight lore guy made a game?!?" But I looked it up, and no, that's moss bag. Oh well, that would have been funny.
I'm open to picking this up just for Rail Heist, which has a really neat design. I might find more I like from there, though I strongly dislike the "brutally hard, start over from the beginning" style game. I like Metroid far more than Megaman or Ninja Gaiden, for example. It might be best if I avoid the arcade games.
Ive been a strong, strong defender of the concept of the life system for years. Sure, it doesnt work in every game, but there are absolutely games that are better designed because of them. This collection coming out completely vindicated me on that. Games like Campenella or Caramel Caramel or Cyber Owls absolutely understand. I think way too many people are too quick to write off the concept of that style of design right away without trying to see things from the designer's perspective. It's weird because people don't seem to have a problem with the surge in roguelikes, which are basically the same principle except with a degree of randomness. Pretty much every roguelike I can think of has some kind of "Revive you when you die" item or perk, or they just have a health system that's balanced pretty much like a life system would be. Applying that style of design back to a game where things are predictable and learnable shouldn't be that big of a stretch.
Also, the existence of Pilot Quest in this collection is another thing that makes game overs in some of the other games feel way less punishing. You didn't just loose a bunch of progress, all that time spent went towards more crystals that you can check in on as a pallette cleanser before jumping back into another run of one of the tough games. It's honestly genius for that.
It's a little uncanny seeing at 10:21 seeing a somewhat modern car model in that 8bit style. The perspective is also a bit off but can be forgiving because of the limitation. My grandma use to buy me those plug and play that had knock off/pirated games and the color pallets for some of the older looking titles certainly remind me of them.
Devolition !!! I recognize it, it is a flash game a played over 15 years ago and was never able to find it again ! Could it be, that devs resurrected their designs, that fell with Flash technology decades ago ?
as someone who constantly enjoys older game (usually emulation) UFO 50 is my game of the year hands down zero questions dominated everything else if i only had 5 games i enjoyed it still would have been worth $50 for me ...and it's way cheaper, and with 45 more games (i only disliked 3~ of the games lol) actually incredible
Oh that's funny how he highlighted campanella 3 as a game that doesn't have a twist. He hasn't found arguably the most jaw dropping easter egg of the game.
Bro, this is if Action 52 went to rehab, got years of therapy, improved as a person, pursued an education and because a better person and acquired themself a beautiful job, home, spouse, and family.
you don’t need any of those things to be happy
especially not “years of therapy”, a home spouse and family
people can live in an apartment, they can be single and not have kids, they can get better without any professionals
you have a very skewed expectation of what “success” looks like, success is subjective and can simply be being satisfied with your life without all those arbitrary things in your comment
@@MochaSlushesok then, enjoy your buggy cheetahmen-infested mess
@ can’t tell if you mean that metaphorically or literally, but whatever
@@MochaSlushes I don't think you know how bad Action 52 had it dude
There was a $100,000 cash prize competition to beat level 5 of Ooze that was literally impossible because the game would always crash before you could beat level 3
@@misirtere9836 that’s literally not what the comment was about, I don’t care about the action game, I care about their heavily skewed version of “rehabilitation”
This is a true “game for everyone”
Not a bland unoffensive unfocused mess, but a collection of highly focused experiences each pertaining to a certain taste, while also letting you try new things!
It also helps that the meta narrative and garden are a subtle nudge to get outside your zone!
I think its also extremely underrated how they included the gold and cherry carts to push you to complete them. If they didn't have 'endings' or if there wasn't a reward for doing so, it would lose a LOT of the charm imo. Such an awesome experience.
I finished 1 game then gave up. Just a frustrating and ugly bunch of games.
@@jesustheresbait believable etc
@@worldpeace-rq2sl yeah, how could someone not be on bandwagon and pretend to love a game 30 years dated
@@jesustheres i agree with you on that, a lot of UFOsoft's classics are seriously so overrated, and their games compare in no way to gems of our modern era like minecraft 2 or homestuck : the videogame
UFO50 is my personal GOTY. And even tho I don't like plastering the term "snubbed" on things, this game truly feels like it doesn't even remotely get enough praise for what it's doing.
As one steam review perfectly described: "This game reminds you why you fell in love with video games in the first place." No bloat, no forced cross-media focus. Just a bunch of ideas and plenty of room for them to be fully explored. 🌠
I think that for most people just looking at it without any background
1. Will assume the games are more like minigames (I know the Steam page explicitly says they're not, but I personally missed that at first)
2. The visual style isn't bad but it's not something that's going to draw people in
I think that over time its reputation will increase via word-of-mouth and it will become more popular
UFO 50 is the best game released this year and it's criminal how few people know about it and played it. There has never been a game like it and I am stunned that a small team of people managed to make something like this and for it to be so incredible, unique, packed full of varied and engaging content, and just so so fun.
Was definitely sad not to see it nominated at the game awards. I think it's a masterpiece that flew under way too many people's radar. But count on this: This game will become a cult classic. Because of its design, it can't get old.
@@soboring1826 Well, it was nominated to best indie, at least. Still, Keighley's awards are given way more credit than they deserve.
I mean, the game is only available on PC/Steam, but yeah it looks really good.
Magic Garden is a masterclass in scoring system design. On the surface, the game is very simple, avoid blue oppies, pick up and drop off red ones, and use potions to clear out space. Repeat until you win. But if you're playing for score? It's a completely different beast. That 200 oppie goal is now a limit, forcing you to be ruthlessly efficient. You're spending the whole game building up to a massive potion chain, but you need to burn the occasional potion to survive. You're constantly weighing risks and rewards, navigating a dense bullet hell of your own making to have just one more potion left for your grand finale, it's going to be a huge payout as long as you can just survive a little bit longer. Playing for score transforms the game as much as it does in Ikaruga.
@@Oneiroclast Really hit the nail on the head, you did. Crazy to think that Magic Garden wasn't even going to be in the collection originally. It had me hooked in no time.
+2, Ikaruga mentioned
Heck yeah! Magic Garden is in my top three with Mini and Max and Velgress, what a perfect breakdown.
Sold. The game, I mean.
Sno, I was on the fence about getting this game (I did grew up with those NES cartridges with 100 games), and with your masterful analysis you've convinced me. This game is bought.
I am very thankful for you highlighting the difficulty "curve" philosophy of Ufo 50, I hadn't seen much talk about it at all!
UFO50 is like being a kid again and a rich new kid just moved in down the street and he lets you borrow his NES games you never heard of.
That moment in Mini & Max when you get the ability to shrink a second time was such a surprise jaw-dropper. I thought it was just going to make Mini's sprite shrink to help her navigate through one-tile overhangs, not pull an entire heckin' inverse-Elden Ring-style scope reveal.
Like, calm down, UFO 50, that's just ONE GAME.
then you find a powerup that lets you shrink a third time (it actually does just give you a shrunk sprite so you can navigate one tile openings in the micro world)
You know this game is a big deal, if Snomans doing a video outside of the summer (and it is)
UFO50 game of the year? No. Mooncat is game of the year. Everything else is just a bonus
Real gamers will know Barbuta is the true classic
While I have a _particular_ enjoyment of _several_ games among the 50 (such as Porgy, Party House, Avianos, and Seaside Drive), and even more that I could at least certainly be bothered to try additional times at some point or other, I just don't really feel that way about Mooncat, despite the notion that I did get _an_ ending and thus gold the cart. Granted, I don't hold _disdain_ for Mooncat the way that apparently a _non-trivial_ number of players do - they don't understand that the control scheme is _deliberately_ convoluted and _meant_ to be tricky to use - yet it _is_ still because of that that it just doesn't hold a special place in my heart. I think it's just misunderstood.
I would honestly die for mooncat
My problem with 'short' games not having a save function is that imo, save function is an accessibility issue. Very often I simply cannot focus for an hour or so at the time to beat an entire 'arcade' experience in one go. This isn't about repetition, this is simply about me not having enough attention span/energy to focus for hour+ at a time. The only way I can finish actual old games with that kind of philosophy is thanks to savestate function of emulators - I don't cheat and take game overs as they come, I just savestate when I need to call it a night in the middle of the playthrough.
Yeah luckily I played a lot on Steam Deck which basically does have that functionality, and I assume it'll come to Switch and people can do that as well by suspending the game.
@@snomangaming Oh yeah, that does work.
Now that you've said it, there could be a cheat code that just allows you to use a save-state-like function that boots you out of the game and just boots you back at the savestate when you play it again
I can't inderstand how it is not nominated for game of the year. And I don't mean in place of Balatro. Both deserve the recognition. Indie games in general were fenomenal this year
Every podcast, every videos, every tiktok debated game of the year nominee and why a DLC got nominated, I just keep typing UFO 50 over and over and over.
Oh man, this has not only been your longest video, but also one of your best. Amazing job!
I feel like UFO 50 has become the ultimate "Game Designer" game. It should be studied in Game Dev courses all over the world. It is a great example of how having a strong core mechanism leads to great gameplay, how limitations can spark the most innovative solutions to design problems, and how important it is to have team chemistry within the development team.
In a world where we see a lot of constant layoffs in this relentless industry, it is so refreshing to see what happens when a group of talented individuals get to collaborate and make games for long period of time.
I love this game, it really deserves indie game of the year award.
Not sure how intentional this was, but the Mooncat character seems to only have his feet, and the control scheme seems very intuitive/easier to navigate if you actually have to play the game with your feet 🤔
mooncat's character seems to be a freakin embryo
Thats why i play mooncat with my feet
Finally, a modern game that can be completed entirely using the DK Bongos
i got all 50 cherries in UFO 50 and this game was such a joy to complete. i wasn't even doing it for the sake of being a completionist, i did it because all of the games were just that fun. easy contender for my favorite game of all time
How many hours? Even though I'm still going strong with the "cartridge" I don't expect to be able to do it. I've finished several games, and even cherried a couple, but have only tried like a fourth of them so far
@@drillerdev4624 by the time i got my last cherry i totaled 300 hours in the game, though in that total is also a couple hours i spent on goofing off on completed games (mainly party house) and playing 2 player
@sabybeal I'm not near that number yet, but I know I won't achieve it by far in that time 😅
Clearly you got your bang for your buck with this one
I just started playing and I have to say that I love Barbuta and the fact that I started with it. The esoteric nature of it that makes more and more sense as you go, with each epiphany letting you both progress as well as find things to optimize your time. It's the kind of old school adventure game that's right up my alley and I'm looking forward to seeing what lies beyond getting the wand.
"Me, it's me, I'm the lunatic"
And there's your like, well earned and the video is barely started. There you go being incredible in the first minute and a half.
In a world of $100 million "AAA" game failures, it's amazing to see something like this. Fun, interesting, well-crafted, surprising. This is what gamers are looking for.
Great video, some really good points about the game I hadn't considered. I do recommend sitting down and devoting some time to beat Barbuta, though. It's shorter than you think, and surprisingly smooth to progress at. My only tip is that you keep a physical notebook where you map the tower out as you play.
Just filling in and noting down rooms as you go should get you most of the way without needing guides, and it's an incredibly rewarding experience, to the point I'd say it's one of my favourites in the collection - nearly on par with the likes of Mini and Max or Rail Heist.
This is the kinda video I was waiting for someone to make.
Nice work.
Always love seeing videos from one of my favorite games i've played in a while.... incredible video my friend, thank you for getting some love and attention to UFO50, it deserves it
This game is everything i didnt know i needed. The scope of this game is so far beyond anything else ive ever played, while still also being restrained with each game (except Cyber Owls, the biggest mash up ever lol). Each game feels like such a breath of fresh air.
Nice touch with the dusting off the cartridges. Would've been even better if the dust was removed by blowing into them.
technically they aren't cartridges, they're 3.5" diskettes. Under no circumstances should you need to blow into a diskette
best video on this game ive seen, love how you go beyond just "you need to meet the game where its at" and really talk about what that means and how the game actually helps you do it if you give it a chance
ppl call this game simalar to action 52, but i feel like ufo 50 is more simalair to a game called retro game challange, that game also had high quality full ass games, although not 50 of them, and honestly is a recommendation for anyone who somehow beat ufo 50 and still wants more
Mini and Max was incredible. I can't say I discovered every hidden thing in that game but I cherry carted it in 11 hours in 2 or 3 sittings. Just the lore and the sense of discovery in it; it's all incredible.
The only think similar to UFO 50 I can think of is Retro Game Crunch, and that one has *7* games. Having 50 is friggin insane.
G.G series exists in japanese nintendo DS. That game is also a big compilation. My problem is its "japanese exclusive"
The more love these phenomenal games get the better, UFO 50 truly deserves a lot more recognition and eyes on them!
Ufo 50 looks and sounds like a historic game release to someone like me. Thanks for this! I wouldn't have found this otherwise. I subscribe to you and Dunkey and somehow missed his video.
I think what’s so cool and the reason I find myself coming back to have smaller sessions with this game is the fact that because a lot of the games have those old school arcade you die you start over often have me play a game I want to play to see if I can make progress and if not I can choose to play more or just come back later when I feel like I’m ready, they have so many other games I take breather playing something like Party House or Grimstone and then go back to grinding Campanella 💪
I bought this game after seeing a tweet from you recommending it, and seeing your analysis after having tried each game myself was very satisfying. Rail heist in particular really hooked me; it's the perfect combination of action and puzzle solving that scratches my brain just right. Excited to go back to play some more once I get a chance!
Honestly I can't wait for console release. I've enjoyed watching Dan Gheesling make his way through these and it's definitely goty worthy.
This vid is an early Christmas present. Happy to see you still releasing content like this! UFO 50 seems really special and it’s a perfect match for somebody who talks about games like you
yeah this is the most impressive execution of game design I've ever seen and such a prime example for indie devs on how to create simple fun
I particularly like "Devilition", a game based on creating chains of explosions to kill demons that are ataking a village. It allows you to create impressive Rube Goldberg machines (ala The Incredible Machine).... but with the caveat that unexploded elements remain on the "board" from level to level, so you can strategize much more that it seems at first. One of the most interesting (and nail-biting) games to not only complete, but to "cherry". If I had free time, I would create my own version of it, because it truly is a great example of game design.
I've been playing it a lot more lately, it was the last game I golded and the game design keeps getting deeper and deeper the more I play, very well designed one!
you might be interested to learn that Devilition is a remake of Yu's older game, Diabolika (which has a sequel you could also check out)
As someone who loved "deck builder" board/card games (Dominion as the classic example these days), Party House is a great deck builder in video game format
I like how some games are happening in the "Same World" as other game, and it doesn't actually tell you, but show you. Like how Mini & Max happen during Party House, but you don't know that until you beat the game
My favorite thing is seeing games of any art style or graphical fidelity find ways to utilize more modern effects & gameplay mechanics. The depth that brings fascinates me
DAN GHEESLING MENTIONED, +2
NORTHERNLION MENTIONED, +2
Great video, of course!
NLSS crew well represented, as they should, since they are some of the biggest fans of Derek Yu and indie genre altogether
Derek Yu has created my game of the year 3 times at this point 😭
That rail heist game is SUPER similar to the flash game cactus McCoy. All the way up to floating while holding a chicken
Very much enjoyed your look at UFO50. Bought it from launch but absolutely need to get back into a few of the games and start finding secrets!
Easily my game of the year! So happy to see you give it some love. Its getting criminally low coverage! :3
Couldn't agree more!
Wait, seriously? It's fifty WHOLE GAMES, not fifty microgames? Okay, I missed something. If I'd known I would have gotten this yesterday before the sale ended. But winter sale for sure. I spent too much on other stuff, see, but I definitely want this with the boppin' soundtrack.
Yeah some games are quick like 15 to 20 minutes but some are 10 hours to 20 plus hours.
I started playing this game a while back and after like 10 hours, I can tell that I've barely even scratched the surface. I really can't wait to sink my teeth into this one further...
Glad to see that this game is opening more people to actual classic game design
I still haven't tried all UFO 50 games, but I've enjoyed most all the ones I have so far. Even cherried a few. Haven't used guides, and I'm sure eventually I'll find out what I'm missing in Barbuta.
House Party really reminds me of the card game Port Royal. Keep drawing cards if you dare. Just remember, if you go bust you get nothing (Except if you have already bought some Jesters), and the more you draw, the more good stuff you leave open to your opponents too.
But yeah, I'm a sucker for a good bunch of smaller retro-affairs, like Retro Game Crunch, Devolver Bootleg or the Indie Mixtape. But this just blows those out of the water.
The only question I have is how violent were the debates to go 16:9 instead of 4:3.
Hah! Interviews with the dev team have been fascinating because they did limit themselves in some ways (color palletes, text pixel size, etc.) but in other quality of life ways they didn't let old restrictions limit their creativity.
Party House sounds like an honest to goodness Deckbuilder game, not in the Slay the Spire sense but in the Dominion sense. You earn resources to buy more cards or upgrades that let you use more cards in a turn, with the goal being to assemble the win condition within 25 rounds of the game.
That was exactly what I thought too. Sure, adding guests with lots of benefits ramps up your economy quickly, but when it comes time to get the starred guests, you don't want your deck too watered down or it will be difficult to get them all together at once. Vice versa, the starred guests are otherwise dead weight so getting them too early slows your econ. Some guests cost you in the short term but provide benefits that let you scale long term. Some provide tremendous situational value but otherwise don't provide any value (e.g. security). Balancing the timing and distribution of guests as well as recognizing synergies definitely shares a lot with deck builders like Dominion.
Excellent video! So cool to see someone cover this more in depth.
Maybe this is too ambitious, but if anyone were to make a UFO 50 type game collection but with PS1-style (early 3D) I would be all over it.
UFO 50 is honestly an incredible achievement. We'll be thinking about it for a long time. Great video!
Thanks so much for watching, love the engine! Working on my own game in Gamemaker as we speak actually :)
Wishlisted. Didn’t know about this, but looks amazing.
i want you to talk about barbuta because even a game like that which is built to be so archaic so stiff so painful has its own fans because they played games just like it on the commodore 64 and other old computer adventure games, this game really does hold the title of having something for everyone even in the most incredibly specific corners or in the broadest senses still with crazy genre bending and mixing to make it interesting and new
I love how some epiphanies are "the healer can heal" or "you can stomp bugs" XD
I appreciate the inclusion of Mooncat in this video. It’s pretty good
Committed to the bit, i like it
Definitely has my favorite vibes from the game so far
Oh! You should do a video on DREDGE next!! That Lovecraftian horror-sailing-fishing game, weirdest combination of things ever but it was SO refreshing and atmospheric and just plain cool!
As one of those Cherry Pie holders, those 334 hours where damn well spent.
The goat
This should've been a sponsored video as what a way to sell this game!
I've never heard of this game. How have I never heard of it!!
Keep on creating; you’re doing an excellent job!
Amazing video!!! Cant wait to try
YESSSSSSSS snoman and ufo 50 is a dream come true
25:05 Did not expect the meme I made in 5 minutes to appear in this video lmao
I've bought multiple games cause of your reviews and that hasn't led me wrong yet
Hey Sno, I just wanted to let you know, you convinced me to pick this game up for my steam deck. Seems like an "always installed" game.
So glad to hear it and I can second how good it is on Steam Deck, most of my playtime was on it and the perfect game on the go. Since you can suspend games on there it bypassed some peoples' complaints about not being able to save progress in the 'arcade' style games. Huge win :)
started ufo50 for the first time, see barbuta "release date 1982" I say "ok... how 1982 are they making this game" start barbuta, take two steps see how everything moves and stuff "oh, that's what we're doing" immediately close out and jump down to the second row
I will avoid specifics, but everything around the Terminal, especially as a statement of game developers being human beings, in the midst of the last 2 years is a hell of a moment. I think about it daily
I also do not think it is a mistake that you’re only way to play these games is technically by emulating (in universe that is) it on top of that.
A wild Dan Gheesling spotted! You piece
Can't wait until this comes to Playstation! I'm sure even my crappy potato of a computer could play it fine, but this is the sort of game that deserves to be played on a console system.
This is a random place to leave this suggestion, but I think you should play Super Metroid map randomizer. I know you took a liking to SMW kaizo hacks. Super Metroid is already a masterpiece, and the map rando makes it endlessly replayable. I started on basic difficulty to feel it out and worked my way up to Hard / Tricky / Tame settings which are the norm for community races. You learn how to do tricks in the game that feel great, and the rando logic turns it into a fascinating Metroidvania puzzle as you try to decipher the path forward. Once you get good at them they are less than 2 hours to complete and are such a blast. It took one of my favorite games and made me learn it and appreciate it so much more.
I WANT THIS GAME ON SWITCH SO BAAAAAAAAAAD!
Great video, it’s made my FOMO even worse
Party house is similar to (If not the same as) a card game called Flip City, that uses pretty much all the mechanics mentioned but they are called different things.
When I heard you say it was a game by "moss mouth", my brain said "Wait, the Hollow Knight lore guy made a game?!?" But I looked it up, and no, that's moss bag. Oh well, that would have been funny.
As soon as I heard it was made by Mossmouth, I resolved to buy it instantly
UFO50 is all top 50 games of the year imo.
I have been playing nothing but this game for weeks now
Oh, I thought the games would just be short minigames like Wario Ware!
Same, that's why I didn't jump on this one the first time Steam told me it was on sale.
I hope this kind of game development becomes a trend
Now I wanna see the AVGN play this
Woah they really put some game design in this game
This is what action 52 wishes it was.
I'm open to picking this up just for Rail Heist, which has a really neat design. I might find more I like from there, though I strongly dislike the "brutally hard, start over from the beginning" style game. I like Metroid far more than Megaman or Ninja Gaiden, for example. It might be best if I avoid the arcade games.
If you like Metroid, they basically have an entire 'Metroid' specifically called Vainger, highly recommend.
Can't wait for this to hit Switch eventually. I don't have a portable PC, but this would be a perfect game to just pick up and play wherever.
I know it's obviously not an investment everyone can make but its the PERFECT Steam Deck game, but I'm positive it will come to Switch as well soon
7:11 Every time I hear something about this game my wallet screams at me to go buy it and get inspired 😮💨
Ive been a strong, strong defender of the concept of the life system for years. Sure, it doesnt work in every game, but there are absolutely games that are better designed because of them. This collection coming out completely vindicated me on that. Games like Campenella or Caramel Caramel or Cyber Owls absolutely understand. I think way too many people are too quick to write off the concept of that style of design right away without trying to see things from the designer's perspective.
It's weird because people don't seem to have a problem with the surge in roguelikes, which are basically the same principle except with a degree of randomness.
Pretty much every roguelike I can think of has some kind of "Revive you when you die" item or perk, or they just have a health system that's balanced pretty much like a life system would be. Applying that style of design back to a game where things are predictable and learnable shouldn't be that big of a stretch.
Also, the existence of Pilot Quest in this collection is another thing that makes game overs in some of the other games feel way less punishing. You didn't just loose a bunch of progress, all that time spent went towards more crystals that you can check in on as a pallette cleanser before jumping back into another run of one of the tough games. It's honestly genius for that.
It's a little uncanny seeing at 10:21 seeing a somewhat modern car model in that 8bit style. The perspective is also a bit off but can be forgiving because of the limitation. My grandma use to buy me those plug and play that had knock off/pirated games and the color pallets for some of the older looking titles certainly remind me of them.
Hello, I'm a Wild Buddy.
TROUBLE!
+2 POP
Wishlisted Ufo 50 :D. the guest planner game sounds good
I'm not kidding when I say it's worth the price for Party House alone lol so stinkin' good
B4 I watch it’s the art direction that really stands out to me as opposed to design
Snoman, you should review Beeny. It’s a tiny little DKC-style platformer that only costs 99 cents.
Devolition !!! I recognize it, it is a flash game a played over 15 years ago and was never able to find it again ! Could it be, that devs resurrected their designs, that fell with Flash technology decades ago ?
Dan Gheesling mentioned
Certified Pog moment.
The acclaimed sequel to UFO 49
I pray for a port to Evercade. Even split across multiple carts.
as someone who constantly enjoys older game (usually emulation)
UFO 50 is my game of the year hands down zero questions dominated everything else
if i only had 5 games i enjoyed it still would have been worth $50 for me
...and it's way cheaper, and with 45 more games
(i only disliked 3~ of the games lol)
actually incredible
Totally agree, it's the kind of thing that makes you fall in love with games all over again.
Two words: Arcade Paradise
That is the only other game I've played that's similar. Check it out.
Oh that's funny how he highlighted campanella 3 as a game that doesn't have a twist. He hasn't found arguably the most jaw dropping easter egg of the game.
Hah no I know what you’re thinking of but I wouldn’t spoil that for everyone ;)