8 Bits

It is appropriate that the lead character in this short film appears to be a 30-something guy in his underwear because this is the target demographic for this short film. The plot is a 3D animated guy (let's call him the "boss") holds a woman prisoner (let's call her "the princess") and the lead character comes to rescue her from the boss and his many henchmen. This basic frame is really just enough to create a nostalgic throwback to the old school video games that would have been common in the youth of those viewers around the same age as the lead character here.

How well this works will depend on whether or not you are target audience. If the world of gaming is not one you care for, or your experience of gaming is limited to the current or recent generations then the appeal of this will be limited – you may appreciate the technology and the style, but otherwise it will be all visual. For those of us who quickly fall into such gaming nostalgia though, this film is very pleasing as it throws back to the older games of 2D side-scrolling beat 'em ups and has visual aspects which reference Megaman, Mario Brothers, Street Fighter, Legend of Zelda and others. The content around this is decent enough to hold it together and provide a boss level around it and as a genre piece it is fun.

The animation is impressive because not only is it effective and smooth, but the visual design is spot on so that even with a passing knowledge of 8-bit gaming, you will recognize the style for what it is. Likewise the soundtrack is typically old school and fits well. It is very much for target audience though because, while it can be appreciated at a superficial level by casual viewers, it does add more to be able to appreciate the references and get caught up in nostalgia at the same time.