Bit. Trip Runner

Developer: Gaijin Games
Steam Release: Feb 2011
Hours Played: 4.8
Similar To: Color Guardians / Mevo and the Grooveriders / Geometry Dash / Slip
Rating:  4/5 Parsnips



GAMEPLAY
This is a rhythm/reaction game where a black 8-bit figure runs at a regular speed along platforms with obstacles blocking his way. As he approaches these objects you react with one of five moves; jump, slide, kick, springboard and block. Actions are accompanied by sparkling notes that become more intense and melodious as you go. After choosing and entering a level, Mr. 8-Bit Man starts his running journey from the left. With no control over speed or direction, all the player has to do is make sure the jump button is pressed at the right moment to leap over rocks. After this, at the next level, the sliding mechanism is introduced to zip under flying saucers and under huge sweeping insect heads. Then the kicking feature to smash through purple shards is brought in followed by the springboard move to super-leap through the air when passing a pink square. 

BALANCE & PACE
The final move brought later into the mix is the block. As you progress through more difficult levels the errors become more common but the game doesn't beat around the bush with loading screens; you're swiftly taken straight back to the start and begin again in a matter of a couple of seconds. Some moves do seem to require pixel-perfect accuracy and you will curse the game for the upteenth time when you fail to make that leap or perform that slide. However, it is a feel-good, productive learning curve that makes you naturally get better and improve - and you get a real buzz from your achievements when you smash that tricky level. The game moves forwards all the time and gets you constantly playing by either plonking you back to the start or taking you straight onto the next level.

PRESENTATION & DESIGN
The sound is what really brings this game to life. Moves are accompanied by light synthesised notes that in turn create bright melodies. As you perform more complicated combinations and pick up stars and gold bars - with the added grand announcement of words such as "Ultra" or "Extra" - the sounds become more intense and radiant. When things come together particularly well the sound and music combine to become positively glorious! The title-page allows you to go to options but as an 8-bit game there's not much choice beyond whether you want windowed-mode or a difficulty adjustment (barely noticeable anyway). Also, as the pixels are huge, the text is chunky and not aesthetically pleasing, making it difficult to read numbers. In the menu screens you are restricted to keyboard control only. 

PROGRESS SYSTEM
There is only one lobby-screen and this gives a basic list of the levels. Completion of a level results in that level changing from grey to blue in the lobby-screen. When finished successfully, there is a totting up of the score to the Pac-Man gobble in the background which retains that retro feel to the game. The score depends on how many stars and gold bars have been collected but as this isn't saved there is no high-score table to refer to which almost makes the collection of said objects meaningless. For this reason, level completion seems to be the main goal rather than score. You do get to complete a bonus level for collecting all gold bars but, once again, this seems meaningless if this is not acknowledged or recorded.

CONCLUSION
This is an addictive game that will make certain players feel more determined after a failure but which will cause frustration and resentment in others. For the former, generally getting a little bit further each time with every attempt will make players feel that the level is doable and that the level can be smashed with perseverance and, of course, this makes success all the more rewarding. For the latter it would be dismissed as too difficult and most likely just brushed off as just not their "sort of game." Nevertheless, as a precursor to tougher modern day equivalents of the side-scrolling runner such as the ever popular Geometry Dash, this retro classic is decent enough as an introduction or trainer.