UFO 50 Review: A Detailed Look at the Space Shuttle Replica

You can’t go back to the 1980s, but you can revisit the vibe with UFO 50, a collection of 50 retro-style games. These games are designed to look like they were made for an old, fictional console called the LX-I. While the console never existed, games capture feel of 80s gaming, with some being quick fun and others offering deeper experiences. Developers used limited color palette to mimic the 80s aesthetic making it fun tribute to that era. These games don’t stay in the past—they just take a nostalgic trip there.

UFO 50 is a playful collection, filled with jokes and pranks on the player. In one adventure game, tiles unexpectedly fall on you right after you start moving. In a puzzle game, birds catch you just when you think you’ve mastered the rules. A medieval strategy game, “Attactics,” has units that can only charge forward, with the title itself being a clever joke.

Part of the fun is figuring out each game. “Barbuta,” “oldest” game, is glitchy Metroidvania that requires patience to progress. “Rail Heist” starts like Sunset Riders shooter but soon feels like an Atari-style Hotline Miami before revealing itself as an immersive sim.

Most games offer no instructions, leaving you to figure things out on your own. It’s refreshing, especially when modern games often hold your hand too much. If you get stuck or frustrated you can always switch to another game.

One interesting game in collection is Mooncat, quirky platformer with some of most confusing controls you’ll find. Instead of the usual setup all directional buttons move you left while face buttons move you right. At first, this seems strange but if you think about it as throwback to how games were made 40 years ago it starts to make sense.

Entire collection feels like a mix of past and present, showing how game design has evolved over the years. For instance, Zoldath is a randomly generated exploration game set on an alien planet, where you gather minerals and plants to fuel your tools—like a retro version of No Man’s Sky.

Bug Hunter is a grid-based game that feels like an NES remake of Into The Breach, and it’s surprisingly addictive. Velgress is a platformer that pushes you upward while you dodge crumbling platforms, similar to Downwell, but you’re going up instead of down. Notably, the designer of Downwell worked with the team behind this collection.

The creators of this game collection aim to blend a classic 8-bit style with fresh ideas and modern game design, and they achieve this well. Many of the games feature design elements or unique twists that you wouldn’t find in older shooters and platformers. It’s fascinating to see how they define what is modern versus classic in game design.

They also unintentionally showcase games that resemble the popular indie games from the 2010s, likely because they are part of that scene.

You can easily spot the modern influences. For example, in the platformer Mortol, you start with 20 lives. However, you have to use those lives creatively, like turning yourself into stone blocks or launching your character against walls to create steps from your fallen bodies, helping the next life progress further in the level. Other modern features include being able to skip long cutscenes by holding a button, and one game even gives you a three-star rating at the end of each level, similar to mobile game practices.

These modern touches feel out of place against the pixelated backdrop but are oddly captivating. It’s like watching a classic film and suddenly seeing a modern text message pop up on screen. Playing UFO 50 is full of surprises and amusing moments, blending old and new in a unique way.

The success of this game collection lies in its commitment to a storytelling approach, treating it as a restoration project. If you look closely, there’s a deeper narrative to explore. Each game comes with a short note from the developers, and there’s a terminal where you can enter cheat codes to uncover secrets (though I didn’t manage to crack any). Overall, the compilation illustrates the journey of a hobby becoming more professional.

If you analyze the menu screens in order, you can see how the creative team evolved. Early games are credited to individuals, like “Petter, Chun & Smolski.” Later on, names are replaced by company titles like “LX Systems” and “UFO Soft,” culminating in a professional logo with a catchy jingle. The personal touch fades, and the mysterious developer Thorson Petter, known for games that are challenging yet sincere, gradually disappears.

You don’t have to engage with all this lore, though. You can dive right into the 25 games that support local multiplayer and enjoy them with a friend. The collection is user-friendly, allowing you to filter games by genre. Categories like “Quick play” offer fast-paced fun, while “Thinky games” present puzzles. There’s even a special section for collectors. If you’re a fan of retro gaming or game design, this collection will surely appeal to you.

However, if you’re not a retro enthusiast or a game designer, it might be less enticing. While some games have surprising depth, you’ll need to explore to find the gems among the rest. I found myself quickly moving through various games, only to lose track of time with one that really stood out.

As someone who has curated games for an audience, I feel a bit torn. It can feel like work to sift through these games, even if it’s rewarding to find hidden treasures. I didn’t play through all 50 games—just a fraction of them. Given the sheer volume, finishing them all feels overwhelming.

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This collection invites discussion among players who will likely share their favorites and debate which games are must-plays. It would be great to hear from someone who can explain the charm of Thorson Petter’s more puzzling games. While I might not want to finish Mooncat, I’d love to see a retrospective on it.