There is a special feeling that you can only get when you're staring down a huge list of games that you've never played before. Whether this is the spoils of a Steam sale or a look back at what came before, you are gripped with anticipation for an afternoon filled with surprises, discovery, and sudden bouts of Internet research. Interactive channel surfing usually requires a fair bit of investment for anything past a minigame collection, but a team featuring the talent behind Spelunky and Downwell are trying to offer an approachable take on this activity. This is UFO 50.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wqZi1smZOg
Framed as the lost archives of a prolific 8-bit publishing house, UFO 50 is a PC anthology of fifty full NES-style games that will take players over 100 hours to fully play through if they so choose. Genres will vary wildly from single player RPG adventures to local multiplayer games to retro takes on more modern genres like tower defense. Each game was conceived by a single member of the team and then developed by all five, making this a collaborative collection that looks to do new things with an old aesthetic.
Unlike some newer pixel art indie games, the titles in UFO 50 will have some restrictions on them to make them feel authentic to the period, including a 32-color palette. This doesn't specifically tie it to any one console, but instead to a time period, adding to the mystique of playing games from some unknown platform. UFO 50 is currently only in development for PC with a console release to be determined at a later date.
https://twitter.com/mossmouth/status/896096063093854209
UFO 50 isn't planned for release until 2018, but not everyone has to wait that long to dive into this metaphorical bin of cartridges. Attendees at PAX West will be able to venture into the Indie MEGABOOTH and try their hand at the debut for UFO 50 at Pax West.
What are your thoughts about UFO 50 announced? Are you interested in trying out UFO 50 Pax West debut? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
