The continued release of new games for older systems remains one of my favorite trends in the retro gaming hobby. While a number of these releases are typically just ROM files to use with flash carts or emulation, a good number come out on physical cartridges for a more authentic experience. This was the case with 2019's NES escape room sensation NEScape!. Developed by Kevin Hanley of Khan games, NEScape! was able to raise nearly $40,000 in its Kickstarter run to bring the game out in a physical form. Fast forward a few years and NEScape! is finding a new home on modern consoles. Published by 8-Bit Legit, this NES title is ready to stump even more players who may have missed out on the original release!
Story
In NEScape! you awaken in a dark room with the "simple" task of escaping it in an hour. Fail to do so and you will be stuck for all eternity!
Gameplay
Review copy provided by 8-BitLegit.
Diving into NEScape! instantly greets you with a puzzle that will set the tone for the whole escape room experience. Like all puzzles, it is hard to solve without some sort of clue. Using investigative skills and the digital manual will lead you to the solution you seek. Just as an FYI, you can skip the whole thing just by pressing the start button, but why would you want to deprive yourself of the game's first puzzle? Beginning in the pitch-black room is a bit disorienting at first but the game manual was once again there to shed some light on how to proceed as well as the subtle flickering of a switch. With the room illuminated, the true experience of NEScape! is on full display. You have 4 walls to search for objects and clues to lead you to your escape. Moving your cursor with either the thumbstick or D-Pad you can begin your search. The cursor changes depending on if an item can be interacted with and equipable items appear in the inventory at the bottom of the screen.
Items can have a number of uses and combinations so pay attention to what you have to best come up with a solution for your current trial. After figuring out the first riddle, the path to escape begins to pick up speed and each following solution varies in difficulty. Most puzzles are straightforward enough but there are a few multipart ones that will leave you scratching your head for a while. There was even a clue that I figured out in the wrong order, making the whole thing even harder to decipher. There is a great sense of satisfaction upon figuring out a mystery and it makes a great driving force to find the next solution. Completing each puzzle rewards you with the last key needed to escape and finish the game!
Visuals
The Xbox and Switch versions of NEScape! maintain its original NES aesthetic. The game screen is in a 4:3 aspect ratio and all in-game graphics are 8-Bit. Players can select a border to appear on the edges of the screen if desired. I do appreciate that even with its 8-Bit graphics everything in NEScape! is clearly legible and understandable. The visuals certainly serve the game well!
Audio
While making your escape from the room you are treated to a number of sweet tunes that change depending on where you are in your escape. NEScape! includes a number of audio clues and overall they work well. A few might be harder to make out at times but even then it just adds to the overall escape experience. A nice touch is that the background music does mute during these segments to ensure everything is as clear as possible.
Replayability
As this is a game based on escaping a single room you might not expect there to be much replay value after finally mastering it. And while this may be true in a traditional sense, the game does try to randomize a few of its puzzles to make it a challenge even on repeat playthroughs. While the overall flow is the same this can still be fun to see even on a new playthrough. Where I think the real replay value in the game is to turn it on during gatherings and watch others make their way through the obstacles to escape. The social aspects of this type of game are strong and always entertaining to be a part of!
What It Could Have Done Better
For what NEScape! is I really don’t have much to criticize about it. Sure I wish there could have been a bit more randomization to it to make repeat playthroughs more difficult, but considering this is an NES game first and foremost I understand that might not have been possible. Some of you out there may also like to know that one of the obstacles you overcome is a slide puzzle. While not a negative per se, it is a puzzle format that I know many dislike. Moving on to a more personal nitpick, I wish the achievements for the Xbox version extended to the end of the game. You can get 100% completion without ever having escaped the room.
Verdict
For the $10 asking price NEScape! can provide first-time players anywhere between 1-4 hours of puzzling challenges or longer depending on how experienced you are at this type of problem-solving. Once finished there may not be much left to do in the traditional sense but loading up the game with a group of friends who have yet to face its challenge can also be quite entertaining. If you are in the mood for a puzzler NEScape! is an easy recommendation!
