Narita Boy

 Xbox One
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Generación Xbox
    May 11, 2021
    90
    Narita Boy is one of those adventures so good that it's hard to forget. You won't want to stop exploring its universe, thanks to fun combat and outstanding graphics. Narita Boy 2, come now!
  2. Everyeye.it
    Apr 2, 2021
    85
    Narita Boy is an experience to be lived and enjoyed, delightfully straddling two worlds (always and in any case made of pixels, complete with simulated curvature of the CRT monitor on the sides of the screen).
  3. DarkStation
    May 24, 2021
    80
    "Style over substance" is a reflexively-bandied phrase that's diminished in meaning over time. Although I partly agree to its usage here to highlight certain gameplay flaws, I don't think that should tarnish Narita Boy's immense successes. Studio Koba designed what they knew best – reverent 80s nostalgia, inspired techno-spirituality, beautiful 2D art, & more – with a sincerity rarely seen today.
  5. Jeuxvideo.com
    Mar 29, 2021
    80
    Without being perfect, Narita Boy offers a pleasant neo-retro ride. Visually sublime, it manages to push the codes inherited from the 80s further than a few games before it.
  6. Gfinity
    Mar 29, 2021
    80
    After a slow start, Narita Boy engages with a unified and engrossing aesthetic, along with a surprisingly varied combat system. But that system is not pushed to its limits enough, and there are some minor photosensitivity issues. That said, Studio Koba has made something truly special that shouldn’t be missed, especially if you have Game Pass.
  7. TheXboxHub
    Mar 29, 2021
    70
    If Narita Boy had a better handle on what it did well, and spent less time on the stuff it didn’t, we’d have a hit on our hands. Instead, we have style over substance - a Tron Evolution rather than Blade Runner, say - when it could have been a bonafide classic.
  8. IGN France
    Apr 3, 2021
    60
    No pixel revolution in this platformer that shines through its retro-cyberpunk vibes but not through its gameplay or narration.
  9. IGN
    Mar 29, 2021
    60
    Narita Boy's extraordinary style and presentation is let down by hollow exploration and one-note combat.

Awards & Rankings

26
#26 Best Xbox One Game of 2021
6
#6 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2021

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 51 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 51
  3. Negative: 9 out of 51
  1. Xbox_Alive
    Apr 2, 2021
    8
    Narita Boy is a retro 2d platformer that just checks so many boxes. I will try keep this spoiler free as much as possible as the story is aNarita Boy is a retro 2d platformer that just checks so many boxes. I will try keep this spoiler free as much as possible as the story is a big part the charm, so without further ado... You play as the hero Narita Boy, your character gets pulled into the digital world to save it from the threat of "HIM", you must journey across the digital world to unlock "memories" that will aide you in your quest. The visuals of Narita Boy are retro 2D 80s style, with very pleasing level design and contrasting colours that set the tone for the game. Probably one of my favourite bits about this game does come early on with the background design and some of the none interactable NPCs that you see having some sort of mini rave to the retro synthwave music of the game that does give you a silent chuckle to yourself, also on that note the music of the game does really well to compliment the theme of Narita Boy in a way that can sometimes be forgotten in more main stream titles and this is a big thumbs up, however depending on mood it can become a bit distracting when it feels like the audio levels jump around a touch. Narita Boy is a hack 'n' slash kind of game, you unlock a sword and some basic abilities at the start after a little leg work, from a basic sword slash to a pretty awesome "beam" for longer range and a shotgun blast to just get nice and personal. There are other abilities to learn as you progress, however these do feel more situational and found myself rarely using them outside of certain circumstances. The story of Narita Boy is an interesting one and definately gives off that 80s cyber vibe and it is fed to you in terms of dialog boxes from the NPCs that you will encounter and a very nicely done flashback video that you will find on your travels (these are the memories I mentioned earlier), While the story is a great and I highly enjoyed it my main gripe with this game is unfortunately the dialog aspect of the story, I felt that at times I was just reading block walls of text and it felt tedious, despite this I felt like pushing through those sections was worth it as you unlock more of the story and find yourself wanting to find out what happened next! As for what does happen next? Well this game is well worth picking up to find out, so head on over to the Xbox Digital Games Store and download it today.… Full Review »
  2. GamergodsFail
    Mar 31, 2021
    6
    Narita Boy prides itself in its Tron-inspired art style, story and music. I respect that, as the game excels the most in those areas, but theNarita Boy prides itself in its Tron-inspired art style, story and music. I respect that, as the game excels the most in those areas, but the gameplay as a whole is a mess. I actually enjoy some of the combat, but the difficulty is painfully uneven at times, the platforming controls are clumsy and certain sequences feel poorly executed. As a hack 'n' slash, it's actually not bad at all, but the biggest insult of all is being told its a Metroidvania and leaving disappointed by how linear it all was on the contrary.… Full Review »
  3. Aru-Kudoku
    Apr 4, 2021
    2
    Le pongo esta nota como una llamada de atención. El juego, a pesar de estar bastante bien en lo jugable, que no sobresale pero es potable,Le pongo esta nota como una llamada de atención. El juego, a pesar de estar bastante bien en lo jugable, que no sobresale pero es potable, tiene ideas de bombero que echan de una sentada a la mayoría de jugadores. En primer lugar, la decisión de la tv de tubo me ha gustado, pero no los movimientos continuos en las franjas que no hacen más que ponerte nervioso y distraerte, eso se podía haber paliado, en los ajustes solo te deja desactivar el efecto al completo o activarlo, hubiese preferido más opciones de accesibilidad, si lo desactivo pierde gran parte de la esencia. Pero para mí, lo más loco ha sido la trama y como lo han tratado. Para llegar al núcleo jugable del juego y disfrutar mínimamente hay que pasar por una multitud de textos que no hacen más que echar para atrás al jugador, con terminología muy específica de programadores, una historia que bien poco importa y textos y más textos. Si el sacrificio para llegar a un buen juego es este, esperas encontrar al menos una jugabilidad variada, que no es así. He echado en falta un desarrollo más profundo, sus apenas 6h se me han quedado cortas. Es un buen inicio para este estudio, pero no parece tener veteranos de la industria a pesar de que se que no es así, hay gente muy sabia en el estudio Koba, no se como llegaron a esto.… Full Review »
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