Okay, innovative retro gaming stuff here with a 1991 cult classic that’s called Out of This World over in stupid America. Like we care. We’re British!

Another World

This was kind of a big deal back in the day, like an indie game before indie games took off around 2008.

Éric Chahi is behind it. Now 51, he’s still creating indie games. But this one is thought of as his defining work. Primarily due to the sci-fi themes and advanced graphics.

It launched on the Atari ST and Amiga. The action-adventure platformer is cinematic in its approach, telling the story of Lester.

The young scientist has had an experiment go wrong, transporting him to an dangerously insane world!

It got a port to the Super Nintendo eventually and you can see the original look of the game.

The subsequent anniversary editions feature updated graphics, although you can switch between the old and new look at the click of the button (that’s a popular feature in many remakes, such as with Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap).

And when we played through it we were surprised by how short it is. You can have it done in half an hour. Although, naturally, most games were a lot shorter circa 1990.

Chahi spent two years developing the title by himself, although Jean-François Freitas created the soundtrack.

Otherwise the former created an entire game engine, did all the animations, plot, pacing, and rotoscoping. And the game, for 1991, looks incredible. So very well done indeed, Chahi!

These days the game is quite simplistic and wasn’t exactly riveting for us to run through, but the cutscenes and “mature” feel of the game was a big deal back in the day.

In 1998, he went on to create The Heart of Darkness for the PlayStation, although it didn’t meet with the best reviews.

Since then he takes the occasional hiatus from creating new indie experiences. It wasn’t until 2005 that he followed up the above thing.

But for a slice of intriguing gaming history, do take a peak at Another World as it’s on the Nintendo Switch. And various other platforms.

And it left an indelible impact on the games industry. And made the Amiga look cool, dammit, even when Nintendo and Sega were whooping everything around them.

And to do something like that, you really do need a sound mind on you. Kudos, Chahi.