'8-Bit Adventures 2' Looks Like A Solid Throwback To Old-School Final Fantasy

Game looks great… but it’s the terrible generic naming that puts me off

The title screams "there's nothing interesting about our game"

It doesn't look bad though... but that title leaves a bad first impression

Looks really good! Hopefully we can set up the teams just like we want, so that we wont have to play the default swordsman MC Josh

Developer here! Just wanted to say a big thanks to Ollie and the Nintendo Life team for sharing our game! I'm a long-time reader and watcher, so I was thrilled when I saw the article pop up on Twitter =)

@JohnnyMind Thank you very much - I'm glad it caught your eye!

@Yoshi3 @DjinnFighter You're definitely not the first people to have that thought! I agree it's not great, but I was stuck with it from the first game (it was a name I came up with back in 2012 XD). Hopefully the game's screenshots, footage, and reviews will say enough to overcome any impressions from the name, as they did on PC. I really appreciate the kind words!

@Princess_Lilly Thank you! And you absolutely can - team members can be swapped in and out at will, and character swapping is a major mechanic. There's not really an MC; it's closer to an FF6 ensemble approach =)

@JohnnyMind Thank you very much JohnnyMind! After 9 years of work I'm nervous, but very excited to finally share the game with everyone on console

the kind of graphics me and the boys would like ,, wishlist !!

Yeah I played the game on PC. Don't let the fact that it's a indie RPG dissuade you because of potential bad experiences with those. This one truly is a good one and a very rare case of a indie RPG that is not plagued by the usual issues like cringy terrible paced writing and annoying characters. It's got memorable set pieces and story moments, great music and dungeon design and it just a generally solid adventure all around, a bit on the easier side though if you're one of those types that likes their games to actually slay you for some reason.

My only somewhat major gripe does come from the fact that it is a direct sequel that has many of the same characters and references the first game, which, I do think that you're not going to be getting the best possible experience unless you play the first game first. The first game is maybe a slight bit rougher around the edges, but still a worthwhile game to play on its own right (and isn't very long at all), its only on steam but it basically runs on a toaster.

I truly wished I enjoyed turn based games, this looks amazing but a game a will have to admire from afar

I'll admit this looks incredibly authentic. I've been meaning to pick up an RPG soon and this one might be it.

i prefer random battles...

was 8 bit adventures on the switch the first game?

This looks awesome! I'm assuming there's a part 1? I've never heard of it, but I'm definitely looking into it! I do wish it was a more unique name for the title though... It sounds really generic and not up to the quality of the actual game.

This is clearly targeted at me with the NES/Gameboy color RPG vibes. Will keep an eye on it (Dont worry about the name, we have modern things like triangle strategy and bravely default and they are amazing experiences!).

@CriticalGames I’d honestly consider disregarding the first game’s title and renaming this so it seems more than just a gimmick. It looks like a fully fleshed out world and the title doesn’t suggest that.
Can’t you see this as a spin-off? Like a Persona to your Megami Tensei?
The first game isn’t available on Switch, so you don’t get much brand recognition from that group anyway.

Regardless of the name, I’ll be playing this though

i grew up with nes and it's rpg games so this kind of game is right up my alley...

OH! This looks like a love letter style game. Love that. Looks like a lot of attention to detail went into the presentation. If the game plays like what I see in the trailer this should be an awesome retro romp. I see all kinds of influence from various 8/16 bit games, some Knights of Pen and Paper, etc. This wasn't on my holiday 2024 radar, but it is now.

You can never have too many RPG’s (at least according to me 😅) I’ll look into this although I’ll admit the name sounds a bit generic.
@CriticalGames HOLY MOLY THE DEV IS HERE!!!
Stay calm me stay calm. Ok. As someone who played DQ4 on the DS and really liked it do you think you would recommend it to me?

It looks pretty great, but I'm surprised by comments saying it looks "authentic". I grew up in the 8-bit era and NO game from back then looked this good! Same can be said for those battle animations. I'd say this style is somewhere in between 8-bit and 16-bit. (Which is perfectly fine; I suspect a game that really was authentic and could be released as an NES ROM wouldn't garner quite the same attention)

This reeeeally captures that NES RPG feel for me. My problem isn't I've got a stack of RPGs I need to get through that will eat tons of my time I already don't have. 30-40 hours isn't insurmountable, but I will wishlist this for now until I see the review.

@CriticalGames Are the stories/world connected between this and the first game?

Reminds me of Lunar and Vay.

@CriticalGames yeah! Didn’t want to sound overly critical (no pun intended). The game looks great, I guessed it was because maybe you made the decision with the first one you inadvertently had to stick with the brand. But quality looks good aside from the title, hopefully it generates hits on the eshop for you 👍

@CriticalGames are you planing on releasing the first game as well on the switch?
Also, will there be a physical edition?

@CriticalGames Love when the developers give feedback wasn't sure if I was going to get this game but seeing a developer who cares makes me want to get it now as long as it's priced right I'll get it right away or I'll wait for a sale.

Let's hope someone picks this up for physical!

Finally!! I was holding off on playing it on Steam because I wanted the Switch version!!

Looks good. Hopefully it gets a physical release one day. Only thing I dont like is the mix of genres. Never really liked hi tech sci-fi in swords and sorcery fantasy. It always seemed weird to me.

I recently finished Sea of Stars so I'm ready for an 8-bit adventure. The trailer looks great! Will definitely pick this one up.

Looks nice, it's 8-Bit inspired but with a little slice of 16-Bit sprinkle in. May check it's prequel first though before I would dive into this sequel.

@Expa0 Wow! Thank you so much for all of the kind words, and for sharing some perspective with new players Expa0 =) The way I look at it is that the events of the first game serve as a backdrop to the second game, in the way that, say...Braska's journey in FFX serves as backdrop to that game. But I definitely take your point! I'm hoping to get a chance to revamp the first game and bring it to consoles in future.

@DennyCrane Well I still very much appreciate the kind words DennyCrane! If you want to give it a go, there'll be a demo on the eShop closer to release - just in case it clicks with you =)

@bleeflooflah Much appreciated, thank you! We wanted to try and capture the feel of the era as much as possible, so I hope it feels authentic yet modernised in some ways.

@johnedwin Thanks for the kind words johnedwin! I grew up with these games too, so I know what you mean. You can still grind in 8-Bit Adventures 2 if you want to (enemies can be respawned at will), but on-the-map battles mean interruptions to exploration happen in a more curated way =)

Unfortunately the first game can't currently available anywhere other than PC, due to the engine it was made with. But I'm definitely looking at bringing it up to the sequel's level and releasing on consoles in future!

@nin10doom Thank you! Yes, part 1 released all the way back in 2015. It was my most successful game up to that point and earned some funds, so I decided to make a sequel...which has now taken 9 years to fully complete haha.

@Wisps Thanks Wisps! You sound like a person after my own heart, so it's definitely targeted at you. Haha, you know that's a very good point! I think names become endearing after a while if people like the game, no matter what it is =)

@PinderSchloss Thank you very much for saying that you'll be checking out the game! Honestly, if I was earlier in production, I'd probably consider it. But after marketing the game for 9 years, having a ton of Youtube videos made about it, having Google recognise the game name, having the PC release out, etc. I think that ship has sailed. But at a different stage, you're probably right =) But hey, hopefully I'll be able to bring the first game to Switch in future!

@Daggot Thank you very much Daggot! It's definitely been a labour of love, and I'm thrilled to hear it's on your radar =) All credit to our wonderful artist Jerram Fahey/World_of_NoeL for the presentation!

@Greatluigi Haha, happy to be here Greatluigi (and I agree you can never have too many RPGs)! Oh man, I absolutely love DQ4. I would recommend 8-Bit Adventures if you like any of the character-driven DQ games - like 4, 5, 8, and 11 =)

@naxuu Good eye naxuu! The game uses what our artist calls "NES+".

We do exclusively use the NES' limited colour palette and draw everything at the correct size for 8-bit art. The difference is that we allow as many colours as we want on a single screen. This creates the game's vibrant, detailed look, while still paying homage to some of the limitations. So you're spot on that it's a sort of middle ground

@MeloMan Thank you very much - I'm glad to hear that MeloMan! Haha, I absolutely know the feeling with RPGs - I'm in exactly the same boat XD There are reviews from the PC version on Metacritic (87 score) and OpenCritic (91 score), but it'd be amazing to see Nintendo Life give their own review too!

@boatie Yes, it's the same world (albeit heavily redesigned) and the story is connected. But I tried to design it so that you don't need to play the original.

Past events will be referenced and explained, and new characters will provide a fresh perspective for new players. I knew when I made the game that a majority of players wouldn't have any experience with the first game, and that's definitely been the case - but from players have said, it hasn't hampered their enjoyment of the story =)

@Yoshi3 No worries at all Yoshi3, it's a totally fair critique! Fingers crossed - launching on a Nintendo system has always been the dream, so I'm really hoping it connects with players. Just have to get the word out there!

@Siegdroid I would love to release the first game on Switch, but it requires rebuilding it on a new engine (and I want to bring it up to the sequel's standard). So please give me some time on that one, but I hope to make it happen!

No physical plans yet (it'll partly depend on digital sales), but I'm a huge physical collector myself, so I'll be fighting to make it happen.

@KamikazeKae Thank you SO much KamikazeKae! That comment absolutely made my day. I try to respond to as much as I can, and be present in the community - and to keep the game updated. We have Free DLC coming soon, so I hope players will enjoy that too!

@Emmerichcoal Thank you! I'm definitely working on trying to make that happen =)

@Zerra_Adventure Hey Zerra! Sorry for the incredibly long wait, but thank you so much for your patience. I really hope you enjoy it - I think it feels great on Switch!

@Slain Thank you - I'd love a physical release as well! And that's totally fair. Without giving away the plot, I'll say that there's a very unique reason for the mixture of sci-fi and fantasy, and the two elements are kept largely separate because of that reason. Think of it as two separate worlds, essentially =)

@MastaRedSnappa Oh that's fantastic to hear! Saying that you'll pick up the game is about as big a compliment as a developer can receive, so thank you very much for the kind words!

@Serpenterror Thank you Serpenterror! The first game is a lot rougher around the edges (it didn't really have a budget XD), but if you check it out I sincerely hope you enjoy it.

@CriticalGames okay that's good to hear. I was leaning towards getting it regardless. Will probably get it eventually. Yeah physical copy would be great, hope that's doable one day.

What matters is the game's quality. It could be called jgiyguvuvuv for all I cared.

@CriticalGames Is there an option to add scan lines to the game. I always use this on retro games when the option is available.

@bixente Thank you bixente - I appreciate you saying so! That's my mindset as well =)

@Slain And thank you for the kind words as well Slain! I sincerely hope you enjoy the game if you decide to check it out (there'll be a demo on Switch closer to release if you're interested too).

To answer your question, I'm very sorry, but there aren't any scan line options in the game. I did experiment with scan line effects earlier in development, but I couldn't find a way to create an effect I felt looked pleasing/authentic within the engine I was using. Sorry about that Slain - I really like scan lines too!