Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Alice in Cyberland offers a classic Japanese-style adventure structure that blends exploration with light combat and interactive storytelling. Players begin each chapter in Tokyo, freely exploring city streets, talking to NPCs, and uncovering clues about disturbances in Cyberland. The pacing here is deliberate—conversations are often rich in detail, encouraging players to piece together the narrative before diving into digital realms.

(HEY YOU!! We hope you enjoy! We try not to run ads. So basically, this is a very expensive hobby running this site. Please consider joining us for updates, forums, and more. Network w/ us to make some cash or friends while retro gaming, and you can win some free retro games for posting. Okay, carry on 👍)

When Alice and her teammates decide to “dive” into Cyberland, the experience shifts to an equally explorable virtual city. Navigation feels intuitive: you select locations on a map or walk through winding avenues pixel by pixel. Investigation involves interacting with terminals, hacking simple puzzles, and following visual cues that guide you toward hidden data nodes or rogue guard programs.

Combat in Alice in Cyberland is straightforward but strategic. Battles are turn-based, giving you the choice to attack, defend, or swap characters. Each of the three team members—Alice, Rena, and Juri—has unique skills that can turn the tide. While encounters rarely feel overwhelming, they offer a satisfying sense of progression as you unlock better programs and tools to handle higher-level guard systems.

Graphics

The visual style of Alice in Cyberland bridges charming 2D sprites with atmospheric backdrops that distinguish Tokyo’s bustling streets from the neon-lit grids of Cyberland. Character portraits during dialogue are expressively drawn, lending personality to Alice and her friends. Even on modern displays, the pixel art retains a nostalgic warmth.

Cyberland’s levels ramp up in intricacy as you ascend, with color palettes shifting from cool blues and purples in mid-tier zones to stark whites and reds in top-security areas. Subtle animations—flickering billboards, scrolling code streams, and idle program movements—bring this digital world to life and reinforce the feeling that you’re diving deeper into a living network.

Despite hardware limitations of the era, cutscenes and event illustrations stand out with additional detail. These moments often accompany key story beats, showcasing character expressions or dramatic vistas that elevate the narrative. In total, the graphics strike a fine balance between functionality during gameplay and artful presentation for major story moments.

Story

Set in 21st-century Tokyo, Alice in Cyberland explores the symbiosis of real and digital life through the eyes of junior-high student Alice Minazuki. The premise—that a clandestine digital world houses the nation’s most sensitive data—instantly intrigues, particularly when Alice inherits a specialized dive system from her developer father. This personal connection raises the stakes of her mission and deepens our investment in her success.

The narrative unfolds at a measured pace, with side activities in Tokyo—like arcade games and karaoke sessions—providing character-building interludes. These moments are not mere fluff; they reveal the personalities of Alice, Rena, and Juri and showcase writer Chiaki Konaka’s skill at blending everyday life with high-concept sci-fi. Fans of Serial Experiments Lain will recognize thematic echoes in the interplay between identity and networked reality.

Each chapter drives you closer to unraveling a larger conspiracy, and the stakes escalate as you breach higher-priority levels guarded by increasingly complex programs. Though the story occasionally leans on familiar tropes—mysterious organizations, rogue AI—the strong character dynamics and atmospheric writing keep it engaging from start to finish. The final revelations tie together personal and political threads in a way that feels earned.

Overall Experience

Playing Alice in Cyberland is akin to wandering through two parallel worlds that reflect and challenge one another. Tokyo’s calm streets provide breathing room between forays into the frenetic, code-driven hallways of Cyberland. This alternation crafts a satisfying rhythm that prevents exploration fatigue and keeps the narrative momentum alive.

For retro gaming enthusiasts, the mix of adventure, light RPG elements, and social-sim touches (like chatting with classmates or jamming at a karaoke bar) is a nostalgic trip. Modern players might miss deeper combat variety or 3D immersion, but the game shines through its writing, atmosphere, and the palpable chemistry among its protagonists.

Ultimately, Alice in Cyberland offers a compelling adventure that balances story, exploration, and accessible battles. Its choice of a teenage heroine and her friends as digital guardians provides a fresh spin on cyberpunk themes, making it an excellent pick for players who appreciate narrative-driven titles with a retro flair. Whether you’re in it for the mysteries of Cyberland or the charm of 21st-century Tokyo life, this title leaves a lasting impression well beyond the final credits.

Retro Replay Score

null/10