From the game’s cover, which pays homage to Tron, and the game-within-a-game frame narrative that pays tribute to Captain N, Studio Koba clearly reveres the pop culture touchstones of the 80s. In certain respects, Narita Boy could be considered a period piece, though it isn’t a pure nostalgia trip. Both Eduardo and Salvinsky mention that the game provides a sort of alternate universe portrayal of the ’80s, with a narrative that is completely situated in that era, but with modern flourishes and speculative twists. Eduardo led the discussion on development, narrative, and mechanics, but when it came to the game’s music, he deferred to Salvinsky’s expertise.
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The 80s: Today
One term in particular stands out in regards to the musical aspects of Koba’s maiden voyage: synthwave. The game’s score was carefully crafted to evoke that specific genre of music. When asked to describe synthwave and what it means to him and the project, Salvinsky provided this nuanced definition:
Synthwave has enjoyed a surge of popularity as of late, following the breakout successes of 80s influenced media such as Stranger Things, but Salvinsky’s observation about the availability of modern musical tools is an astute one. Even a mid-range computer is capable of synthesizing audio that meets or surpasses the quality of game music from that era, and a skilled composer or sound designer can create musical tracks that evoke the era where synthesized pop was king. And, as older millennials hit their professional stride, more artists inspired by the 80s are emerging and sharing their music online.
Music is also a powerful and unorthodox vehicle for exploring speculative fiction. William Gibson’s seminal cyberpunk work, Neuromancer, now reads as anachronistic, showcasing an intriguing but inaccurate vision of what the internet, virtual reality, and politics might have looked like if things played out differently. Eduardo mentioned that Neuromancer was one of many 80s influences on the game, and its score engages in a similar thought experiment: what if the synth-heavy sounds of the 80s persisted to modern day?
Synth Epicness and the Circularity of Arpeggio
In terms of why synthwave music was specifically chosen for Narita Boy, Salvinsky continued:
Repetition and escalation are key ingredients in establishing a mood, and arpeggio covers both bases, with the melody steadily evolving via note by note progression. This is especially true of tense and suspenseful situations, where danger is immediately present or possibly lurking behind a shadowy corner.
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The cyberpunk-esque sounds of heavy synth also tie into Narita Boy’s frame narrative, which features a unique game-within-a-game conceit. Synth music is gleefully inorganic, revering technology, electronics, and the enthusiasm for the technological breakthroughs of the 80s that laid the groundwork for our online world. That zeitgeist is an powerful one, evoking a similar sound to the score of Tron, which was indeed, epic.
Nostalgia Trip
Salvinsky went on to discuss the role of nostalgia in Narita Boy’s sound. Inspired by classic TV intros (Knight Rider, Air Wolf, Street Hawk and others), Salvinsky’s tracks evoke the same excitement as those pulpy, televised, techno-adventures. Even though coasting on nostalgia is often derided as a crutch, it can be also be an incredibly powerful tool for tapping into specific emotional connections. The sounds force players to engage with the medium through the lens of the era the nostalgia evokes.
All of that said, Narita Boy’s influences don’t begin and end with the ’80s. As Salvinsky said, modernization of ’80s sounds is a key part of synthwave, and he was influenced by modern electronic artists such as Deadmau5 and Daft Punk.
Narita Boy is available now for Linux, Mac, PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox
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