Old School Gamer Magazine chats with The Good Old Days developer Tazaki Ryoh about his newest game coming this Fall to the Nintendo Switch.
About The Good Old Days:
The Good Old Days is a heartfelt tribute to the golden age of youth, blending the charm of 1980s juvenile films with the pixel-perfect style of retro platformers. Everywhere you turn in the world of Arostia, you’ll find clever homages and hidden gems that will spark memories of the good old days. From boss battles inspired by beloved childhood toys to locations that echo the look and feel of classic arcades and playgrounds, The Good Old Days is packed with moments designed to make you smile.
Old School Gamer Magazine: How was this game born?
Tazaki Ryoh: I always wanted to try making a Metroidvania at some point.
Instead of putting the main focus on battles, I thought it’d be interesting to highlight things like unique characters, exploration, and events. By doing that, I felt we could set it apart from other Metroidvanias and create something with its own identity.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What is your role in the game?
Ryoh: I worked on the game design, art, and story. I also gave direction to the programmers and was involved in selecting the background music and sound effects.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What has development been like?
Ryoh: It was mainly just me and one programmer working on the game. I’m based in Tokyo, while the programmer lives in Osaka, and since we both had day jobs, we could only work at night. So, every day from around 9 p.m. to midnight, we’d put in about three hours, communicating through Discord as we went.
After four years of working like that, we finally started to see the finish line.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What makes this game special?
Ryoh: First of all, you need to save up a certain amount of money to clear the game. How you earn that money is up to the player; It could be by defeating bosses, finding hidden treasures, completing events, or winning mini-games. There are plenty of different ways to approach it.
Another key feature is that it’s designed around multiple playthroughs. The first run is fairly straightforward and linear, but since items carry over into your next run, each subsequent playthrough opens up new areas right from the beginning. With every clear, the level of freedom increases, and by the end it almost feels like an open-world game where you can go virtually anywhere from the start.
On top of that, the story moves forward with each playthrough. For example, the ending of the first run directly connects to the second run’s ending, and so on. Each time you finish the game, the story progresses, which keeps players motivated to replay.
The characters are also a big highlight. Once you rescue them in the game, you can switch and play as them. Since each character has unique abilities, choosing who to play as depending on the situation becomes a key part of the strategy. Some events will even branch differently depending on which character you’re playing as, or who you’ve rescued, so their individuality really comes through in the story as well. The game also explores the friendships and struggles of youth, which adds another layer of charm.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What games influenced this one the most?
Ryoh: The story and setting were influenced by 1980s coming-of-age films, like The Goonies and Stand by Me.
As for the gameplay itself, I drew inspiration from classic Famicom (NES) titles such as The Goonies II and Mother.
Old School Gamer Magazine: Any fun stories or wild moments during development?
Ryoh: Originally, the title of the game was going to be “The Noogies,” but it felt way too close to The Goonies, and I realized that could be a problem. So, we held an internal contest to come up with new title ideas and that’s how we ended up with The Good Old Days.
But at that time, the game only had a single ending, not the evolving endings it does now. The problem was that the ending was pretty predictable… exactly the kind of thing you’d expect from a game with that title, so it just didn’t have much impact. We knew it needed something more surprising and powerful.
That’s when the idea came up. What if the story actually progressed with each playthrough, unlocking new developments and twists every time you complete the game? In a way, you could say the title itself inspired us to change the endings and push them in a more unexpected direction.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What were the major lessons learned?
Ryoh: Since I had never made a Metroidvania before, I learned a lot about the importance of level design and how crucial it is to make the action feel satisfying to play.
At the same time, because I was handling so many parts of the project myself, I had the freedom to create what I wanted, but I also came to realize my own limitations. I think those experiences will be really valuable moving forward.
Old School Gamer Magazine: Do you think preserving older gameplay mechanics in new games is important?
Ryoh: A lot of older games were made under strict limitations, so developers had to be creative about how to make them fun. Because of that, many of those games had a kind of fundamental “gameplay-first” appeal that didn’t rely on graphics, scale, or flashy presentation.
That core appeal really became the foundation for modern games, and most titles today are still built on top of that groundwork. It’s something that’s already deeply familiar to players, so it doesn’t require explanation. In fact, I think that familiarity is a huge advantage; players can dive right in and enjoy the game without having to learn new systems from scratch. That’s why I believe it’s so important.
Old School Gamer Magazine: The marketplace is crowded. How do you think you stand out?
Ryoh: Even though it’s a Metroidvania, it has several unique elements that set it apart:
- The clear condition of the game isn’t to defeat the final boss, but to save up a certain amount of money. And since there are many different ways to earn it, each player can have their own unique experience.
- The game is designed for multiple playthroughs. At first, it starts out as a straightforward, linear adventure, but with every clear, more freedom opens up. Eventually, it almost becomes like an open-world game. On top of that, the story progresses with each ending, so every run moves the story forward.
- The main characters are boys in their youth, going through that sensitive time of life where they deal with worries, encourage each other, argue, and grow together. They set out on a grand adventure, each using their own special abilities. It’s very much in the spirit of classic 1980s coming-of-age films, and I think it’s a story that resonates especially strongly with adult men who grew up in that era. Old School Gamer Magazine: How have your previous experiences in industry helped this game?
Ryoh: I originally started as a pixel artist, but over my 25 years in the industry, I’ve worked on a variety of projects like modeling, animation, game design for mini-games, and data creation.
Thanks to that broad experience, I was able to take on many roles myself in this project, including game design, art, and story.
Old School Gamer Magazine: How do you want this game to ultimately be remembered?
Ryoh: I’d be really happy if playing the game made people remember their own childhood and feel inspired to reach out to their old friends from those days.
Old School Gamer Magazine: What’s next?
Ryoh: We’re thinking of creating a spin-off using the characters from this game, but with a bit of a twist on the usual Metroidvania style.
Old School Gamer Magazine: Anything else you’d like to add?
Ryoh: This is a Metroidvania filled with exploration, unique characters and events, and lots of nostalgic elements. I hope everyone will give it a try and enjoy it!
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