198X

• Genre: Arcade Compilation
• Time Played: 1-2 Hours
• Too Short/Long: Too short.
• Pleased/Disappointed: A little disappointed at the length.
• Why I played: This is basically a synthwave videogame.
• Recommend to others: Not really, it's just too short to recommend. Watch the trailer, that's the whole game.

198X is a game I should love... in theory. It does have great pixel art, it has a pretty cool compilation of made up arcade titles, it does have great music. But it's over in a flash. For a game composed of 5 games, I feel like I should have spent more time with it, though I could argue that at a couple hours, that's a visit to the arcade, playing a handful of games, just a level or two before moving on. 

Honestly, that's probably what they're going for. The little arcade games are really only framing device for the story they want to tell, which mostly happens between games, but this is also supposed to be a "part 1" and it came out 4 years ago and devs have been silent for half of them it would seem, so I wouldn't hold out for a part 2.

The games themselves each individually have heart and are carefully crafted for an experience that feels arcade-like, and with a difficulty that makes it feel like you really had to try, but clearly not for someone who is going all in on that specific game. Personally I liked the shoot em up the the most because I like shmups. The ninja, runner-style game goes on a little too long by comparison of the others, if you ask me. It has like 5 levels? And if not for the jankyness of the beat-em-up it would probably be my least favorite. The rest pretty much just have 2 levels and the RPG is just kinda one longer level.