Most people who come to my blog do so for two reasons. Retro music and retro art. Seeing as the semi-recently released Bit.Trip.Beat is an insane combination of both of these things, I figured I’d offer my opinion about the game.
Overall, it was well worth the price. I can’t say I didn’t wish it was longer than 3 levels, but damn were they tough. I’m not the most avid video-gamer, so perhaps this game would be easier for someone of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band mindset. Okay, time for the in depth review…
Introduction to the Game– Without referencing any outside opinions or reading anything about the game, the plot seems to be a crude pixelated man floating through space who is either piloting the player’s pong-like paddle or acts as the enemy, which tosses pixel after pixel of “star dust” and debris at you as you chase him from planet to planet…or something like that. These pixelated pieces contribute tones to the bit-licious soundtrack as they enter the screen, collide with your paddle, and when they leave the area. They come in all formations and speeds and move in patterns from straight-on to a sin-like zig-zag, and in some ways that cannot be described with words. Some of my friends have watched me play and stated “this game was made for you”, as if to imply that it is not made for everyone…I would have to agree. This is not a button mash or careless swinging of the Wiimote – it takes a good feel for the controls (however simple they are), and a lot of practice, just like the good old days!
*shakes fist at Ninja Gaiden II*Configuration– All you need is the Wiimote. It makes things simple, just like the graphics, sound and music in the game.
Control– The setup is simple: the player holds the Wiimote sideways and tilts it forward and back to shift the paddle up and down. The buttons all make tones of their own, but thus far I have yet to find a purpose for them. It just seems to serve as one more distraction for the player, so I’d recommend forgetting I said anything about them…
Graphics and Sound– The graphics are bad. Very bad. Intentionally bad. I love it. While the graphics themselves are not of high quality, since that’s the point of a throwback to the Atari and Nintendo days, the use of these graphics is great. In the foreground of game-play are very simple pixels, more reminiscent of Atari graphics, but the use of transparency and varying levels of pixel size add depth to the feel of the graphics. Once things start to really pick upthings can get a bit confusing, due to the number of solid, bright colors flying around, but that’s the nature of the game, not a graphical flaw. The background is horribly distracting, since there is so much cool stuff going on in the background with what can only be described as 3-D pixels. In the third level, there is a brain being constructed almost like legos…very cool to see if you’re not the one playing, but frustrating if you are playing. The key is focus.
Another cool thing about the graphics is the danger mode. Basically, once you miss a certain number or percentage of “beat-pixels”, the word “danger” starts flashing in red around the screen, then you enter a completely monochromic mode with no music, and simple pong sounds. If you continue to miss too many pixels, then the game is over. If you recover, however, then you re-enter the normal colorful, upbeat mode. It’s really satisfying on some level.
The music, especially for a huge fan of chip-tunes like myself, is near perfect. The way the tones and notes interact with the game-play is so baffling, it must have taken a genius to design and program the sequences the player faces throughout the game. Each level has a different, but very catchy tune that may very well get stuck in your head from playing the levels over and over. Once you are comfortable enough with the game-play (or have played enough times that you have essentially memorized the first half of the current level) it’s really cool to watch all the pieces and how they contribute to the song.
Game and Storyline — Not much to say here, since it’s a party game. As I mentioned in the intro, the storyline is open to interpretation, and the game itself is simple for the sake of fun.
The challenge level is up there, but I wouldn’t say it’s super-hard. It’s difficult, but not near impossible. The third level might raise the bar significantly higher above the second level than the second did above the first, but all-in-all, what is required of the player is not impossible. The patterns may be very challenging, but the player is afforded quite a few mistakes.
Conclusion — Overall, great game, very fun, addicting (for as long as it lasts), and well balanced in terms of the challenge it presents. I do wish it was longer, but it’s probably better that it’s not, considering the level of frustration one could experience from the game.
I give Bit.Trip.Beat an 8/10 by today’s standards and a 9.9/10 as a personal rating…but I’m just old school like that.
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