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8BitBoy

Delivers what is promised; a retro-style platformer. Doesn't go above and beyond expectations
8BitBoy Game Cover
68%Game Brain Score
gameplay, music
replayability, stability
68% User Score Based on 943 reviews
Critic Score 65%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

PCMac OSWindows
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8BitBoy Game Cover

About

8BitBoy is a single player action game. It was developed by AwesomeBlade and was released on May 5, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Big classic platformer with tons of power-ups and 12+ hours of main story & 300+ hidden locations just begging for exploration. 8BitBoy is a tribute to all the greatest platformers of the 80s and 90s and a symbol of my endless love and passion for gaming.

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8BitBoy screenshot
8BitBoy screenshot
8BitBoy screenshot
8BitBoy screenshot
8BitBoy screenshot
8BitBoy screenshot
8BitBoy screenshot
8BitBoy screenshot
8BitBoy screenshot
8BitBoy screenshot
8BitBoy screenshot
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68%
Audience ScoreBased on 943 reviews
gameplay34 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • Nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic platformers like Super Mario.
  • Challenging gameplay with many hidden secrets and collectibles.
  • Colorful graphics and catchy chiptune soundtrack enhance the retro feel.
  • Controls can feel unresponsive and slippery, leading to frustrating deaths.
  • Level design can be repetitive and lacks variety in enemies and mechanics.
  • No checkpoints in levels, making progress feel punishing and tedious.
  • gameplay
    157 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its strong resemblance to classic Mario mechanics but criticizing its execution. While some appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic and simple, casual platforming, others find the controls clunky, level design repetitive, and overall gameplay lacking in innovation and polish. Despite its potential for fun, the game often frustrates players with poor mechanics and a lack of engaging features.

    • “8bitboy's gameplay is fairly simple, yet enjoyable.”
    • “Gameplay is quite casual, though hard and fair as it must be, platformer to the core, throughout 5 different worlds and more than 50 stages we must deal with multiple enemies, find secrets and power-ups.”
    • “The last nice addition to the 8-bit boy that can be easily overlooked is the evolution of some of the standard platform mechanics: you collect coins throughout the level, and when you get 100 of them in other games you’d just get a bonus life, but here you get a random reward power-up which is stored so you can use it when you need it most with a simple click of the button.”
    • “There are a lot of mechanics in this game that just don't make sense.”
    • “The nostalgia is there, but rather than just attempt to build on top of all the things we love about old platformers, the game takes mechanics directly from these games and executes them poorly.”
    • “Wanted to like this game, and gave it every chance in the book, but it constantly shot itself in the foot with terrible and repetitive level design, poor platforming mechanics, and bad game design decisions.”
  • music
    129 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its nostalgic 8-bit style and catchy tunes, while others find it repetitive and annoying, particularly during challenging gameplay moments. While certain tracks are noted for their decent composition and fitting atmosphere, many reviewers feel the overall soundtrack lacks variety and memorability compared to classic titles like Super Mario. Overall, the music is described as serviceable but not groundbreaking, with a tendency to become grating over time.

    • “The music, rhythm, and everything is awesome; it reminds me of the memories of playing games on FC.”
    • “The artwork, color, music, and style are spot on!”
    • “The music leans into chiptune territory, catchy enough to set the mood without overstaying its welcome.”
    • “The music that plays during a boss battle is horrific.”
    • “Some of the tracks tend to repeat a lot and they are not the most pleasant to the ear; I understand the simplicity of the music, however, some of these themes are quite annoying, especially when you keep dying over and over.”
    • “The soundtrack is old school but super annoying.”
  • graphics
    113 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of 8bitboy™ are characterized by a retro pixel art style that evokes nostalgia for classic platformers, though opinions vary widely on their execution. While some players appreciate the colorful and charming visuals that pay homage to the 8-bit era, others criticize them as bland, generic, or lacking in originality compared to true classics. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose in creating a nostalgic atmosphere, but they may not impress those seeking modern visual standards.

    • “8-bit boy is a tremendously beautiful and detailed 2D game with an even mixture of retro pixel and hand-drawn graphics, successfully evoking the feeling of playing platformers on the old consoles.”
    • “The graphics and scenery of the game are very beautiful, as well as the relaxing 8-bit soundtrack.”
    • “The graphics are cute and the gameplay is challenging!”
    • “The graphics are retro styled, but they do feel very bland and generic, like something you could find online as a royalty-free sprite pack.”
    • “Deliberately setting out to make a poor quality video game with plagiarized gameplay and terrible graphics does no service to the developers, to gamers, or to the game industry as a whole.”
    • “The controls are floaty, the graphics are pseudo 8-bit and are worse than actual 8-bit, the enemies and levels are uninspired and it's just not fun.”
  • story
    75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is generally perceived as minimal and somewhat disjointed, with players noting that it primarily serves as a backdrop for the platforming gameplay rather than a central focus. While some appreciate the nostalgic and personal elements of the narrative, which involves a character being sucked into a game world, many feel it lacks depth and coherence, often comparing it unfavorably to classic platformers like Super Mario. Overall, the story is seen as a charming but simplistic addition that does not significantly enhance the gaming experience.

    • “The story itself is a nice addition to the game, although you can still enjoy the game without it.”
    • “That being said, once you get into the game it dives right in to being literally a tribute to the memories of so many games with a plot that I think every one of us from that time period wanted to be in.”
    • “There is no 'story' between the opening cutscene and whatever the ending is, because it’s just pure platforming through ten levels per world and then you touch your magic console inside the game to get warped to the next world, for some reason.”
    • “The story is simple and charmingly tongue-in-cheek, but the real draw is the gameplay.”
    • “The story is just an excuse to explain why it's in 8 bits.”
  • humor
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it genuinely funny and reminiscent of classic titles like Super Mario, enhanced by quirky character traits and amusing music. Many reviews highlight the game's lightheartedness and the enjoyment derived from discovering hidden elements, although some players noted frustrations with gameplay mechanics that detracted from the overall humor. Overall, it is seen as a delightful homage to retro gaming, perfect for those seeking a fun and entertaining experience.

    • “Interesting and really funny game, go ahead and play it for yourself. I played it for 10 minutes and I already love it.”
    • “There are hidden doors and hidden switches, and the characteristics of the original character are rich in humor.”
    • “The enemy designs are kind of funny; it's strangely satisfying to stomp on enemies that look like angry birds.”
    • “I have to say that I had a lot of problems with the jump (sometimes it jumps, sometimes it doesn't), so it made me die a lot of times, which is not funny at all.”
    • “Funny Mario replica; I would love to buy the soundtrack though.”
  • replayability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers a modest level of replayability primarily through hidden secrets and the option to unlock a secret ending, though its challenging design may deter completionist players. While the inclusion of ultra difficulty mode and achievements could enhance replay value, some players feel that the overall experience may appeal more to younger audiences.

    • “Replayable for secrets.”
    • “Secrets add a good amount of replayability, but should award progress towards achievements to make them more rewarding.”
    • “There are some sort of replayability after beating it, since you can grind out all 50 coins and unlock the secret ending, although its rage-quitting inducing design might make you just beat it without completionist efforts and leave it uninstalled forever.”
    • “With secrets galore, it ensures a modest amount of replayability.”
    • “Maybe more playable for kids who don't care about the quality of the game.”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game resonates strongly with players who have nostalgia for classic gaming, evoking feelings of warmth and connection to their childhood. However, it may lack emotional impact for younger generations unfamiliar with the era, leading to mixed experiences based on players' backgrounds. Overall, it successfully touches the hearts of those who appreciate its homage to classic gaming.

    • “Some touching heart and honesty have been put into it, so definitely give it a try if you are that category of players.”
    • “10/10 would cry again.”
    • “I was a kid when 8 and 16-bit games were cool, and that game made me feel like one again.”
  • stability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with users reporting significant bugs and rendering issues, particularly on Mac systems, while others note minor glitches. While the game runs well on Windows, the overall experience is marred by inconsistent performance, especially when using a joystick. Despite these stability concerns, many players appreciate the nostalgic value and charm of the game.

    • “This one needs to be sent back to the drawing board and should never have been put up for sale in its blatantly buggy state.”
    • “On Windows, everything runs as expected, but as of 1.5.0 on Mac, I am experiencing some rendering glitches.”
    • “This game with a joystick feels somewhat buggy as it doesn't respond well.”
  • character development
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is noted for its generic design and backgrounds, with some reviewers highlighting the appealing design of monsters and the main character. While the character design may not be the most visually striking, the overall experience is enhanced by the music and hidden elements, contributing to a sense of 'magic' that resonates with players.

    • “+ good character design for monsters and main character.”
    • “Generic character design and backgrounds.”
    • “Character design isn't the prettiest.”
    • “The music, the character design, the ample secrets, etc. all combine to give it that 'magic' that even Nintendo hasn't always delivered.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with some users experiencing significant stuttering on lower-end hardware, while others with high-end setups report smoother performance. Overall, it appears that the game's performance may vary greatly depending on the specifications of the user's system.

    • “The performance of the game is outstanding, even on mid-range hardware.”
    • “With my setup (GTX 970, i7 4790k, 16GB RAM, SSD), the graphics and performance are incredibly optimized.”
    • “I was pleasantly surprised by how well the game runs; the optimization is top-notch!”
    • “My CPU must not meet the minimum requirements; I experience too much stuttering in gameplay with my AMD E1-6010.”
    • “With a GTX 970, i7-4790K, 16GB of RAM, and an SSD, the graphics and performance are still lacking.”
    • “The optimization is poor, leading to significant performance issues even on decent hardware.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users express skepticism about the monetization strategy, particularly regarding misleading advertising claims like "300+ hidden locations," suggesting that the actual content may not meet expectations and could be seen as a tactic to drive in-game purchases or engagement.

    • “One last thing: you know when the advertising says '300+ hidden locations!'? It's misleading because many of them are locked behind paywalls.”
    • “The game feels more like a cash grab than a fun experience, with constant prompts to spend money on in-game items.”
    • “I was really enjoying the game until I realized that progressing without spending money is nearly impossible.”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere is enhanced by a commendable 8-bit soundtrack that features pleasant bass undertones, contributing to an engaging experience without becoming overly repetitive.

    • “The 8-bit music soundtrack is surprisingly good, featuring nice bass undertones that enhance the atmosphere without becoming overly repetitive.”
    • “The game's atmosphere is immersive, drawing players into its unique world with every sound and visual detail.”
    • “The combination of visuals and sound creates a captivating atmosphere that keeps you engaged throughout the entire experience.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate that while the levels in the game provide a challenging experience, they can also become tedious, particularly in the context of a mediocre platformer featuring a cube-shaped protagonist with limited abilities.

    • “A mediocre and tedious platformer where you play as a cube-shaped boy who can't shoot straight.”
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65%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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12h Median play time
10h Average play time
7-14h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

8BitBoy is a action game.

8BitBoy is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

On average players spend around 10 hours playing 8BitBoy.

8BitBoy was released on May 5, 2014.

8BitBoy was developed by AwesomeBlade.

8BitBoy has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its replayability.

8BitBoy is a single player game.

Similar games include Akane the Kunoichi, Woodle Tree Adventures, Xeodrifter, Super Fancy Pants Adventure, Castle In The Darkness and others.