Nostalgia meets 16-bit fun in One Last Game, a student-made 2D video game with the simple goal of playing that one last childhood game.
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As much as we love the Elden Rings of this world, every now and then we go for that game whose main purpose is to let you just experience the world through engaging gameplay. While it is fun to slay dragons and other worldly creatures, sometimes, you just need to slow down in a game by taking in and enjoying the experience. The recent success of Stray, where you just play as a regular cat, is proof that gaming has space for those feel-good experiences. And speaking of which, recently, a college student from Naga City recently did just that when he uploaded his own game where players get to try out childhood Pinoy street games for that nostalgic trip down memory lane.
ONE LAST GAME
Paulo Arnante, a BS Digital Illustration and Animation Major in Game Development from Ateneo de Naga, was tasked with creating a video game for his senior project. The end result was One Last Game, a 2D game about a young kid’s last day in his town. As shared by Ateneo Animation, which is a hub for student created video games, the story follows a kid named Danny who is set to move to the city with his family. But before that happens, he pleads with his parents to go around town one more time to play street games with the town’s colorful cast of characters.
“It’s the day before moving day. Danny’s father got a huge promotion in his job and with this, his family has to move to the city. Most of their furniture and belongings have been already been moved, and his father went first to their new home to organize and start unpacking. As per Danny’s request, he and his mother stayed for a day to have more time with his friends. The goal for his last day is to settle some scores, say goodbyes, and more importantly, have fun,” reads the official synopsis of the game.
The endeavor is presented in this charming 2D pixel art style in 16-bit graphics that slightly reminds us of Pokémon. The gameplay has players go around town playing traditional games in the Philippines like sipa and tumbang preso. The game can be downloaded here if you want to play it. Reviews so far has said that while it is short and has some bugs, it’s fun, has a touching story, and has an appealing art style.
SUPPORT YOUNG CREATORS
As of this writing, the game is only available on desktop, specifically on Windows, and is also a prototype build. But it is also free to download so you can try it out for yourself. The game is a good way to spend 30 minutes of your time in a relatively stress-free environment.
While the Philippine video game industry isn’t as robust as our Asian neighbors, there are talented creators out there who make games worth your time. A few weeks ago, kendikorp, a local development studio run by a 19-year-old student, received a Game Development Grant from the CCP to further fun their first game, Gala, a road trip game designed to expose players to the history and culture of the Philippines. It just goes to show that young creators are making promising games. Hopefully more young creators will have the opportunity to share their games to the world.
Continue Reading: 9 Filipino-Made Video Games That Are Worth The Download
