Games

Published on February 5th, 2021 | by Andrew Bistak

Team17 Rewinds to the 1980s With Mystical Techno-Adventure Narita Boy

Team17 and Studio Koba have revealed the international games label is joining forces to publish the Spanish studio’s debut title, Narita Boy. The side-scrolling mystical techno-tale, which will release this spring on Steam, Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One – including on release day with Xbox Game Pass for PC and Console – is a heart-felt love story to the 1980s, featuring a narrative-driven adventure that takes players to a game inside a game, battling powerful bosses and overcoming puzzles in order to uncover the secrets of the Digital Kingdom and – ultimately – its creator.



Narita Boy puts players in the shoes of the eponymous digital warrior chosen to wield the Techno-Sword, a legendary weapon capable of defeating fearsome foes in melee or from afar as it instantly transforms into a shotgun or devastating laser beam. By using this new weapon and with the help of the Motherboard, the spiritual leader of the Digital Kingdom, players will face corrupted enemies and hulking bosses to save the electronic synthwave world from the invading Stallions, a group of rogue code bent on forced rule and subjugation. During the journey, players will also explore the memories of the creator that reveals his story, from his early years in Japan, to his creation of – and connection with – the Digital Kingdom.

Key Features:

  • Go back to the future: A homage to the eighties with a new spin on classic gameplay styles, Narita Boy takes players back in time for blast from the past
  • You have the power!: The Techno-Sword can be used alongside mysterious magic so that players can carve and blast their way through enemies great and small
  • Might as well jump: The classic 2D platformer will see players explore imaginative landscapes and navigate a plethora of pixel art environments
  • Pixel-perfect story: Encounter weird and wonderful digitised characters on a journey to discover the secrets of the Digital Kingdom and its elusive creator
  • Pump up the jam: Inspired by the glory days of analogue synthesizers, the pumping soundtrack turns back the clock for this techno-journey.

Narita Boy came to the attention of Team17’s indie games label following Studio Koba’s successful Kickstarter campaign that saw over 5,000 people back the game, leading to it smash stretch goals.

Narita Boy powers Saving The Arcade World

Today also sees the launch of the Saving The Arcade World, a campaign powered by Narita Boy and created to raise awareness of the plight facing arcade games and arcade amusements. Team17 is partnering with The Strong: National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, The National Videogame Museum in the UK, and Arcade Vintage: Museo del Videojuego in Spain, to ensure this distinct and important part of video games history is protected and preserved. Further information on #SavingTheArcadeWorld is available from www.team17.com.


About the Author

When he's not trying to save the world, Andrew enjoys travel (although loathes turbulence), going to the movies, reading and being a dad to his two dogs (and now twins) with his wife.



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