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What's good in UFO 50?

spines

cyber true color
(she/her, or something)
overbold cherry. i kind of don't like this game much, but it had a claw grasp on my brain because it was so easy to want the runback every time i lost. the multiplayer sounds cool...

this game has a pretty strong snowballing effect, which includes inside the battles...if you win a battle once you get the level 2 medkits around stage 3 or 4, it feels like you could've gone on twice as long, because you're finishing with so much hp. but of course every time you actually try to do 9 rounds you're going to lose probably unless you manage to completely duck some kind of awful enemy (of which toucan spiders are #1 by far)

really once you've got most of the defensive upgrades and fully upgraded bombs (minus manual detonation...i guess it's probably really strong but i've never really tried it), you can probably tackle full boards and crank your guns real quick before the end, which smooths out some of the remaining issues. but the bombs are way too good, and bring a lot of power even in early rounds since the starter upgrades are so efficient.

it's incredibly funny that i looked at the "bombs lure enemies" thing and thought "ok, surely it's kind of a mild effect, right? it'd be absurd if it just makes guys walk straight at the bombs so you can move around them easily" but then i bought it and found out that it makes guys walk straight at the bombs so you can move around them easily
 

MCBanjoMike

Sudden chomper
(He/him)
I got the cherry in Rock On! Island last night! Took me 8 hours to finish the game and another 8 to get perfect clears on every level. I am sad that there's no more Rock On! Island to play (although I did just learn about the existence of a hidden area, so I should at least go check that out).

I'm also close to having the cherry in Pilot Quest, but actually getting it is a pain in the ass. You have to fight Nozzlo something like 6 times in a single expedition to get the artifact, which is pretty obnoxious IMO. I'll probably do it anyway, since I'm at the end of my second playthrough and I don't really want to start over again.

The only other I've completed recently is Mortol, which I wound up really liking. Very fun and also extremely dark, if the characters weren't tiny little guys this game would be incredibly grim. I actually wound up playing through most of it a second time in co-op with ShakeWell, which was lots of fun. The sequel is quite different, based on the short time I spent with it, but I don't get the impression that I'm going to enjoy it as much as the original. Oh well, I can always spend some more time with this game trying to get the cherry.

Not totally sure what I'll tackle next, although Vainger and Mini & Max both look pretty appealing. I might also take a break from UFO 50 at some point, but for now I'm still happy to keep poking at it.
 

Isrieri

My father told me this would happen
I did just learn about the existence of a hidden area, so I should at least go check that out).
I accidentally found that myself a while back so all I will say is - don't get too excited.
I too wish there was more Rock On! Island. Very simple and addictive.
 

RT-55J

space hero for hire
(He/Him + RT/artee)
After getting sidetracked by a bunch of other, more pressing commitments, I finally finished my 1:4 scale map of Vainger. Check it out!

Maybe I'll finally get around to playing all 50 games finally.
 

MCBanjoMike

Sudden chomper
(He/him)
That's awesome! Vainger was really fun and your map would be right at home in the Nintendo Power walkthrough for it.
 

Bongo

excused from moderation duty
(he/him)
Staff member
Recently I finally got the gold in Warptank and Pilot Quest (I didn't idle efficiently), and cherries in Party House, Bug Hunter, and Waldorf's Journey. Gold in Seaside Drive and Magic Garden remains tantalizingly close, and I just need to get more consistent.

I'm gonna use that Vainger map.
 

Isrieri

My father told me this would happen
I managed to get the cherry in Divers. I mentioned before that Divers goes out of its way to inform you of precisely nothing. It also takes pains to be as old, janky, and barebones of an RPG as possible. It isn't grindy in the traditional sense (the way its designed it actually discourages grinding) but its annoying in the same way Porgy can be. The gameplay loop consisting of constant backtracking. I wouldn't blame anyone if they choose not to bother with it, especially if they don't like RPGs to begin with.

Somehow I like Divers anyway. I wouldn't play it again but I enjoyed the time I spent on it. It had all the signs of being the brainchild of Barbuta's ficitonal developer Thorson Petter and I think what makes Divers, Barbuta and Mooncat so charming is that despite being different genres they all share the need for the player to 'figure out' what the game's angle is. Each one is deliberately strange and what you have to do not at all clear, but once you pick up on the rules of each game then all three become pretty simple to play.

That's the fun appeal for me: I've heard some people say that Mooncat among other games in the collection is like learning how to play games for the first time again. I wouldn't say Divers is quite like that. Its more like you're playing an RPG that doesn't make logical sense, because you and I are creatures that breathe air and sleep under trees and eat cooked food. Divers is a truly alien world, and each trip to the depths involves a lot of caution, poking, and prodding to unravel the game.

I don't want to spoil that experience but the game really does need some tips to get the ball rolling so if you'd like to streamline the game but don't want to use a guide, I'll leave a few non-specific hints as to equipment and battle mechanics in the spoiler below.

1) When you begin, you should buy two Coral sticks, a Wet stick, and a S. Potion. The majority of enemies in the game are weak to Wet and you ought to prioritize those when upgrading your gear, but the Eels at the beginning are weak to coral and render them a minor issue when exploring.

2) I wasn't able to find any use for the Mallets. The Lid shields boost your defense while equipped, but deal little damage and you probably won't want too many. Think carefully about what you want to take with you each trip.

3) Weapons and items don't have 'durability' but 'uses.' The number will be refilled each time you return to the surface even if you use it all up. When you buy an item it's yours forever.

4) You can Check locations in the caves with Button A. Search suspicious spots!

5) The enemy weaknesses don't seem to follow any rhyme or reason, but its actually very easy to tell who's weak to what. Just perk up your ears.

6) Level ups apply to all three characters, even if they died in the battle. If things get dire, just get back to the surface.

7) Defending is a little weird. I don't think defending normally reduces damage much if at all. But it is very effective if you are defending with an item your attacker is weak to.

8) Some equipment require special baubles in addition to coins. You can see the number you have in the menu at all times. You can only carry a maximum of 9 per, so spend them when you have enough for what you want.

9) The game saves when you return to the surface AND when you dive back down. If you make a mistake on the shop screen don't panic and just reset the game. But anything you buy will be finalized after you leave.

10) Finally, each level you gain is very significant. The only stat you can see is health, but you do get stronger. I beat the game at Lvl. 12.

Lastly, there's a mysterious room late in the game that seems important and significant but I couldn't make heads or tails of it. If anybody did, I'd love to know!
 

JBear

Internet's foremost Bertolli cosplayer
(He/Him)
I loved Divers. Great game.

RE: mallets, same, although there's a good early unique findable mallet that I used for a while.

RE: shields, I like them early on, because they allow you to safely attack urchins without taking damage with each attack. I didn't bother with any of the later ones, though, because they take the same resources as the weapons and I was always limited by my resources.

As to your last question, I think it's nothing. I know that I searched it exhaustively, anyway, and tried bringing some items that felt like they could be relevant besides. Divers feels like a very "vibes" game, and I think that area is just about the primo vibes.
 

Violentvixen

(She/Her)
Spent a little time with this over the weekend and we played a lot of couch co-op Mortol, what fun. Excited to try more of these!
 

RT-55J

space hero for hire
(He/Him + RT/artee)
Kayin says she hates Solar Jetman, but she puts Porgy in the top tier. Curious.

(very nice write-up)
 

Kalir

Do you require aid.
(whatevs)
There's a lot of fascinating choices in that list, but probably the most fascinating is ranking Hyper Contender so low. That one honestly has some of the best potential out of the versus games in the set to me.
 

narcodis

the titular game boy
(he/him)
One of the coolest things about UFO50 is just how varied everyone's tier list ends up being. In my mind it's crazy to put Pingolf in the bottom tier, while simultaneously I can't understand the love for Divers. But in my opinion, a game not being for everyone is Extremely Good, Actually, and the deeply varied tier lists are definitive evidence that UFO50 is in part accessible to everyone without sacrificing the unique weirdness that makes it also not-for-everyone.
 

RT-55J

space hero for hire
(He/Him + RT/artee)
I've finally given Barbuta a proper shot, making a fastidiously detailed map on paper as I go.

I "only" explored 44 rooms before getting a game over, but I know enough to say that this is a wonderful, wonderful little game.
After a few months of being busy with other stuff, I came back to this with my map and golded it in an hour and some change.

What a deceptively strong game. It makes me want to make one of these things.
 
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