Trippy, psychedelic alien shooter ChainStaff shows there are still new ways for games to be ‘retro’
I love a new-old game as much as anyone, but it’s hard to pretend that today’s retro throwbacks aren’t drawing inspiration from a small, predictable selection of extremely popular games:
Zelda. Chrono Trigger. Final Fantasy. Castlevania. Metroid. Mega Man.
These are perfectly understandable picks for a game of any size to be inspired by—there are very good reasons why they’re considered timeless classics, after all—but the sheer quantity of new games blatantly leaning on these same few styles can at times make a retro aesthetic wearily familiar from the very first promotional screenshot.
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Bumpy Grumpy’s liberal use of stark black outlines, flat colours, and simplistic shapes is a fitting homage to a very particular kind of early ’80s hit, the sort that would have proudly advertised mind-blowing features like “SOUND!” (hey, beeping still counts) and “SCROLLING!” (one way, smoothness not guaranteed or implied).
Shoot 1UP DX’s colourful lasers, segmented enemies, and even its inclusion of tasteful pixel art nudes make it look like a cult hit by a forgotten ’90s developer, something that debuted in a quiet corner of an old arcade rather than on digital stores.
But it’s Mommy’s Best Games’ new release, ChainStaff, that I’ve fallen in love with.
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The relentless use of oversized laser-firing insects and crustaceans—and stage art that would look right at home on the cover of an old Psygnosis game box (famous decades ago and much sought-after now for their psychedelic landscapes and bizarre alien beings)—makes it feel like I’ve stumbled upon a brand new game for my beloved Commodore Amiga. Even my most ridiculous cheese-induced dreams feel like they’re never more than the next stage away. Hyper-saturated colours and surreal architecture come standard here; skybound jellyfish tendrils are just another kind of platform, and breathtaking quantities of vibrant red butterflies exist purely for art’s sake.
Within these strange lands I can get attacked by angry alien pigs sporting neon-coloured assault ‘dos (bringing an amusingly literal meaning to the word “haircut” with them), go head-to-head with a flying eagle-snake, and blast a giant skull apart from the inside. Enormous butterfly-gun-dragons? Sure. Screen-high fish? Why not. Weirdly square flying owl heads big enough for me to stand on? There’s an entire platform-hopping segment of them.
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I genuinely have no idea what’s coming next, every stage presenting a fascinating jumble of ever more eccentric prog rock album cover escapees. Old has rarely looked so fresh.
Or played so fresh, either. The appreciation these games have of the past runs more than sprite deep, their diverse art styles and uncommon inspirations combining with modern twists into something instantly recognisable yet always surprising, like a great remix of a favourite song. Bumpy Grumpy’s snappy lane changing mechanic isn’t just a nod to the simplistic movement and digital controls of bygone technical limitations: These harsh restrictions create a fast-paced and focussed modern experience that encourages me to cut as close as possible to everything else on the track to push my scores higher and higher.
One of Shoot 1UP DX’s most notable features is its multi-directional shooting and scrolling, something that’s appeared in famous arcade games like Konami’s hybrid vertical/horizontal shmups Salamander and Stinger. But I can’t say I’ve ever seen this shift presented as a smooth, seamless choice between two branching paths before Shoot 1UP DX.
ChainStaff’s dreamlike artwork may bring Shadow of the Beast’s stunning parallax backgrounds and freaky monsters to mind, but their layouts recall the more freeform design found in ancient computer-based run ‘n’ guns like Turrican, and they’re open and vertical enough to leave me with no choice but to make full use of the game’s brand new and highly versatile titular weapon—grappling hook, platform, shield, and spear all rolled into one.
Retro may be in real danger of, well, feeling old at times, but the good news is that all it takes to breathe life into the more nostalgic side of modern gaming is a little curiosity. There’s an entire world’s worth of classics out there ready and waiting to inspire the next generation of developers, beyond metroidvanias and Chrono-likes and dungeons conveniently split up into screen-sized chunks. There are Czech action games to try, untranslated summer holidays to learn from, and underwater exploration sure to spark the imagination.
As Mommy’s Best Games’ unpredictable smorgasbord of strange treasures shows, the ideas within these less explored experiences are as exciting, invigorating, and worthy of inclusion in today’s games as any famous alternative.
