198X Review

I’m an 80s kid, so I have all the nostalgia for arcades, NES games, Ghostbusters and the rest. And so any game that wants to focus on that time period and revisit something of that era has my attention. Enter 198X! Its set in the 1980s and tells a story in a very unique way. Here is my review of 198X for the Nintendo Switch.

198X tells the coming-of-age story of “The Kid”. The main character of the game narrates stills and animated sequences that tell the game’s story. These cutscenes are very good and move the game forward. It would’ve been nice to control the movements of the main character but players are given something just as good, if not better, to do in 198X.

Instead of moving the character around and interacting with a world, the player takes charge of five “arcade” games: fighter, shooter, racer, runner, and first person rpg. Each of these games have their own unique controls and are well put together, with graphics that look like better detailed retro arcade games.

You have to beat each and every game to move 198X’s story forward. Some players may have no trouble beating each game, while others may find that it takes a lot of trial and error to beat the games. These games do feel like real arcade experiences, especially the fighter and the shooter. Retro arcade fans will love 198X.

Do you have to have nostalgia of arcades and the 1980s to like 198X? I don’t think its necessary but I’m sure it would further enhance how you like this game.

198X is a very interesting experience. The story is good, the arcade games are well put together and mostly fun, and the graphics are very nice. If you like arcades and the 80s, then this will be a must download. If you just want a unique experience for your Switch, you should look into this one. 198X is a very good game.

198X gets a 8.5 out of 10.

Thank you to Tobias Bjarneby for providing a digital code for this review. 198X is now available on the Nintendo Switch eshop!