The series began with the debut of Bit.Trip Beat, releasing in the US on March 16th, 2009 for the Nintendo Wii. The game can be simply described as "Pong with music", but the complexity and joy to be found from this simple concept is far greater than you'd ever anticipate. Players take control of Commander Video in the form of a Pong paddle, deflecting pixelated beats as they bounce from right to left in increasing complexity and creative patterns. In fact, for the Wii version, players would actually twist the Wii remote to control the paddle, emulating the controls just like the original Pong. The combination of groovy undertones and the act of deflecting these beats creates the unique sensation that you yourself are creating this incredibly catchy and satisfying soundtrack. Gameplay and music become synonymous components in ways rarely felt in other music games. Be forewarned though, this game is tough as nails and not for the feint of heart. This first entry lacked any sort of checkpoint system, and though it is only three levels, each level is roughly 15 minutes long to power through. With a variety of unique power-ups that required quick reactions and incredible precision, this was a game that could be particularly punishing, but also very satisfying to replay and go for high scores (while enjoying those sweet melodies).
The series continued with Bit.Trip Core, which required four-direction input as you shot lasers from a d-pad block, and Bit.Trip Void, which had players move a pixelated circle around the screen collecting beats and growing in size. While these each were fun and novel concepts, they didn't quite compare to the elegance that was the original (although music thankfully stayed a key element to the series). The next entry though, Bit.Trip Runner, saw a successful and invigorating return to form. Released in the US on May 17th, 2010, the game took the simple concept of an auto-scrolling runner combined with the satisfying unity of rhythm and music the series had become so well known for. Taking direct control of Commander Video, players would progress through a series of increasingly challenging levels, learning new techniques to jump, slide, punch, and springboard their way to success and many shiny, pixelated gold bars. The gold bars added a nice extra degree of challenge for high scores, while not punishing the players who just want to survive to the finish line. Also scattered about the levels were power-ups that increased the score multipliers while dynamically altering the accompanying soundtrack in fantastic fashion.
The series then followed-up with Bit.Trip Fate, a dubstep rhythm rail shooter that seemed to miss the mark in capturing the great unison of gameplay and music. Fortunately, the series concludes in spectacular fashion by returning to the formula that started it all. Released in the US on February 28th, 2011, Bit.Trip Flux revisits the concept of "Pong with music", but takes many of the lessons and melodic rifts that this series has grown and learned from. There are now checkpoints that only aid in the difficulty, but also compel players to keep playing should they stumble and fail. There are bonus beats cleverly hidden in each song requiring keen reactions and moves, but thankfully do not penalize the player should they be skipped. And the music in this particular entry, is perhaps one of my favorite soundtracks to be found in all of gaming. The music dynamically changes as players pull off chains and combos, which if you reach Meta level, results in a symphony of strings and beats that is amazingly satisfying. Truly a masterpiece in which one can easily lose themselves to these incredible grooves.
While the series technically finishes with this perfect conclusion that is Bit.Trip Flux, there was still the desire for the developers to return and grow ideas from the series, specifically with Bit.Trip Runner. Thus in 2013, Runner 2 was released to the world. While retaining the same auto-running musical gameplay, this game boasts now vibrant 3D visuals in a much wackier, trippy variety of vistas. There are also more characters to unlock and moves to coordinate, such as the ability to dance for extra points, though this risks temporary immobility for those alluring points. But the delightfully silly animations are often worth any mistake to occur.
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| The hills have eyes...and monocles apparently. Fabulous! |
And in roughly one month, this spin-off sequel shall continue with Runner 3, to release on all current platforms (yes, including the Nintendo Switch). This entry looks to continue to explore ideas such as segments with vehicles, double-jumping, and branching paths. And plenty of off-beat and strange humor to boot as well. But most importantly, let's hope it continues to bring their dose of delicious jams and tasty tunes. Groove on Commander Video!
Fun Fact: Cutscenes and menus in Runner 2 are narrated by none other, Charles Martinet, more famously known as the voice of Mario in the Super Mario series (among other flagship characters).
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