8BitBoy

About

"8BitBoy" is a single-player platformer game with a nostalgic 80s and 90s vibe, offering approximately 12 hours of main story playtime. The game features 5 worlds, 56 levels, and over 300 hidden locations to explore, with a variety of power-ups and boss battles. The game follows the journey of 8BitBoy, who gets sucked into a decaying world of platforming through a strange cartridge he found in his basement.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+20

Skip User Reviews

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,878 reviews

gameplay68 positive mentions

stability10 negative mentions

Nostalgic throwback to classic platformers like Mario.
Challenging gameplay with many hidden secrets to discover.
Colorful graphics and catchy retro music enhance the experience.

Controls can feel loose and unresponsive, leading to frustrating deaths.
Level design can be repetitive and lacks variety in enemies.
No checkpoints in levels, making it punishing to restart after dying.

gameplay
308 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
64%
14%
The gameplay of 8bitboy 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 its mechanics and design choices, leading to a consensus that it falls short of the quality found in its inspirations.
- “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.”
- “Great level design and great gameplay and it sometimes even surprises me with its design.”
- “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
258 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
52%
18%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and forgettable, often comparing it unfavorably to iconic soundtracks like those of Super Mario. While some tracks are appreciated for their nostalgic 8-bit style, others are described as annoying or lacking variety, particularly during challenging gameplay moments. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as decent but not groundbreaking, with a few standout tracks that evoke a sense of nostalgia amidst a backdrop of mediocrity.
- “The music, rhythm and everything is awesome, it reminds me of the memories of playing games on FC.”
- “The graphics and scenery of the game are very beautiful, as well as the relaxing 8-bit soundtrack.”
- “The music is awesome chiptune style, and the whole thing has the perfect retro feel.”
- “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 music though, oh god it's terrible.”
graphics
228 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
56%
12%
The graphics of 8bitboy™ are a mix of retro pixel art and hand-drawn elements, evoking nostalgia for classic platformers, though opinions vary widely. While some players appreciate the colorful and charming visuals, others criticize them as bland, generic, or lacking originality, often comparing them unfavorably to true 8-bit games. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose in creating a retro aesthetic, but they may not impress those seeking innovation or polish.
- “8-bit boy is a tremendously beautiful and detailed enough 2D game with an even mixture of retro pixel and hand-drawn graphics, and successfully evokes 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.”
- “I really enjoyed the homage to the gaming world; the graphics and the music really brought this home.”
- “Trash game design in many places, awful graphics, no achievements, no cards.”
- “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 plagiarised gameplay and terrible graphics does no service to the developers, to gamers, or to the game industry as a whole.”
story
154 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
76%
8%
The game's story is generally viewed as minimal and somewhat disjointed, with a basic premise of a character being sucked into a video game world, reminiscent of classic platformers. While some players appreciate the nostalgic charm and personal themes, such as the struggles of a jaded game designer, many feel the narrative lacks depth and coherence, often serving as a mere backdrop to the gameplay. Overall, the story is seen as a secondary element 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.”
- “This game is built on an interesting story.”
- “The backstory personally spoke to me as I could easily relate.”
- “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 also pretty generic; it's the 'oh this weird game I found, I'll put it in my game console, oh no, I'm in a video game world now' kind of thing.”
- “The thrown-in story is lame.”
humor
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
89%
6%
5%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it entertaining and reminiscent of classic titles like Super Mario, enhanced by quirky character designs and amusing music. Many reviewers appreciate the game's lightheartedness and the joy of discovering hidden elements, although some express frustration with gameplay mechanics that can detract from the fun. Overall, it is seen as a humorous homage to retro gaming, making it enjoyable for those seeking a comedic experience.
- “Interesting and really funny game, go ahead and play it for yourself. I played it for 10 minutes and I already love it.”
- “It is so funny to play, so quick to restart the level if you die, and I love the hidden parts of the map and objects that you can find.”
- “The enemy designs are kind of funny; it's strangely satisfying to stomp on enemies that look like angry birds.”
- “I must 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, would love to buy the soundtrack though.”
replayability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The game offers a modest level of replayability primarily through its numerous secrets and the option to unlock a secret ending by collecting all 50 coins. However, its challenging design may deter completionist players, leading some to abandon the game after the initial playthrough. Additional replay value could be enhanced by incorporating achievement progress tied to these secrets.
- “Secrets add a good amount of replayability, but should award progress towards achievements to make them more rewarding.”
- “+ replayability with ultra difficulty mode”
- “There're 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
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game resonates strongly with players who have nostalgia for classic 8 and 16-bit gaming, evoking feelings of warmth and connection to their childhood. However, younger players may struggle to form the same emotional attachment, as the game may not resonate with those unfamiliar with that era. Overall, it is praised for its heartfelt design and ability to evoke strong emotions in those who appreciate its classic roots.
- “10/10 would cry again”
- “But it's touching and great to know that some people out there still love the classic formula, thank you for this.”
- “I was a kid when 8 and 16-bit games were cool, and that game made me feel like one again.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with some users reporting significant bugs and rendering issues, particularly on Mac systems, while others note minor glitches. Despite these problems, many players still appreciate the game's nostalgic charm and overall enjoyment, suggesting that while stability may be lacking, the experience remains worthwhile for fans of retro-style games.
- “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
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
Character development in the game is criticized for its generic design and backgrounds, with some noting that while the main character and monsters have good designs, overall aesthetics fall short. However, the combination of music and character design contributes to a unique charm that resonates with players, reminiscent of Nintendo's best work.
- “+ 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
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with some users experiencing significant stuttering and performance issues, particularly on lower-end hardware like the AMD E1-6010. In contrast, players with higher-end setups, such as a GTX 970 and an Intel i7-4790K, report better performance, indicating that the game may not be well-optimized for a range of systems.
- “The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for smooth performance even on mid-range hardware.”
- “With my setup (GTX 970, i7 4790k, 16GB of RAM, SSD), the graphics and performance are outstanding.”
- “The game runs flawlessly on my system, showcasing excellent optimization that enhances the overall experience.”
- “My CPU must not meet the minimum requirements; I have too much stuttering in gameplay with an AMD E1-6010.”
- “With a GTX 970, 4790K, 16GB of RAM, and an SSD, the graphics and performance are still lacking.”
- “Despite having decent hardware, the optimization is poor, leading to frequent performance issues.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game features levels that strike a balance between being challenging and not overly lengthy, preventing them from becoming tedious. However, some players still find the overall experience mediocre and lacking in engagement.
- “A mediocre and tedious platformer where you play as a cube-shaped boy who can't shoot straight.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism for misleading advertising, particularly regarding the claim of "300+ hidden locations," which some players feel is exaggerated or not fully realized in the gameplay experience.
- “One last thing: you know when the advertising says '300+ hidden locations!'”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is enhanced by a commendable 8-bit music 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.”

Skip Critic Reviews

65%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

8-Bit Boy Review - Nostalgia: The Game
Delivers what is promised; a retro-style platformer. Doesn't go above and beyond expectations
Techraptor.net
65%

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12h Median play time

10h Average play time

7-14h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 10 analyzed playthroughs

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8-Bit Boy Review - Nostalgia: The Game