A new 2D action platformer is out into the world, and Narita Boy is finally in the hands of fans who have been waiting since the game's Kickstarter campaign launched in 2017. This retro-styled adventure has been generally well-received by fans and critics alike, with many praising its painstakingly crafted visuals. The game isn't without its drawbacks, as many critics have also noted that while marketed as a Metroidvania game, the game falls flat on being a true representation of the genre. While Narita Boy isn't the most expansive game around, it looks like players may need two or more play sessions to complete the game.
Developed by Studio Koba and published by Team17, Narita Boy is a love letter to the aesthetics and visuals of the 1980s. Its inspirations are immediately apparent as well, drawing from titles such as TRON, Ready Player One, and others. Though unique in its own way, the story of Narita Boy will strike a familiar chord. With a game-within-a-game overarching story, a random teen gets pulled into a digital world and is tasked with defeating a great evil.
Narita Boy takes place within the Digital Kingdom in the "Narita Boy" game once the binary code of its digital realm connects with the real world. The teen that gets sucked into the Digital Kingdom not only has to stave off the incoming Stallion army but retrieve the lost memories of The Creator of "Narita Boy." As many reviewers have pointed out, Narita Boy is hyper-fixed on explaining the lore of the game to players. The narrative keeps introducing complex terminology and blocks of text that players have to read through, which can add length to the game if a player isn't a particularly fast reader.
While the "levels" in Narita Boy won't take players too long to get through, combining the actual necessary action with constant backtracking and lore dumps adds time to the game. Plus, the lack of an overworld map of any sort has been a regular complaint about Narita Boy. For many players who have completed the game, the average length can sit at around seven or so hours of playtime. Some players have clocked in around six hours, while another has even reached up to 10 hours in the game. Of course, this all depends on how quickly players are able to defeat enemies, complete puzzles, and get through the game without dying.
At the time, it looks like players will be able to complete Narita Boy in anywhere from two to three play sessions unless someone wants to finish it all in one sitting. Plus, once speedrunners get their hands on this game, it will be especially interesting to see what kinds of strategies these players use to complete the game in the shortest time possible. Since most people have a positive view of the game, and especially with the beauty of its art style, those with Xbox Game Pass should give Narita Boy a try for sure.
Narita Boy is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and through Xbox Game Pass.