The Indie Game Website writes: "I didn’t grow up experiencing video games in arcades so I don’t come to 198X’s ‘arcade epic’ with any particular fondness for that supposed golden age of gaming history. I don’t relate to its story of Kid, a teenager stuck in suburbia just outside the city, self-actualizing through the experience of discovering an arcade and mastering its game cabinets through hours and hours of play in the year 198X."
198X by Hi-Bit Studios provides one of the most memorable trips back in time for retro gamers, where every town had a local arcade that was packed with neon infused lights and an electric atmosphere. It was like stepping through a portal, where tokens unlocked doors to new worlds and alternate dimensions. The cutscenes created by the devs are wonderfully authentic to this era, as is the sensational soundtrack.
It's such a cool retro gaming experience and amazing throwback to the 80s arcade era.
While by no means a bad game, 198X is a bit like ordering a pie and finding out it has no filling.
198X is definitely a unique experience as it meshes multiple genres across the game. Each genre tackled by the game represents a new world/level to take on in a different genre. The game starts off with a Streets of Rage like beat’em up level; where you can pick up weapons and health items to ensure you reach the ending. Then there’s a racing level akin to classic games like Rad Racer or Top Gear (the Super NES game) or the more recent Horizon Chase Turbo as you zig-zag through traffic and various landscapes.
