Game Review: 'The Good Old Days'

The Good Old Days is far more than just a nostalgic pixel romp; it's a heartfelt, expertly crafted Metroidvania that successfully bottles the lightning of a classic 1980s adventure. Taking on the role of young Sean in the fictional, vaguely 19XX-era town of Arostia, players are tasked with an impossible mission: pay off his missing father’s debt to a loan shark by the end of the day. To do this, Sean must venture into the vast underground, rescue his three captured friends, and find money through exploration, minigames, and courage.

The game shines brightest in its storytelling and character work. It immediately evokes the spirit of The Goonies, trading the search for One-Eyed Willy’s treasure for a desperate, time-sensitive quest for cash. Like Mikey and his crew, Sean and his friends—Foodie, Bruce, and Doc (collectively known as "The Noogies")—are resourceful underdogs fighting an insurmountable adult problem. As you rescue them, they become playable, each possessing a unique ability essential for navigating Arostia's labyrinthine sewers and hidden zones. This mandatory character-swapping mechanic perfectly captures the "we’re all in this together" teamwork that defined the 80s young-adult adventure genre.

Where the game truly surpasses simple imitation is in its unexpected structural influence from the classic JRPG EarthBound. While it retains a Metroidvania platforming core, the overall atmosphere is pure Mother series eccentricity. The vibrant, expressive 16-bit pixel art, the small-town setting facing hidden dangers, and the refusal to lean on traditional fantasy tropes all feel like a direct homage to Ness and his friends. Like EarthBound, the threats here are often bizarre and grounded in a subversion of Americana, making the adventure feel intensely personal and quirky. The bosses aren't dragons or wizards, but strange, memorable figures or mechanical oddities, tying back to the game’s core theme: the biggest adventures happen right in your own backyard.

The gameplay, which encourages exploration and gives the player the freedom to choose whether to engage in combat, pay debts through simple quests, or try their luck at a lottery, is genius. The multiple ending system, which evolves with each subsequent playthrough, transforms the game from a one-shot experience into a cyclical narrative of growing up.

Ultimately, The Good Old Days is a monumental success. It expertly marries the high-stakes, group-focused exploration of The Goonies with the warm, bizarrely humorous small-town setting and emotional resonance of EarthBound. It’s a rewarding, beautiful game that doesn't just celebrate nostalgia, but uses it as a foundation for something new and brilliant.

Publisher provided review code.