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Best of the Rest: JC's picks of 2009
Muramasa: The Demon Blade Muramasa appealed to me in a way that Odin Sphere didn't, thanks to an emphasis on combo-heavy sword action instead of planting and whatever. And the RPG elements that are left, like the sword upgrades and cooking, are not only fun, but simple enough that I can get right back into the game after a long break and still know what is going on. Also, I don't mean to be shallow, but the fact that Muramasa is the most beautiful game of 2009 helps me be positive about it.
NintendoWare Weekly: WiiWare demos, Pokemon Rumble, Indiana Jones' Greatest Adventures
This week, we get our first taste of Nintendo's new WiiWare demos. Surprisingly, it didn't take Nintendo that long to flip the switch for North America, considering the company revealed the long-overdue feature -- and day-one annoyance -- only earlier this month. And on top of the free trial versions of select WiiWare titles (five total this week!), there are also two new Virtual Console titles to enjoy, as well as three new DSiWare games. Hit the break for the full list.
Give thanks for Bit.Trip Void on November 23
Gaijin Games has announced a release date for the third game in its abstract, chiptune-infused Bit.Trip series. Bit.Trip: Void, which involves using the Nunchuk's analog stick to absorb and/or avoid dots based on color, will arrive in North America on November 23. "That's right, the week of Thanksgiving!" the announcement notes. "Total sweetness in the village." Like Beat and Core, it'll cost 600 Wii Points. If you like the music from the Bit.Trip games, you'll also be delighted to know that the soundtrack for Bit.Trip: Beat is now available for purchase on iTunes and CDBaby, with releases to follow on pretty much every online and mobile music retailer you've ever heard of, and several you haven't. Finally, proving its allegiance to the chiptune community. Gaijin Games announced that it will sponsor this year's Blip Festival in New York City. Classy!
Review: Bit.Trip Core (WiiWare)
Gaijin Games returns with another installment in its Bit.Trip series: Bit.Trip: Core, and if you found yourself hyperventilating at the prospect of zapping pixels from a whole bunch of different directions, know those fears are well-founded. Bit.Trip: Core is very tough, but like its predecessor, it's not frustrating. [Note: There's also a video review!]
NintendoWare Weekly: Bit.Trip: Core becomes 100th WiiWare game
Folks, it's time to break out the party hats and noise makers because, just as expected, Bit.Trip: Core is the 100th WiIWare game to release on the service. Why, we remember our little pal doing finger paintings and learning to ride a bike like it was yesterday. They grow up so fast!
Prepare for pain with this Bit.Trip: Core trailer
After watching the trailer for Bit.Trip: Core we've embedded after the break, we're panicking well in advance of actually playing the game. Beat only had pixels flying at us from one direction, and we were scared enough when we learned that Core would up that to four. But this trailer shows that dots approach the middle of the screen from eight directions. The more precise digital control scheme should make the gameplay a bit easier to process, but we still perceive a lot of psychedelic, entranced failure in our future. And we can't wait!Those creepy stretched-out Commander Video characters didn't help make us feel any more confident about the game, either.
Gaijin Games offers help with Bit.Trip: Beat's hardcore save system
We thought Bit.Trip: Beat's saving system, which only saves your progress if you achieve a high score, was just part of the punishing design of Gaijin Games' WiiWare title. However, Gaijin revealed on its blog that it's actually a bug! "The fact is, we discovered this bug after the US version of the game was in the queue for release," BTB designer Alex Neuse said. "This meant that those of us in the US were stuck with this issue. The Japanese and European versions that came after the US one do not share the same problem."Even more surprising is the method Neuse has employed to rectify the bug -- he's offering his own save file, with all three levels unlocked, for download. You can just copy it over the save file on your Wii and actually see the second and third level for once! Neuse promises that "If you beat a level in CORE, the next level stays unlocked."%Gallery-43105%
Gaijin Games ups the ante on WiiWare with Bit.Trip: Core
The sequel to the very fun (yet, very punishing) Bit.Trip: Beat has been revealed in Bit.Trip: Core, GameSpot reports. If you thought it was tough keeping track of rogue pixels assaulting you from one direction, then you're going to have an even tougher time with Core, as the player must now defend against attacking pixels from four different directions. Another big change comes in the controls department. The first game featured motion-based controls, but in Core you're stuck in the middle of the screen, pushing directions on the d-pad to shine a beam of light toward rushing pixels. It's essentially the same type of gameplay, combining rhythm and shmup elements, so if you liked Bit.Trip: Beat, then you'll likely find value in this. The game also adds a progress meter showing you how far you've made it into a stage, as well as a screen clearing ability that will hopefully ease the experience up a bit. Bit.Trip: Core is due for release on WiiWare sometime this summer.
VC Friday: Bit.Trip: Beat plus the impossible
This week, as promised, Bit. Trip: Beat arrives on the PAL Wii Shop, ready to hypnotize and frustrate another set of Wii gamers. But that's not the only reason this week is special: it's joined by a Virtual Console game. That's right, Virtual Console and WiiWare in the same week. Totally crazy, right? Galaxy Force II, stripped of its brilliant moving arcade cabinet for the Genesis version, comes off as a sort of Space Harrier ... in space. It's not great, but it sure is a Virtual Console game!It gets crazier: there are also two DSiWare games in the lineup. Virtual Console: Galaxy Force II (Mega Drive,1 player, 800 Wii Points) WiiWare: Bit. Trip: Beat (1-4 players, 600 Wii Points) DSiWare: A Little Bit of ... Dr. Mario (1 player, 500 DSi Points) A Little Bit of ... Magic Made Fun: Funny Face (1 player, 200 DSi Points) %Gallery-43105%
Bit.Trip: Beat makes a Bit.Eurotrip this week
Gaijin Games' ridiculously difficult music/Pong experience, Bit.Trip: Beat, just came out this week in Japan (where it is actually a gaijin game). Gaijin just announced that the game will be released on the PAL Wii Shop this Friday. "Sorry for the long wait, European gamers," the developer's blog states. "Start loadin' up those Wii Points and get ready for some BIT.TRIP BEAT insanity!"We can hardly think of a better use for your 600 Wii Points (if you already have Devil's Crush). Just be warned: you will not complete this game the first time you play it. You will not, in fact, complete the first stage.%Gallery-43105%[Via Cubed3]
VC/WiiWare Tuesday: WarioWiiWare
Between Virtual Console and WiiWare this week, Japan has seven new games to download. Well, six if you don't count Konami's WiiWare edutainment screensaver thing (which also acts as kids' introduction to offensive DLC) as a game. And 79 if you do, and also count each available minigame in Asobu! Made in Ore. It's a big week, is what we're saying.WiiWare is especially sparkling this week, with the aforementioned Asobu, which lets players upload and play games made in the DS Made in Ore (also out this week), as well as the Japanese debut of Bit. Trip: Beat and the Harvest Moon WiiWare spinoff. As for Virtual Console, we're hoping to see Banamco's arcade sci-fi track and field game Numan Athletics make the long, long, long jump out of Japan!Virtual Console Kirby's Dreamland 3 (Super Famicom, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Numan Athletics (Arcade, 1-4 players, 800 Wii Points) Youkai Douchuuki (Arcade, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) WiiWare Asobu! Made in Ore (1-4 players, 800 Wii Points) Bit.Trip: Beat (1-4 players, 500 Wii Points) Kodomo Kyouiku Terebi - Aiue-O-chan (1-2 players, 700 Wii Points) Harvest Moon: Ranch Store (1 player, 1,500 Wii Points)
Joyswag: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
Update: Sorry, folks, entry is closed. Thank you all for entering and keep an eye on your email inbox!We have 3 copies of the super fun Bit.Trip: Beat to give away, thanks to the fine folks at Gaijin Games! You all know the drill: follow the rules below and you might just win! We'll be crossing our fingers just for you. Leave a comment telling us the toughest (but still fun) game you've ever played You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day This entry period ends at 2:59 pm ET on Friday, April 3. We'll randomly select 3 winners at that time to each receive a Bit.Trip: Beat for WiiWare (ARV: $6.00) For a list of complete rules, click here %Gallery-43105%
Joystiq Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
Bit.Trip: Beat is a harsh mistress. Never before have I played a game this tough, let alone one with such a difficult first level. Still, as hard as it is to climb that quirky, puzzle mountain, reaching its summit was a rewarding experience as I employed my floating bar of justice to stop the unrelenting army of pixels that sought to sneak past me. (If you're looking to skip all of the boring text and enjoy a more visual presentation, check out our handy video companion.) %Gallery-43105%
Wiikly Wares: Bit.Trip: Beat and Summer Games II
Monday's aren't just for loathing, with the Wii receiving one new WiiWare and one new Virtual Console game today. So, while you may he miserable at the office or in the classroom, you have new gaming goodness awaiting you at home. Here's what's on offer:WiiWareBit.Trip: Beat (Aksys Games, 1-4 players, 600 Wii Points): Developed by Gaijin Games, this title is like a combination of Pong and the craziest rave party you've ever been to. Don't believe us? The proof is in the video pudding, friends!Virtual ConsoleSummer Games II (C64, 1-8 players, 500 Wii Points): Featuring 18 different competing countries and 8 different sports - cycling, equestrian, fencing, high jump, javelin, kayaking, rowing and triple jump - this C64 title brings all of the drama of the Olympics right into your living room. Or your bedroom. Depends on where you have your Wii set up, really.%Gallery-43105%
The Bit.Trip.Beat stops on WiiWare this Monday
Ready to go on your first Bit.Trip? The folks at Aksys have confirmed to us that the hard-as-nails retro-themed WiiWare-exclusive music game will make its US debut on Monday, March 16th. The concept is rather simple: just tilt your Wii Remote to slide your Pong-esque paddle up and down. Deflect oncoming bullets to create some pretty rad chiptune music. As easy as this sounds, the wild barrage of notes that soon floods the screen will lead to many, many game overs. With support for up to four players on one screen, Bit.Trip.Beat has us pretty excited. It's the kind of game that you can just play and get into a trance. %Gallery-43105%
Watch this exclusive Bit.Trip: Beat trailer
No, we're serious. You don't know what unspeakable acts we had to perform to secure this exclusive trailer for the Gaijin-developed, Aksys-published Bit.Trip: Beat. If you don't watch it, we're going to throw out this BFF bracelet you made us and show up at your house demanding those mix tapes back. You know, the ones that had all of those Air Supply and Bryan Adams tracks on them. So, watch the 4-bit goodness in the video above and stock up on some Wii Points. You're going to want to check out this quirky rhythm game when it releases. Gallery: Bit.Trip: Beat
Bit.Trip: Beat could bounce our way as soon as February
In an interview with Game Music 4 All, Gaijin Games' Alex Neuse offered a potential launch window for the ultra-retro music game Bit.Trip: Beat. "We are madly scrambling to finish the game up as I type this," Neuse said. "Our hopeful launch will be in mid-February, but I will not promise a date yet. :)" Of course, even if there were a specific date, WiiWare launch dates are unreliable and infinitely mutable based pretty much on Nintendo's whims. We're just glad to hear that he's thinking it could come out soon! When it does come out, in addition to three original tracks included (which will build based on the player's performance, like Rez), two tracks from chiptune superstar Bit Shifter will be included in the game, as the menu and credits music! It's like Bit.Trip: Beat is the official game of chiptunes!Neuse gave a couple of vague hints about upcoming Bit.Trip sequels, as well. "Episode 2 of the BIT.TRIP saga will continue the story of CommanderVideo's mission and will also introduce an entirely new gameplay mechanic-still rhythm based of course, and still chiptuney." We knew it was going to be a series, but we didn't know they were all going to be rhythm games. This is wonderful. %Gallery-43105%
Wii Warm Up: The new retro
Mega Man 9 brought authentic 8-bit style to WiiWare. It was totally great, and totally a unique presentation for a modern game. Since then, two more faux-retro games have been announced for WiiWare: the currently Japan-only Eventful Journey! Pole's Big Adventure, which combines Famicom parody with Japanese TV-style comedy; and Bit.Trip: Beat, which takes its visual inspiration from even older games.Now that it's a genuine trend, how do you feel about the fake-retro thing? Do you like seeing direct references to the history of gaming like this? Do you like it more or less now that it's not just Mega Man (and Retro Game Challenge) doing it?%Gallery-30253%
Wii Warm Up: Bit.Trip: Which Beats?
The debut footage of Gaijin Games' Bit.Trip: Beat received a mainly positive response from our (obviously very cultured) readers, but one comment in particular got us thinking. Reader Go1denchi1d suggested the game needed an editor, to allow us to compile our own chiptune ditties, and we could not agree more strongly.No such feature has been announced (yet), but if it were, which song would you want to recreate (and deflect colored blocks to) first?
Bit.Trip Beat bringing funky chiptunes to WiiWare
The upcoming WiiWare game, Bit.Trip Beat, goes for a retro style that makes Mega Man 9 look futuristic in comparison. Comprised of 8-bit chiptunes and giant pixel blocks, Bit.Trip Beat certainly looks the part of an '80s arcade game.This video highlights the simple gameplay. It appears you must simply align a Pong-esque paddle to hit a stream of notes as they stream to the left of the screen. While it looks simple, the team promises it will be "challenging." The game will also feature 4-player local co-op, which should make for an interesting experience.Alex Neuse, designer at Gaijin Games, said the "team wanted to make a game that used the tools of today to inspire the fun of yesterday." We wonder if Wii fans will agree with the team's vision, or if it'll be passed off as a bit too retro for their tastes.
