Review of The New 8-bit Heroes (2016) by Jason B — 23 Nov 2016

The New 8-Bit Heroes offers a delightful and modern peek into the dramatic yet comical nature of crafting a nostalgic piece of art using a painfully archaic set of tools. The filmmaker (Joe Granato) thrusts you into his world of semi-delusional and often times maddening creativity as he takes you step by step on his journey of creating a brand spanking new Nintendo game (yes, a 'brand new' game for the 'brand old' NES, a system which has now been obsolete for 20+ years). To someone not familiar with artistic processes such as creating a video game, writing and editing a novel, or even shooting and editing a film with thousands of hours of footage, the creation of a Nintendo game on a physical cartridge, using proprietary 1980's NES creation software makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. To many of us who are immersed in the video game culture that 'was', and that valuable retro subculture that tends to get lost in the doldrums of today's plethora of games that lack true heart, soul and lifeblood, Joe is a 'prophet' sent to us to create another Legend of Zelda that we can force our kids fall in love with. That being said, watching Joe persevere through his trials and tribulations at every point in the development process pulls even the non-gamer into the story by offering many laughs, tense moments of impending disaster, rich educational moments that help us understand what he is going through, and at many points massive sympathy for him for the losses he has endured in creating his 'Citizen Kane' of NES games. But it really is the range of characters that Joe meets along the way that truly tell the story. From his right hand man Austin who you could consider as the chief animation architect, to the crazy Jay and Silent Bob-esque video game nerds in Middle America, to the members of the Church of Nintendo outside of Orlando, and even the man himself 'The Angry Video Game Nerd' (via Cinemassacre who commands over 2.1 million Youtube subscribers) all pitch in and add to the richness of the project. All the way to the end of the film, the trajectory of the story keeps you on the edge of your seat, hoping beyond hope that Joe will be able to fulfill his dream and create the actual game.

I loved every minute of The New 8-Bit Heroes, and I believe there is no shortage of young gamers AND retro gamers who would absolutely love this journey. Not to mention, I can't wait to play the game when it is complete!