The VideoKid [Xbox]

Absolutely jam-packed with 80s references, from unlockable characters including the Trickster (copyright-safe Joker), to NPCs within levels such as Inspector Gadget and Pee Wee Herman, Pixel Trip Studios’ The VideoKid: 80s Edition is as much fun to play as it is to shout out whenever you spot a new reference. With a playstyle very similar in essence to classics such as Paperboy, it is hard.

You play as the titular VideoKid, a video-delivery boy who, after receiving a phone call from his girlfriend Jessica asking to meet her in the park, must finish his video round as quickly and efficiently as possible. This is easier said than done, mind you. Tossing VHS tapes into mailboxes as you skate along isn’t the hard part - it’s dodging all of the hazards in your way! You gain cash for every successful delivery, and your score increases with tricks you pull off, extra things you hit (such as certain NPCs or targets) and smashing windows. As you play, you’ll get used to how certain characters behave and what you need to be on the lookout for, but it is still very easy to find yourself distracted by something else going on on-screen, that leads to your demise.

It has a nice, blocky 3D style, and despite the low-res appearance, you can easily recognise all of the references you pass on your round. The screen does get a bit cluttered at times, which can be a bit off-putting as you’re trying to remember to throw your tapes, dodge cars as well as NPCs and jump over obstacles all at the same time, but it’s really enjoyable to spot all of the references as well as try to figure out the ones that aren’t immediately recognisable to you. Cars can come from behind to hit you when you least expect it, and sometimes characters will be standing just in front of coins you’re trying to collect, or partially blocking a mailbox so you need to go for it from a distance, making it a bit of a risky move to do things at times.

With music by Savant, the soundtrack is very retro-arcade feeling, and works perfectly here. There are eleven different skins for you to unlock, with pop-culture references galore here too. Each one costs more than the last, with the most expensive, ‘Princess-Ra’ coming in at $795. When you’re averaging a few bucks per run, this can make it feel pretty grindy to be able to afford each of the available skins, as well as the extra tricks you can purchase, too. Sadly, each of the skins are exactly that, just skins. It would have been great to see them have slight variables to the play-style, such as a higher jump, or the ability to throw multiple tapes at once. There are pickups throughout your route that provide temporary power ups such as the Mega Glove which does a faster throw speed for a short time or the Super Jump boots which let you do massive leaps over obstacles.

The controls are simple enough, but trying to handle everything on screen is the real challenge. You travel along a pre-determined 3-lane route, where you move the left stick to switch lanes. The furthest left lane is the pavement, which is closest to the houses, and therefore easiest to get the tapes delivered into the mailboxes. Here you’ll have to dodge various characters such as a Baywatch babe or Big Bird, whilst also keeping an eye out for any fire hydrants or benches to jump over. You can sometimes shoot big targets for extra points, as well as hit NPCs with your tapes (such as Alvin and the Chipmunks sitting on a bench, but I can never seem to manage hitting all three!). The middle lane is on the road, and cars will drive towards you for you to jump over. There will also be traffic cones, or holes in the ground as well as more characters for you to dodge round. And finally, the right-hand-side lane has cars coming from behind, as well as the other usual roadworks.

There seems to be quite a few bugs at present, at least within the Xbox version, where loading into the game or continuing after completing a level causes the game to freeze. We’ve been able to find a workaround for this by pressing the Xbox Guide button when it happens, which seems to jumpstart the game back into action - but it’s quite frustrating to have to do this so often. I tried checking to see if it would eventually load itself when it last happened at the end of a level, and it sat for a good 5 minutes or so, before the Cash Earned and money counter finally sprung into action. Overall we had a great time with The VideoKid: 80s Edition, but would love to see extra unlockable characters or different levels (maybe even a sequel!?), but at £3.99 on the Xbox Store - it’s a fantastic price for a short arcade title.

In the end, we decided to give The VideoKid the Collecting Asylum rating of 8/10.

Have you played The VideoKid yet? What did you think of it?
Let us know in the comments below!

- V x

Thank you to Pixel Trip Studios for The VideoKid Xbox review code!