While playing UFO 50 for this review, I had the opportunity to explore an exhibition at the Science Museum in London titled Power Up, which showcased the evolution of video games over the last fifty years. In a dimly lit basement, I found an impressive wall adorned with computers and consoles that transported me back to the 1980s. I tried various classic games, including a flickering version of Chuckie Egg on the BBC Micro, an Asteroids-style game on the Vectrex, and Metroid on the NES. It felt like stepping into an 8-bit time machine, allowing me to experience snippets from that era. UFO 50, however, offers a different twist on this nostalgic journey, as it immerses players in a fictional parallel universe.
### A Fictional Journey Through Gaming History
In this alternate reality, a fictional company known as UFO Soft created an impressive home console, the Lazer-X, and released an array of games for it from 1982 to 1989. The real-life developers from Mossmouth, the studio behind Spelunky, who refer to themselves as the “UFO 50 Recovery Team,” supposedly discovered this console and painstakingly restored 50 of its games for modern players to enjoy. The experience is crafted to evoke nostalgia and transport gamers back through time.
The game opens with credits that showcase lo-fi images of the team’s journey to find the Lazer-X and its games. Players are greeted with a selection screen featuring 50 disks, navigated through a simple interface using the d-pad and two buttons on the console. Selecting a game provides minimal information, enhancing the feeling of exploration and curiosity. With each title appearing equally enticing, deciding where to begin becomes a delightful challenge. For the purpose of this review, I opted to experience the games in chronological order, starting with the 1982 release, Barbuta.
### Embracing the Unforgiving Nature of Retro Games
One notable characteristic of ’80s games is their tendency to be challenging, often lacking tutorials and requiring a lot of trial and error. Without revealing too much, the first interaction in Barbuta humorously plays on this notion. This game, a basic Metroidvania, is charming despite its occasionally perplexing nature. Before I knew it, an hour had passed, and I realized I had only scratched the surface of the extensive game selection. Sticking to a chronological approach felt too rigid, prompting me to explore more freely.
This freedom is where the true enjoyment of UFO 50 shines. Co-developer and composer Eirik Suhrke shared in a 2024 interview with Edge magazine that the decision to release all 50 games simultaneously—without restrictions—was meant to replicate the experience of sifting through shareware titles or demo discs. In this way, it mirrors the experience of scrolling through a collection of ROMs. Unlike the singular focus of playing one game for an extended period, UFO 50 allows for quick transitions between games, merging the experience into a cohesive journey. While it bears some resemblance to WarioWare in its rapid-fire nature, the games within UFO 50 are much more developed and substantial, making for an epic overall experience.
### A Diverse Array of Games in One Collection
The collection features a mix of games, ranging from seemingly trivial arcade titles like Magic Garden and Ninpek, to a comprehensive JRPG and an engaging deck builder, alongside various puzzle games and platformers. Each of the 50 games is readily available to play at your leisure, much like wandering through the exhibits of the Science Museum. Some titles will resonate more with players than others, but the abundance of choices encourages exploration across genres that might not typically be of interest. Players can engage with any game as long as their curiosity holds, often leading to hours of unplanned gameplay as time slips away.
UFO 50 not only serves as a tribute to the history of gaming but also encapsulates the evolving conventions, technologies, and design principles that emerged during those formative years. However, this representation is subjective and does not cater exclusively to seasoned gamers; even a twelve-year-old in 2025 can easily pick it up without prior exposure to older gaming systems. It’s intriguing to consider the personal gaming histories of the developers—what experiences shaped their vision of gaming’s evolution throughout the ’80s?
### The Developers’ Personal Gaming Histories
Derek Yu, one of the developers, shared insights about his own gaming journey on the podcast My Perfect Console at the launch of UFO 50 on Steam. He recounted discovering NetHack, a roguelike from 1987, on a disk at home and loading it in DOS, unsure if it was even a game. This sense of mystery and discovery is mirrored when players explore UFO 50. Yu also reminisced about his father creating maps for The Legend of Zelda, which is reflected in Barbuta’s design, encouraging players to take notes as they navigate its world.
Interestingly, the creation of UFO 50 took an impressive eight years, far longer than the industry standard of two or three years. This lengthy development period in itself presents an intriguing narrative. While snippets of UFO Soft’s fictional history are woven throughout the game, a deeper exploration of Mossmouth’s real-life journey and the challenges faced during those eight years would make for a fascinating story in its own right.
### Conclusion
What makes UFO 50, Mossmouth’s charming compilation of retro-style games, particularly remarkable is how it cohesively presents a singular experience. Engaging with this game feels like stepping into a captivating exhibition, where UFO 50 serves as your 8-bit time machine. It’s a brilliant fit for the Nintendo Switch and offers a delightful journey through gaming history.
