198X

Our story begins in mesmerizing style.

A subway train crawls across a flickering switchboard cityscape. The train pulls into a station, a gaunt figure in jeans alights, and suddenly we are playing Streets Of Rage, or something close to it, crushing punks with our fists and feet. A half visual novel and half retro compilation, 198X tell the tale of a moody ’80s teen through five snazzy homages to classic arcade genres. Each component game models a moment of personal growth – such as a high school crush or a family row – using cherished vintage design elements and motifs. It’s an engrossing premise, a life refracted through the amber chambers of software. If only the Kid’s story were as worthwhile as the ways their story is told.