09/09/2019

It’s Like Earthbound, But With Hipsters (From The Attract Mode Archive: #100)

by Matthew Edward Hawkins

The following post originally appeared on attractmo.de, on April 15, 2014.
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PAX East 2014 just wrapped up, and all the major gaming outlets are currently filing reports on what they saw. And I’m curious to see who else noticed what was, unquestionably, the most exciting thing on the entire show floor (imho). And that’s Y2K by Ackk Studios.

Granted, it wasn’t nearly as polished as some other offerings, but given that the build on hand was pieced together in just over a month, that’s completely understandable. Y2K‘s the creation of some crazy kids in Jersey, who decided to make a JRPG that takes place in the US, and set during the turn of last century, as the title implies.

Plot details are a bit hazy, but I believe it stars some college graduate who’s still living at home with mom. But instead of looking for a job, he becomes obsessed with a girl’s death, which leads to much wasting of time on circa late 90s message boards. And along the way he discovers that some alien force is going to destroy the planet, or something like that.

Him and his two friends must save the day, and each attack enemies in a manner that you’d expect from hipsters. By throwing vinyl records, taking pictures, and playing the keytar. Personally the twentysomethings remind me more of the hipsters I encountered during the 2000s, back when I frequented makeoutclub, but that’s a minor nitpick.

Did I mention that the entire game is essentially one huge Deathcab For Cutie in-joke? Sorry for the possible spoiler. Anyhow, I asked Ackk Studios if there was a trailer, and was told not yet, so for now please enjoy this brief snippet of gameplay footage that I captured via Instagram.

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