On a silent summer evening
The sky's alive with lights
A building in the distance
Surrealistic sight
On Echo Beach
Waves make the only sound
On Echo Beach
There's not a soul around
Forgive the Martha and the Muffins lyrics, but they've been stuck in my head since I started playing Echo Generation, and not just because the lyrics …
On a silent summer evening
The sky's alive with lights
A building in the distance
Surrealistic sight
On Echo Beach
Waves make the only sound
On Echo Beach
There's not a soul around
Forgive the Martha and the Muffins lyrics, but they've been stuck in my head since I started playing Echo Generation, and not just because the lyrics are from the song Echo Beach, but also partially because they are. Echo Generation is by a little Canadian studio, Cococucumber, based in Ontario. Martha and the Muffins is an 80's new wave band from Toronto. Echo Generation is set in the 80s, a full Stranger Things type homage to 80s media including things like E.T., The Goonies*, and especially Explorers. That 80s vibe permeates all aspects of the game, from it's quaint 80's suburban decor to the new wave and synth mix tapes that you pick up to the very nature of your character as a latchkey kid.
But there's something about those lyrics that just resonates with me, and resonates with the content of Echo Generation. The lyrics perfectly capture the sunset backdrop of a summer evening, the surreal sight of a crashed alien ship in a cornfield. There's something comforting, familiar and eerie about those lyrics, and about Echo Generation. Ever so slightly ordinary yet uncanny.
Echo Generation is reminiscent of Super Mario RPG with it's combat and skill levelling system. It's very straightforward but you'll probably need to grind quite a bit to take on some enemies. Random encounters can also sneak up on you and cause a wipe at inopportune times. But once you get a handle on the system it's none too complicated.
The game has an odd story about aliens, time warps, intra-dimensional travel, and absentee parents. It's like your favourite NES games and episode of Are you Afraid of the Dark blended together. It's far from perfect, but it wears it's heart and influences on it's sleeve. If any of the various media objects I've mentioned throughout this write up interest you, you might want to give Echo Generation a chance.
