1982

Nostalgia can be a powerful thing, especially in the world of gaming. If you look at the best-sellers charts at any given point in time, you'll probably notice a remaster or remake or two on the charts. These games tap into something powerful for gamers and players come out in droves to play them. Not all of them, however, are actually worth the money they cost. Even if they're free, players are treated to a subpar product that takes up otherwise useful time. Figuring out if a game is a great throwback or a terrible gimmick game is one of the hardest things a gamer can do.

1982 is a game that is absolutely based on nostalgia. It bills itself as a throwback shoot 'em up, something that probably could have been in the arcades next to Galaga and Centipede. It is certainly the type of game that doesn't get made anymore, at least outside of the odd Flash game jam. The game only looks modern in terms of graphics, and even that is something that is stylized in such a way that it would look out of place on a modern screen. As such, 1982 manages to be both a true throwback and a bad nostalgia trip at the same time.

On the good side of things is the fact that 1982 plays well. If you've played games like Galaga in the past, you won't be disappointed here. It captures the feel of a classic arcade game easily, with the same kind of point structure and power-ups you would have seen back in the 1980s. Most games of this type tend to throw in a few changes to mix up the formula, but 1982 really pushes the old school feel at the expense of everything else. If you want to play a throwback without worrying about anything modern, this is the game for you.

Everything that is good about this game is also a detriment. This is very much a throwback, to the degree that there's no real reason to play it. If you have access to another shoot 'em up from the 1980s, you're better off playing that game. This particular game just adds some cloying graphics and a connection to Steam. There's no real reason to play this game when you can play the games that it so deftly apes. This is a copycat, pure and simple.

The verdict on 1982 is mixed. On one hand, it's free so there's no reason to avoid it. On the other, it's so closely following the lead of other games that there is really no reason for it to exist. If you are able to track down a copy of a game like Centipede or Galaga, play that game instead. If you are itching for a class shoot 'em up and need something free to play right now, though, 1982 will tide you over. This is a game that's not exactly bad, but that really has nothing to recommend it over other games in the genre.