Everybody loves a good old fashioned taste of nostalgia. As such, the landscape of TV and movie production has changed drastically, as streaming services and production companies are taking classic programming and breathing new life into projects that had otherwise seemed completed. And then there are original shows like Stranger Things, which brought 80's nostalgia to the forefront in the thrilling sci-fi series. Stranger Things was chock full of 80's fashion and culture, so you'd think there was no way it could get any more nostalgic. But you'd be wrong.
The good folks over at CineFix have remade highlights from Stranger Things in the style of an 8-bit video game. And because the show is already set a few decades in the past, they perfectly compliment each other. Check it out.
I mean, come on. This video perfectly recreates the scenes from the show while bringing humor to an otherwise fairly serious series. Let's break down all the greatness that is in that little video.
To start, there's the opening sequence. Stranger Things' title sequence is already truly iconic, as it puts the audience in a place of anxiety and tension. But old school video games weren't exactly scored by a full orchestra, and instead used synthesizers and basic keyboard melodies. Hearing the Stranger Things theme done this way instantly put me in a fit of giggles, as I'm sure was the goal.
From there, we are thrown right into the action of the Netflix series. We start in Mike's basement, with the four boys playing Dungeons and Dragons. This "game" allows you to chose your own character, with Will Byers having powers of "fireball, protection spell, and rifle". We follow Will as he is attacked by the Demogorgon and taken into The Upside Down, and the show truly begins.
The Stranger Things 8-bit game continued with the themes of a classic RPG, which we can see when Dustin, Lucas, and Mike first encounter Eleven in the woods. Rather than simply going through the plot of the show, the game lets you know that "You Found A New Party Member!", and her telekinetic powers are now at the player's disposal.
No Stranger Things conversation can happen without mentioning everyone's favorite victim, Barb. The 8-bit version hilariously highlights Nancy's doomed best friend in her very short appearance on the series. We first see her at the party where Steve and Nancy have sex, and the game pokes fun at this by giving Steve a hilariously ridiculous line of dialogue "Let's get naked, Nancy". From there, Barb goes to take a sit on the diving board and the cartoon version of the Demogorgon appears to take her to The Upside Down. The video also features Eleven's journey into The Upside Down where she discovers poor Barb's body. Once again, the dialogue is hilarious and frankly informs us that "You found dead Barbara."
Overall, CineFix did a fantastic job at highlighting what is great about Stranger Things while also poking a bit of fun at the Netflix original series. Plus, who doesn't love 8-bit versions of popular movies and shows? No one.
