Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Bit.Trip Runner

Developer: Gaijin Games
Publisher: Aksys Games
Release Date: May 17, 2010
System: Wii
ESRB Rating: E

In a nutshell: Trippy retro rhythm platform timing jumping action GO!

0:00 I've liked the Bit.Trip games in the past, but I absolutely loved this rhythm/platform game hybrid when I tried it out briefly at this year's Game Developers Conference. The guy running the booth said I was a natural when I blazed through a few levels on the first try. Aw, shucks.

0:01 I spend a few minutes clearing off enough space on my Wii's internal memory to host the 319 blocks this game needs to run. I'm sure I'll ignore the Mario Kart channel just as much on the SD card as on the main menu screen...

0:04 I'm watching my sister down in Maryland this week, which means I get to play this game on my dad's 1,000,000 inch flat screen TV. OK, it's really only 70 inches or so, but it's still a bit disconcerting to see the games blocky, retro graphics on such a huge screen.

0:05 A bunch of logos, then the title appears with some bouncy chiptunes and a very strong backbeat. Commander Video -- an black obelisk with arms, legs and a white slit for eyes -- runs in place on the main menu screen, with an early '80s rainbow trail behind him. Zone 1, named Impetus, is the only one available. Level 1-1 is named First Contact, appropriately enough.

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