UFO 50

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What if you found a forgotten video game system, a loser of some past console war, plus 50 of its best titles? It would be an incredible journey through lost history. UFO 50 ($24.99) might be a contemporary work, but this staggering anthology attempts to convince you that its games are real retro relics. Individually, the entries range from passable to brilliant fusions of past and present game design. Collectively, however, UFO 50 is an inspiring piece of alternate gaming history and a heck of a lot of fun to play, earning it an Editors’ Choice award for .

Your Favorite Forgotten Console

UFO 50 is an indie gaming anthology, a package of 50 original games. That’s exciting enough; I’ve called for more for years. More exciting is who makes the games. The team is led by Derek Yu and his developer Mossmouth, the creator of smash-hit indie roguelike Spelunky. Joining Yu are other acclaimed creators, such as Ojiro Fumoto (Downwell), Tyriq Plummer (Catacomb Kids), and Eirik Suhrke (Ridiculous Fishing).

Once you fire it up, UFO 50 presents a different explanation for its existence. It claims to be a collection of games for the fictional LX console, an 8-bit NES competitor that lived and died in the 1980s. The console’s maker, UFO Soft, also developed these games. You feel like you’ve accidentally found something you shouldn’t be seeing, an almost look into abandoned projects similar to The Beginner’s Guide.

The meta premise adds an artistic layer tying the disparate games together. You can browse through titles based on genre and fictional release year and see games gradually grow more complicated. Mortol and a few others even get sequels. Seeing games progress over time is a joy, something I try to capture in my book, . UFO 50 presents some of that real joy in its fake games, entertaining you before you even press start.

UFO 50's Game Library

UFO 50 has so many fun, varied, and intricately designed games that there simply isn’t enough space in this review to give every one of them the attention they deserve. These are complete games, not microgames. Granted, a “full” game from the 8-bit era can be a multi-hour or a brief arcade-style high-score chase. Still, even just sampling everything takes hours, let alone earning the badge each game gives you upon completion.

Some experiences feel plucked straight from the 1980s. Fist Hell is a stylish . Ninpek is an autoscrolling . Star Waspir is a fast-paced . These games recreate the era's excitement and addictive difficulty.

More intriguing are the numerous games that use the 8-bit facade to deliver modern, almost experimental gameplay ideas. Party House uses deckbuilding mechanics to simulate hosting a rowdy gathering. Pilot Quest turns an idle game into an incremental adventure. Quibble Race isn’t a title, but a game about betting on car competitions that lets you sneakily sabotage rivals.

Other games strike a great balance by putting cool twists on established genres. You’ll find multiplayer titles that turn golf and soccer gameplay on their heads. Multiple platformers have gravity-warping gimmicks. Camouflage is a game about blending into the environment. Mini & Max lets you swap between multiple sizes and perspectives. Paint Chase is almost a demake. And that’s just the beginning of the buffet.

No Wrong Choices?

It’s incredibly impressive that UFO 50 maintains such a high level of overall quality throughout 50 games. That said, it’s inevitable that, occasionally, the collection feels like quantity over quality. This is mostly a matter of taste. Variety is its strongest trait, and it would be weird if every single player equally enjoyed every experience; arguing with friends about UFO 50 tier lists sounds fun in its own right.

Still, expect some inconsistency if you try to play everything. Few games are outright bad (looking at you, Onion Delivery), but some are definitely more appealing than others. Also, aside from the absolute best of the best, few games feel like they would hold up as standalone releases. The collection is an unbelievable bargain considering how much content you get, but you will want to play through a fair amount of games to feel like you got your money’s worth.

I love that UFO 50 includes many genres. However, some don't shine as brightly as others when you have so many choices; it's like browsing through a . I became increasingly impatient with games and RPGs that took time to understand when I could quit and try dozens of other titles. I gravitated toward Attactics (arcade-style  and Seaside Drive (arcade-style ), games that reveal their concepts in seconds.

It doesn’t help that some titles are intentionally opaque the way retro games sometimes were, barely explaining their gameplay besides basic controls. That mystery appeals to some people, a correction to modern games that explain themselves too much. Still, it reminded me why some design elements are better left in the past.

Can Your PC Run UFO 50?

UFO 50 faithfully sticks to its faux 8-bit look. Games such as Campanella 3 and Cyber Owls use skillful sprite art and vibrant colors to maximize the self-imposed graphical limitations. It’s especially cool seeing so many different old-school art styles compared with a standalone retro release like .

Not only does this aesthetic maintain the illusion that you’ve unearthed some time capsule, but it also means UFO 50 won’t stress your rig. UFO 50 requires an Intel Core i3-3220 , Intel HD , 8GB of RAM, and 500MB of storage space.

I played UFO 50 on a , since so many games work well in short portable play sessions. The games only require a D-pad and two action buttons, so the controls weren't an issue. Here’s hoping publisher Mossmouth goes all the way and one day makes a real mini LX console like the .

Verdict: A Blast From a Fictional Past

I was initially concerned that UFO 50 would just be an intriguing academic exercise, a chance for curious critics to see and appreciate how closely Mossmouth nailed the historical style it attempts to emulate. And yes, UFO 50 greatly satisfies on that intellectual level. But beyond that, it's simply a wonderful collection of new and imaginative indie games that anyone can enjoy—as long as you don’t mind the intentional old-school flavor. UFO 50 is a one-of-a-kind anthology that easily earns our Editors’ Choice award.

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