The 1980’s was a notable decade for home entertainment, as that’s when home consoles suddenly became a thing, and households across UK and America started to realise just how much fun they could be. There’s so many iconic titles that made their first appearance, that are still loved to this day. One of these titles that still holds a special place in the memories of the older crowd of gamers today, is Paperboy. A game about being a paperboy who obviously delivers papers was pure, addictive fun and now we have The Video Kid bursting into the scene after a very positive response from Steam gamers. Will you welcome back the retro feels, or will it be a case of rose tinted glasses?
First off, I love this game. There isn’t just the odd one or two 80’s references to happen upon, as The Video Kid is chock full of cameo appearances from anything that touched that quite frankly amazing decade. Even the intro splash screen has a pixelated Marty McFly. But beyond that, you will see many more including these few; Jessica Rabbit, Care Bears, Optimus Prime, Inspector Gadget and so many more. Don’t get me wrong, I love the nostalgia hit, but there is a chance that The Video Kid could lose its own identity under the weight of this gargantuan nostalgic onslaught. It is essentially Paperboy, stripped down to even barer bones, then re-skinned with a VHS cassette delivering kid on a skateboard and that’s really where the game changes. The developers could well be called lazy, just taking a popular title and rehashing it quickly with 80’s icons galore thrown in for good measure. But it just happens to be a fun game to play, and at it’s selling price of little more than a pint of beer and a packet of crisps, you can’t go wrong.
With a voxel inspired visual spread, The Video Kid has done enough to remove it from looking too much like Paperboy, and more like Minecraft. Whether or not that was the intention is up for debate and confirmation of course from the dev team. The whole package oozes retro in every nook and cranny, and while it may not appeal to younger gamers, eager to crack on with the latest Call of Duty or whatever craze is the current norm, this game will definitely appeal to achievement hunters. With only 10 achievements on the Xbox release, you won’t be struggling for too long until you adjust to the game’s controls, which I admit were a little awkward at first, but I did find that using the D-Pad was by far the best option for moving from lane to lane.
I was a little disappointed that there was only one level to play on, and no further reason to play once I’d completed the game and unlocked all new skins and moves, which killed off any replay value that it could have had. But the price is low, it’s a blast to play and see how many characters you recognise along the way, so it’s not all doom and gloom.
Verdict
The Video Kid really nailed it with content as far as 80’s references go, but some may see this as a lazy attempt at a game which is perfectly normal. Each to their own. But personally, I loved every minute of it, as I spotted who was dropped in as a hazard to my progress. It’s short, fun and a more than a nod to that wacky decade of big hair among many other shocking lifestyle choices. Is it worth a punt? Yes. Especially if you’re an achievement hunter.
Developer: Pixel Trip Studios
Publisher: Chorus Worldwide Games
Release Date:
Price: £3.99
File Size: 321MB
Xbox One copy provided for review purpose.
Available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Steam