Enter the game at your own peril as you try, as you become the hero this universe needs you to become. Check out our Narita Boy review!

 

Flashback to the 80s. The Creator, a genius of his time, creates a video game console called Narita One with its flagship title being a game called Narita Boy.
Narita Boy becomes a tremendous hit! Copies of cartridges are flying off physical shelves worldwide. Within weeks Narita Boy is the best-selling video game of all time, critically acclaimed for its power-fantasy wielding the Techno-sword and taking players on a journey like no other.

Meanwhile, inside the binaural code the digital realm connects with reality. Him has returned and deleted The Creator’s memories. Supervisor program, Motherboard, and her agents have activated the Narita Boy protocol.

The Stallions are coming, and the Digital Kingdom needs a hero.

Narita Boy is a new 2D action platformer jumping on the 1980’s pop culture phenomenon and one of my favorite games in a while! Narita Boy is supposed to be one of the most popular games ever, and you’re pulled into the game to become the savior this universe needs. You’ll have to wield the Technosword and vanquish the evil. There’s a ton of lore to learn, with evil Stallion programs to defeat, a big bad villain, and three houses you’ll have to visit to obtain their support. Another World is a great example of telling a story of a stranger in a strange world with no text, and Narita Boy goes in a different direction with its lore being everywhere, with visual cues here and there, and lots of text to read to expand on things.

 

Once you get going and find the Technosword, you can really start to dive into the core of combat. As soon as you have access to the Technosword, you’ll be able to swing it around, charge it up for a huge swing to deal extra damage, or use it as a shotgun to deal some damage from a safe distance. As you continue your 2D adventure, you’ll unlock more abilities for your repertoire. If you want to stay alive, you’ll have to always be ready to dodge incoming attacks, or else you’ll lose a big chunk of your health. It does not quite hit a Soulsbourne level of difficulty, but it’s certainly up there. Thankfully, the checkpoint system is very good, so you’ll quickly respawn after losing all of your hit points.

What I found more difficult, especially early on, was the very floaty jumping of Narita Boy. Since it’s an action platformer, there are small ledges that you need to jump on to be able to explore some of the areas you’ll visit. The jumps felt a bit off at first, but the more I played, the more I got used to it, compensating as needed as I jumped around in combat, right before a tricky platforming section. I do wish Narita Boy had a bit more weight, but it’s not a deal-breaker.

 

The world is vast, which is great for exploring, but the game does lack a map, so navigating all of it can feel a bit daunting. You’ll soon get the hang of things, thanks to how each location manages to stand out from the rest. And the more abilities you unlock, the more fun the game gets! Narita Boy will keep track of the quests you have to complete, so if you’re ever in need of a reminder, be sure to check the list as you explore the game’s beautiful digital world.

The entire world and presentation of Narita Boy are stunning, featuring a solid pixel art aesthetic with many elements from the 1980s. The game oozes style, whether it’s the characters, the enemies, your abilities, even enemies, introductions get some sweet visual flair. It also manages to give you the feel of playing on an old CRT monitor, which adds so much to the presentation. I’ve seen few games commit to this type of aesthetic in such a way and nail it. On top of all this, it has an awesome 1980s inspired soundtrack that is an excellent companion through the whole experience, reminding me at times of Wyld Stallyns from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Each new song brought a smile to my face, and I definitely recommend that you check it out by clicking right here.

 

Narita boy oozes style, with its visuals and audio hitting hard right from the start. The combat is also fun and rewarding, and as you gain new abilities, you’ll also have to face more powerful and deadlier enemies. My two issues with the game are its lack of a map and the floaty jumping, but they won’t keep me from recommending that you check out Narita Boy on the Nintendo Switch since its strengths most certainly outweigh its weaknesses.

Disclaimer
This Narita Boy review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by Team17.