127. Out of mothballs
I.
In a dusty warehouse, games by the little-known studio UFOsoft are discovered. It turns out that between 1982 and 1989, the team produced fifty games that never saw the light of day. It feels like unravelling a forgotten chapter in gaming history. Based on the games and the limited information available, a picture of the studio gradually emerges.
That is the concept behind UFO 50, a game by six developers led by Derek Yu, the creator of my beloved Spelunky. These developers conceived a fictional studio and spent years working on a library of fifty games, all of which perfectly capture the style of the 1980s. If you play them in order, you can see how the games became increasingly sophisticated. There are platform games, puzzle games, sports games and much more. Some games will keep you entertained for half an hour, whilst others will have you struggling for hours.
Iāve now completed eight out of the fifty. Iām working my way from oldest to newest, and so far theyāve all been a hit in their own way. The first game is called Barbuta. An adventure game that plays sluggishly and contains no music whatsoever. It feels old-fashioned, but the mysterious setup keeps you exploring. You discover secrets and gradually get to know the world. For those who persevere, thereās a gem hidden within the game.
Every time you start a new game, itās a bit of a hunt all over again. Iām constantly stepping out of my comfort zone. Iām now giving games a chance that arenāt necessarily my cup of tea. And thatās part of the fun. Bug Hunter is a tactical card game in which you try to defeat aliens. If it hadnāt been in this bundle, Iād never have played it. Now Iāve got my teeth into it and got the hang of it. The same goes for Paint Chase, an arcade racing game where you try to colour in a map whilst smashing your opponents to bits.
The games have an old-school look, but they play a lot more modern than actual games from that era. They can be quite difficult at times, but that learning curve is also what makes it fun. In the game Velgress, you have to jump up via small platforms under constant time pressure. Every mistake can be fatal. It feels intimidating at first, but the more you play, the more you get the hang of it. Thatās what makes Spelunky so good too; you feel your skills improving with every playthrough.
UFO 50 was released on Steam last year and is now available on Switch 2. I find myself leaning more towards this collection of meta-classics than the dopamine rush that is Donkey Kong Bananza. (Which is also great fun!)
- - -II.
The music video for Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve is a time machine back to my youth. In the days of TMF and MTV, a few videos are etched into my memory. Flat Beat by Mr. Oizo is another one. And Street Spirit (Fade Out) by Radiohead. Gravel Pit by Wu-Tang Clan, Donāt Panic by Coldplay, Break Stuff by Limp Bizkit, Right Here, Right Now by Fatboy Slim. Anyway, I could go on like this for a while.
The Verveās video is iconic. Frontman Richard Ashcroft walks down the street and everyone has to make way for him. If they donāt, heāll just shove them aside. At one point, a car is in the way, so he simply steps over the bonnet. An angry woman gets out, but he looks right through her.
I watched the clip again recently ā nearly 1.2 billion(!) views on YouTube ā because ever since the Oasis concert at Wembley, Iāve been completely hooked on The Verveās album Urban Hymns. Ashcroft was the support act and was pretty good, hence my interest.
As a child, I had no idea what Bittersweet Symphony was about. I mainly heard that catchy string sample. But itās in the opening lines of the song that Ashcroft subtly dissects life: āāCause itās a bittersweet symphony, thatās life / Tryna make ends meet, youāre a slave to money then you dieā. Yet he himself also finds comfort and beauty in the music. āI let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now.ā
The album is full of gems. The Drugs Donāt Work, Lucky Man, The Rolling People, Weeping Willow. Lately, Iāve been particularly taken with the track Sonnet. Itās dripping with melancholy. Ashcroftās tone here is far more personal and intimate. There is doubt about love and a longing for what he has lost. The man who walks in the music video for Bittersweet Symphony as if the world revolves around him sounds hesitant here. That is why he is also āa million different people from one day to the nextā. Just like all of us.
- - -III.
Over the last few days, Iāve been captivated by the website Wplace. Itās a huge virtual world map where you, along with all the other visitors, can colour in pixels. Around major cities, itās full of little drawings, mostly of games and anime characters. In the Dutch town of Sneek, someone has drawn Snake (sounds likeā¦) from Metal Gear Solid.
Very large works, requiring people to collaborate in an organised manner, are not often seen. That was certainly the case on r/Place, the interactive art project that was launched twice on Reddit. It was the same idea as this, but with a smaller canvas. This led to the formation of national teams trying to claim a spot on the canvas. I once wrote on NU.nl about the Dutch people who, on r/Place, created a pixel replica of the Night WatchThe Night Watchcreated and protected.
If you use a world map instead of a white canvas, very different forms of colouring emerge. There is more room for protest. J.K. Rowlingās home, for example, has been taken over by trans flags, because she openly does not recognise transgender women as women. And in Israel and Gaza, giant Palestinian flags and hearts have been drawn. I wrote more about this in my weekly blog for NU.nl this week. Itās great that I can simply publish these kinds of fascinations there (hidden behind the free login, mind you).
PS.
The YouTube channel NOWNESS recently featured a lovely portrait of the Japanese man Shimei Nakaoji. āThe years may leave wrinkles on the skin, but if you give up your enthusiasm, it wrinkles your soul,ā he says. The 87-year-old Nakaoji runs every day (at a brisk pace), as if it were a race against the finiteness of life. If this elderly man can do it, what excuse do I have for not putting on my running shoes?
- - -I have an irrational aversion to clapping along at concerts. Now Iāve actually found an exception on Radioheadās album Hail to the Thief (Live Recordings 2003-2009) by Radiohead, released this week. On We Suck Young Blood, the echoing clap not only creates a fitting effect, but I also think itās particularly clever that people know exactly when to clap. Thatās quite impressive, given the songās complex rhythm.
In De Volkskrant I read about the booklet A Dictionary of Colour Combinations. My girlfriend received this for her birthday last year. Itās a lovely little Japanese book that was originally published in 1934, consisting of sections featuring colour combinations. Apparently, itās back in vogue now ā itās great that Reinout Bongers is picking up on that trend and exploring it in depth.
The Safdie brothers, who previously made Uncut Gems, are now working on solo films. Interestingly, both are sports films. Ben Safdie is working with Dwayne āThe Rockā Johnson on a film about a UFC fighter: The Smashing Machine. And Josh Safdie is making a film about a table tennis player: Marty Supreme. A trailer for the latter, starring TimothĆ©e Chalamet, was released this week.
- - -Speaking of Marty Supreme: a documentary about director Martin Scorsese is due to be released on Apple TV+ in October. It will be a five-part series and, if the trailer for Mr. Scorsese is anything to go by, the episodes will be packed with wild anecdotes. This is going to be a treat.
- - -Youāve just read blog ā127, written during the week of 11 to 17 August 2025. Subscribe to my free newsletter to receive this blog in your inbox every Sunday.