Now for the next game in the series, Bit.Trip Core, released in 2009.
Now this game is more of a shooter in the most simplest of definitions. You play as a plus-shaped ship known as the Core, as you fire a laser at squares in four directions in time with the beat of the music.
If you think Beat was difficult, this gets hard very quickly since squares are moving very sporadically and multiple squares are moving around at once to the point where you’ll find it difficult to get into a rhythm to not screw up. If you haven’t got any Rhythm, you ain’t going to get far…that and trial and error is also the element of the day in which the more you play it, the more you get a full understanding of it.
Beat’s style of gameplay also revolves around Rhythm, but I feel that its special effects make it hard to enjoy it when it isn’t confusing you. What I’m trying to say is, the game is just as hard, if not harder than Beat but makes for a fun time trying to not screw up.
We still have modes like Hyper, Mega and Nether. But if you get good at Mega, you go up to the new mode, Super, in which sounds echo and a florish of rainbow effects, though thankfully doesn’t do my head in.
Other than that, there’s a lot of elements that are familiar with Beat, from the graphics, to the style of music that’s still catchy.
Overall, Bit.Trip Core is another simple but difficult game in the same style as Beat, if you liked that game, you might get a kick out of this one.
Now THIS next game, is something else.
Bit.Trip Void, released in 2009 in Japan and in the US, and in 2010 in Europe.
You play as a circle known as a Void, as you move around collecting black squares in time with the beat whilst avoiding the white squares. I wonder if that means something? NAH!
The more you collect black squares without missing a beat, the void will grow, but will shrink if you touch white squares. WHAT IF IT DOES MEAN SOMETHING? NOPE!
The modes return, with Super, Hyper, Mega and Nether. But THIS one has a new mode: Ultra, making the level design looking like a drug trip.
The first two games were OK but difficult. Void is still difficult but so much fun to play, since it’s much easier to follow Rhythms thanks to the freedom of moving around, it’s all about trying your best to avoid anything white so not to drop a mode…so how’s your evening?
Out of the first three Bit.Trip games, Void I feel is of the more accessible to most players due to being able to get into it and the difficulty being hard but fair on this one…even if you die and continue at the cost of the points you accumulated…of course, it really isn’t gut wrenching at all.
The graphics are more downplayed for something trying to still be flashy, but isn’t as distracting or hurt the eyes since the colours blend in very well.
Overall, Bit.Trip Void is probably the best game in the series so far thanks to being more accessible, and for being addictive to play, and for being fun whilst challenging yourself not to screw up rather than a tough game of “guess where the square will fly next”. This is one I can recommend wholeheartedly.
And finally for today, the game that is the most well-known.
Bit.Trip Runner, released in 2010 worldwide.
This game is a 2D platformer with endless runner elements. You play as Commander Video, as you collect gold and dodge obstacles in time with the beat of the tune (do you now understand the whole series now?). Anyway, throughout World 1, you’ll get to understand the controls, being able to jump, then slide, then pressing up to use a spring and then kick to destroy a specific obstacle. After that, it’s all up to you.
You must get to the goal whilst dodging obstacles and the like. Failing to do you will send you back to the beginning of the level, which I feel is odd for a series that beat your arse for not being good enough, but the levels get harder, especially when you try to collect gold. Collecting all the gold in the level will grant you access to a bonus level to collect more gold but the graphics are in the style of an Atari 2600 game.
The modes return in the form of a power-up. Once again we have Hyper, Mega, Super, Ultra and new for this game: Extra. Finally, we have our new Street Fighter II revision. Joking aside, they work the same way they did in previous games, adding more to the music and graphics.
It’s another simple, but fun game, but I feel it can be repetitive. Even on the hardest levels I get more bored of it then. I’m thinking it’s because I played many Endless Runner-style games like Temple Run and the like and the more it was saturated on mobile, the more I get fed up with it all. It’s also the fact that a lot of indie titles have something repetitive in the worst way possible, which is why my experience has been nearly diminished because of this. It’s basically playing a 2010 game eight years later where everyone has made games like this to the point of over-saturation,
And I say nearly, because despite my issues, I really like this game, it’s one of those games where it works fine. It has that addictive gameplay that can appeal to both casual and hardcore players, but mostly the casual crowd whose gaming experience consist of mobile gaming…which is weird because this never got a mobile port. I feel that it can work on a mobile because of its repetitive structure. I’m guessing that for me, its one of those games where I can play it in a much better mood. And what’s great is that the levels are short so its best to play a few at a time to get a much better experience of it.
Overall, Bit.Trip Runner is that mobile game fleshed out but not enough to put an even fresher take on the Endless Runner series. It’s best to play it in short bursts. It’s a solid game, I won’t lie, but my issues stem from my own gaming experience and what I like and dislike in games in general, as I’ve pointed out in several reviews from days gone by. But if the game described interests you, give it a go.
Tomorrow is the final part of the Bit.Trip series as I conclude with Fate and Flux.