Picking up where I left off after Mars Gardens, I had to dive headfirst into Walkabout Minigolf’s latest 8-bit Lair course. After playing through it, I can confidently say this course is an absolute blast, with tons of reimagined 80's retro flair.
The 8-bit Lair is set in a retro corporate hideout where you arrive to work your way through three floors, or levels as it were, eventually putting your way right into the digital heart of the villain’s lair.
On the first floor, you meet your digitized boss and start in an office setting where things are in total chaos. Picture Breakout-styled cubes as obstacles, mixed with classic office vibes—think desk clutter, paperwork, and cubicles, all arranged for you to putt around and through. One hole is even, as your evil boss (Vincent Vector) puts it, your new prison/cubicle.
Next, you reach the floor that really won me over: the arcade. This isn’t just any arcade, either. It’s loaded with everything from a disco floor to a few fully functional arcade machines! The machines might only use simple joystick commands that are a little tricky with VR controllers, but hey, it works! I loved the detail here, like the top-down sports car racer game. Overall it’s like stepping into an 80s fever dream, complete with collecting coins while putting for those hole-in-ones.
On the third level, you get hints about the evil boss’s grand plan: creating a digital world for him to control and converting real-world objects into digital cubes. I'm pretty sure if you ever watched Tron as a kid, you'll be having the same I-see-what's-going-on-here reaction that I did. Anyway, the lab has that kind of slap-stick sci-fi flick vibe, where really you're just being set up for the showdown in the final digital world section of the course.
Because, yes, the last quarter of the course throws you into an 80’s Synthwave digital landscape, bringing that classic Tron vibe to life. The graphics are all retro-futuristic, the music is a play on Axel F, and it's like stepping into an 8-bit world where you end up putting right into the heart of the evil boss himself! In classic boss-fight style, you blow him up, and hopefully, come away with a solid score.
One of my favorite parts of this game mode, as per usual, is collecting the hidden balls. The balls you find are all 80s-styled, and it’s awesome seeing them added to my collection alongside those from other courses. On the hard part of the course, you will also get a fun fox hunt to acquire a new digitized golf club. I had to look up clue 13 to be honest . . . and that makes me mad. I was so close to finding that clue on my own, but just didn't think to look down. Ahh well.
Also, as per usual, the course is more fun to play with friends, and yesterday I was able to join my buddies from the RuffTalk VR channel in a round through the easy course. We spent our time searching for the hidden balls and talking each other through the details we spotted around the course. And I’d love to say my VR headset didn’t try to sabotage me this time, but…well, it did. My attached battery just couldn’t keep up with the battery drain, so I was crashing out right at the end, which could have cost me my first-place win! Guess I’ve gotta keep my headset better charged for these pop-up game nights.
All in all, the 8-bit Lair is a must-play if you’re a fan of Walkabout Minigolf. From the unique floor themes to the arcade and virtual world scenes, it’s packed with great touches and loads of nostalgic charm. Plus, I’m just glad to post about it on time, not “$4 short and a month late” for once. I’ll definitely be jumping back in for another round soon.
Happy Dueling!
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