Faux-retro games are a common sight at indie festivals like BitSummit for two good reasons: nostalgia for classic videogames remains strong, and simpler graphics are a lot more affordable than modern, high-definition video game assets.
Yet Back in 1995, coming to PC this year, goes one step further and embraces the faults of games gone by. It doesn't just look old, it feels old, thanks to cumbersome "tank" controls and a third-person camera than never seems to cooperate.
"When I was a kid, I really liked those early 3-D PlayStation games," says 29-year-old Takaaki Ichijo, the creator of Back in 1995, "so I wanted to make one just like them."
Ichijo's warts-and-all approach lends authenticity to his creation. I never would have guessed the periodic "now loading" logo during gameplay was purely cosmetic, added to maintain the illusion that Back in 1995 was actually made in 1995.
Beyond the aesthetic choices, I have to wonder if nostalgia can trump the problems inherent with an old-fashioned third-person view. As it was in the real 1995, enemies and hazards often go unseen in Back in 1995 due to wayward camera perspectives.
Ichijo started developing this project for PlayStation Mobile so he could put Back in 1995 on Vita, but switched to PC as Sony will end Mobile support on July 15. He's still hoping to bring it to PlayStation consoles someday, and is searching for a publisher.
