The Big Con is a heart-warming coming of age story that will delight 90s kids, referential-humor enjoyers, and those with sticky fingers. Its relatable protagonist never loses her heart of gold, despite the horrible circumstances she finds herself in, which serves as a shining testament to the dev team’s ability to carefully craft a story using controversial mechanics.
The Big Con
Mighty Yell · Aug 31, 2021
About
Hustle through the 90s in THE BIG CON, an adventure game where you’re an awkward teen hustling to save her family video store from gangsters.
Play as Ali, a high school junior gone AWOL from band camp to seek revenge on the loan sharks that threaten her mom’s video store. (Fighting with your mom is YOUR job. No one else gets to do that.) Maybe you’ll profit from the latest collectible plushie craze, and make an interesting friend or two along the way.
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- 8.5If you are nostalgic for the gaming scene of the 90s, The Big Con is a can’t-miss throwback. But even if you are maybe a little younger, or sick of wallowing in that most radical of eras, you may find a lot to like. It’s certainly a very cool con artist story, which is appealing to me. Funny and a little melancholy, The Big Con is exactly the sort of adventure game I’ve been wanting to play for decades.
- 7.0The Big Con is a pleasant nostalgic road trip, where cassette tapes still need to be rewound, MTV still plays music videos, and America's capitalist excess is exemplified by the relative quaintness of the bustling shopping mall.
- The Big Con is a charming adventure title filled with heart, comedy, and nostalgia. A great way to experience the '90s without a time machine.
- 7.9As someone who grew up in the 90’s and watched countless hours of Nickelodeon, the art style alone is an instant sell, but The Big Con is more than that. The game has a great sense of humor and the story stays entertaining throughout. It might not be Da Bomb, but it would definitely be worth a rental.
- 6.0It’s entertaining while it lasts, and developer Mighty Yell has absolutely nailed the 90s cartoon aesthetic. But The Big Con is devoid of much real substance. Had there been more narrative, better character development and more engaging missions, this could have been something special. As it is, it feels like an underdeveloped concept that falls short of its promises.
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