Narita Boy, the remarkable 80s-themed “radical action-adventure” crafted by Studio Koba, has emerged once again, this time presenting a flawlessly tuned new trailer and a “spring 2021” launch window – the most definite release date we’ve received thus far.
“Transport yourself back to the 80s,” proclaims Studio Koba in a burst of scene-setting on Steam. “The Creator, a genius of his era, fashions a video game console named Narita One, with its flagship title being a game called Narita Boy. Simultaneously, within the binary code, the digital realm establishes a connection with reality. Him has returned and erased The Creator’s memories. The Supervisor program, Motherboard, and her agents have initiated the Narita Boy protocol.”
What ensues is a side-scrolling, dimension-leaping adventure that equips players with the mythical Techno-Sword, capable of morphing into a shotgun (and also a laser beam), pitting them against “corrupted foes and colossal bosses to rescue the electronic synthwave world from the invading Stallions”. Story-wise, it all seems like charming absurdity, yet it’s difficult to find fault with Narita Boy’s 80s-inspired retro-futuristic display, which receives a generous showcase – along with what could potentially be the grooviest theme tune of 2021 – in the trailer beneath.
Narita Boy initially took its cautious steps towards reality in 2017, when it successfully garnered £142,000 through Kickstarter crowdfunding. And although it unfortunately missed its initially anticipated December 2018 launch date by a considerable margin, it has continued to surface intermittently ever since. Today’s new trailer comes with the announcement that Team17 will now be publishing the game.
Narita Boy is slated to arrive sometime this “spring” on Steam, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One. Additionally, it will be accessible on Game Pass for PC and console from the launch date. And if you’re inclined to give it a whirl before then, a demo is currently available on Steam – but you’ll need to act promptly as it disappears once again when the Steam Game Festival concludes on 9th February.
