Source:
SlashFilm
In anticipation of the fast-approaching
Stranger Things season 2, a real, playable
Stranger Things game will allow you to explore the weird world of Hawkins, Indiana, and the Upside Down in all of its pixelated glory.
In an excellent tie-in to
Stranger Things‘ arcade-centric second season, Netflix has released an action-adventure top-down Android and iOS video game that makes a clear callback to classic
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Metroid, and
Double Dragon games.
The game starts you off as Chief Hopper searching the Hawkins Lab for Will and the other missing kids, and then plunges you into various scenarios from the first season: Mike being chased on his bike by threatening government agents, Nancy hacking her way through the woods, and Hopper exploring the Upside Down. There are a few non-show additions like Lucas fighting an evil scientist or Will escaping through the sewers — which could be game-only missions, or perhaps a hint at season 2.
The video game is quite lovingly made, with users given the chance to do the requisite fighting and punching, but also to try their hand at puzzle solving. In Hawkins Lab, for example, you need to disable a series of security lasers. Specific characters have special abilities that help you in the game too, like Lucas’ slingshot. The icon for the game in the app stores is even made to look like an old-school cartridge.