The combat consists largely of satisfying hack n’ slash action using your legendary sword, but you also have a shotgun side arm. Narita Boy almost plays as good as it looks. I loved gawking at Narita Boy’s art, and even those lacking programming knowledge or nostalgia for the time period should appreciate the creativity on display, like “what if digital horses were just four-legged computer rigs?”

The synthwave soundtrack rocks, and the CRT-style overlay is the chef’s kiss of the whole package. This monarchy, consisting of a desert kingdom and coastal village, among other locations, feels fully realized, both in visual design and lore. Your goal: eradicate an evil program and restore the memories of the Kingdom’s human creator. Studio Koba borrows heavily from Tron in that the entire game is set inside a computer world known as the Digital Kingdom. I can’t stress enough how awesome Narita Boy’s presentation is. 1980s homages are nearly played out, but Studio Koba’s action title manages to reinvent that retro style of cool with an imaginative presentation that goes a step further than “let’s just slap neon and grid lines everywhere.” Narita Boy’s gameplay doesn’t quite live up to its killer looks, but if you can put up with some headaches, it winds up being an enjoyable romp. Narita Boy’s slick presentation hooked me before I even picked up my digitized sword.

Narita boy concept art