Narita Boy Reviews
At its best, there's certainly moments of appreciation and respect for the artistic detail Narita Boy lavishes in, with its pixel art and generally-eery vision of cyberspace run amok with corrupted foes.
Narita Boy is definitely one of the best looking indie platformers I've ever seen with it's unique art style and captivating music. It's neo-retro style mixed with religious themes make it unlike anything that's on the market today. The emphasis on combat shows with its well worked mechanics and engaging system. However Narita Boy does leave you wanting more from its exploration and platforming parts. But I did enjoy my time with Narita Boy and it's definitely one to pick up.
By no means is Narita Boy a bad game, but it’s filled with way too many incoveniences that tarnish what could have easily been one of the best indie games of the year. It’s certainly enjoyable in its current state, not only as a stylish metroidvania game, but also as one hell of a synthwave treat to your ears. But its noticeable input lag, nonsensical plot, and most importantly, its overabundance of flashing lights got on my nerves pretty quickly.
Dive deep in this immersive 2D pixel-savvy world Studio Koba has created; just mind the controls.
With its retro graphics, music, emotional story that it tells from bottom to top, it is a game that brings the nostalgia of the 80s with its references interspersed from left to right.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
It is not simple task to became hero of Digital Kingdom. Sometimes it is not even fun. But still worthy quest.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Narita Boy is a surprisingly melancholic experience that puts forth a narrative exploring the power fantasy that video games provide people. While the execution of the game itself can sometimes be lacking, it pays enough of an homage to its inspirations and celebration of the era while at the same time creating a visually creative world that could’ve been mistaken as having released a few decades ago.
Narita Boy is a game that takes such a strong influence from so many past works, it can often feel a bit derivative. However, that doesn’t stop the game from being enjoyable, as there’s plenty of unique challenges to overcome as well as some solid lore-building. It’s gorgeous visual design and soundtrack will be enough to entice anyone familiar with 80s pop culture, and could prove irresistible to those that have a fondness for the era.
Narita Boy's digital twist on a classic fantasy tale is engrossing if a bit disorientating.
While you were partying, Narita Boy studied the techno-blade. Impossibly good pixel art is locked behind bad-but-gets-better platforming and okay-but-gets-cool hack n' slashing.
With an old school cinematic action adventure feel and dripping with neon-lit nostalgic ooze I have no doubt that Narita Boy is targeted squarely at people like me who practically grew up in the arcades...
Narita Boy is a remarkable adventure, mainly for its blessed and retro-futuristic graphic style, but Studio KOBA's lack of experience made the plot a little repetitive and tiring. Still, it's worth checking out Narita Boy, who should find his place among the successful independent games and receive a sequel in the years to come.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Narita Boy brings back the 80s vibes while taking us on a journey through the weird and interesting Digital Kingdom. The battles may feel plain and the process may become repetitive, yet the experience is still enjoyable.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Many times, an NPC would tell me where to go or whom to seek out, and I would just chance upon my destination rather than know exactly where to go; the naming conventions at play don't do the game any favors. Still, I'm leaving Narita Boy behind happy that I spent time in his world, and both captivated and a little miffed by how his story turns out. But sometimes that's the mark of a tale worth hearing.
Narita Boy is a commendable effort for Studio Koba's first title with its gorgeous presentation and a gameplay that's kept fresh, although some aspects could evidently have been improved upon.
Narita Boy, the debut game from Studio Koba, is an excellent 80's inspired action-adventure game with heart. It is up to you to enter The Digital Kingdom and defeat the nefarious HIM and his Hackernauts with your radical Techno-Sword.
In that the look and feel isn't merely an exercise in style, but instead a vibrant emissive display of sights and sounds that leads to a world full of detail, silicon, and soul.
Narita Boy has more style than it knows what to do with, and that helps carry it past its gameplay flaws
Undoubtedly, I thoroughly enjoyed my nearly 9 hours with Narita Boy. I loved the story and lived the experience eagerly despite all its flaws. Whether it was the soundtrack, visuals, story, gameplay, or a mix of all of them, Narita Boy has a magical charm that you can only experience first-hand. In short, Narita Boy is a near perfect experience and a serviceable game. It has so much style that it’s easy to think of its flaws no more than silly quirks.
Despite any perceived difficulties experienced in Narita Boy, all can be forgiven if you enjoy a world that immerses itself completely in the tech of a bygone era. There’s something to be said about racing against the digital wind on a CRT-horse in a pixelated world that looks like the SNES Star Wars game but feels like that infamous Battletoads level. If you know that exact vibe I’m talking about, you gotta check out Narita Boy. After all, the fate of the Digital Kingdom rests in your hands.