Gaijin Games' BIT.TRIP franchise is all about being weird, from it's retro visuals, to it's gameplay, to the fact that Aksys Games, a company known for localizing 2D fighters and obscure RPGs, published all four games. The latest in the series, RUNNER, isn't any less weird. RUNNER is the first game that lets you play directly as Commander Video, the franchise's mascot.
The gameplay is simple, Commander Video is running, there are obstacles in your path. The only way to avoid them is by jumping over, sliding under or kicking through them. RUNNER's simplicity is it's greatest aspect, as it combines the classic gameplay of an Atari-era title with the rhythm-based gameplay of more modern titles and the previous BIT.TRIP titles. The levels are littered with coins and powerups. If you are successful in collecting all the coins in a level, then you're able to enter a special bonus stage. The Power-ups change the music in the level as well as giving the Commander his trademark Rainbow trail.
All obstacles must be destroyed!
When I mentioned that the gameplay was the greatest aspect... I lied. Though it's fantastic, the presentation is where the real strength lies, especially in the audio department. The game has an obvious 8-bit aesthetic, the characters, the backgrounds are all pseudo-retro and look fantastic. But the music is the real winner here. They rhythms flow seamlessly with Commander Video's on-screen actions and get even catchier as you gather power-ups through the level. At it's core, the BIT.TRIP franchise is all Rhythm-based, it just won't show it. RUNNER is no different, it's all cleverly hidden behind retro-platforming.
One of the Atari-inspired Bonus Stages.
The game also features a pair of songs by the Chiptune-Rock band
Anamanaguchi on the menu and in the credits as a nice little bonus. Overall, the game is fun, challenging and clever. If you like either rhythm-games or retro-goodness, then you'll find something to love in BIT.TRIP RUNNER. You can purchase it for 800 Wii Points ($8) in the WiiWare section of the Shop Channel. Do it. Right now.
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Kyle K.
Fantastic write up for an amazing game. I spent a few hours with it this afternoon and wish I had more to spare cause it deserves to be played right now. This series is an amazing reason to have your Wii connected to the internet, and to have points sitting in your store account.
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