Kombo's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.

What the Game's About
Retro Game Challenge is a collection of fictional retro games with a story added in for good measure. You are a super gamer who is being challenged by a washed up gamer, Arino, who can't hack it in the current generation of systems. He then digitizes himself into a computer and sends you back in time to the 1980s where he issues a number of challenges to you, and if you don't complete them, you'll be stuck as a kid forever.

What's Hot
Creating new retro games with a fictional history behind them is an interesting commentary to the deluge of game collections and re-releases of actual retro games. What Retro shows is that 8-bit games still have a place in modern gaming without leaning too heavily on the nostalgia crutch by not throwing in Pac-man or some other mega franchise. True, the game does bring up nostalgia and uses it effectively but it goes about it in a different way by bringing up memories by adding small touches, like getting excited to receive a new gaming mag in the mail. Retro does not throw a popular game at you and force you to "remember when;" it gives you a setting and some key elements right to make the process happen more naturally.

To beat the game, you need to beat each of the challenges that Arino issues. The achievement system of thinking about the retro style games is innovative because it takes the idea of Achievements/Trophies to the next degree. It also gives the illusion of progress in games that otherwise would be a race to rack up the high scores.

Most importantly, the games included with Retro are good. Even if the games take many ideas from popular games, there is enough variation with the gameplay and challenge goals that you'll be hooked. There are different genres to play and once you unlock a game, you can go back to it anytime and not worry about winning challenges.



What's Not
There isn't a huge selection of games to play. Retro gives you sequels to games and you'll feel like you are rehashing the same challenges. The game starts out fresh and exciting but loses some of that freshness when you start hammering through the same games with numbers tacked on.

The story that goes with the game is nice and does contribute a lot to the game but there are times where you'll just want to play and not have to look at the bottom screen, which functions as your menu where the young you and Arino sit in front of the tube and reach for games and gaming magazines. It is not properly edited down and feels drawn out versus tight and concise.

Final Word
I wasn't expecting Retro to be so quirky and enjoyable. There are plenty of in-jokes that will tickle the funny bones of gamers who grew up or lived through the 8-bit era. The games featured are good, and the gameplay design based around goals you need to meet is an innovative take on the usual point fests with retro titles. Retro Game Challenge is a unique collection of newly made retro games.