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It's 8:28 AM, reads my iPad. I live two blocks from work, so I never have to rush over in the morning. I like to be at my desk a little after 9:00, which means I need to leave by, well, pretty much 9:00. You know a developer's gotten it right, however, when you tell youself "oh, just one more try."
I'd turned off Bit.Trip.Runner the night before because my girlfriend has asked me to grill some chicken for dinner. My apartment complex's grill is a few floors down. It's a nice night out, so I know we're going to eat downstairs and when we come back up, likely spend the night catching up on TV with a few beers. In essence, it means no more Bit.Trip.Runner for the night. So, just before grilling, I quickly squeezed in a few more rounds with stage 1-11, the level before you encounter the first boss.
1-11, you are a son of a bitch. It's tremendously longer than any stage prior and thanks to Bit.Trip.Runner's one-hit-and-you're-back-to-the-start mechanic, there's enormous opportunity to mess up. Gamers happily engaged with these game-lengthening tactics in the 8-bit days, but that's not the norm anymore. Any game that relies on punishing the player for mistakes needs to provide gameplay with enormous reasons for starting over again, even after dying for what feels like the 100th time.
But like I said, it's 8:28 AM. I'm dressed but haven't packed up my stuff for work just yet. No coffee.
"Do you usually play video games before work? Like, to get pumped up?" asked an out-of-town friend sleeping on the couch for the next few days, who doesn't really play any video games. He last tried Final Fantasy 7.
"Uh, no," I responded, truthfully.
I try to sleep in as late as possible under every circumstance.
The minutes tick by as I keep failing at 1-11, sometimes making it a few screens further than the previous attempt, but usually flubbing something simple at the beginning, shaming my fingers. I was getting closer, though. One time, I quite clearly was a few presses away. I crack my neck.
I die, of course. Again. The goal line was, honestlyhonestly, within eyes-reach. "Damn!" remarked my friend. It says something about a game when a non-gamer can, too, get into the heat of the moment.
"One more run," I told myself, as my girlfriend headed out to work.
"What time is it?" I asked.
"8:58," she told me.
"Damn," I mumbled.
Then, it happened. The run. A few of the oh-so-precious golden collectibles are missed along the way, each one of them causing a mental twitch and more than once encouraging me to purposely die and hope for not just the run but the perfect run, but I resisted the urge. I made it through the last few, dangerous hoops. Victory is mine. Riding high, I decided to try my newfound luck at the boss stage.
Then, it happens. The run. I make it through the last few, dangerous hoops. Victory is mine.
I failed miserably. "Er, what time is it?" I asked one last time.
"9:02," said the friend.
Off to work I went.
From the moment Gaijin Games announced Bit.Trip.Runner, I was already a fan. I can't ask for much more from a game than a one-death 2D platformer wrapped in modernized 8-bit art and music. Make no mistake, my friends: it's hard as hell -- in a very good way -- and it reminded me how difficult it is for games to balance challenge and frustration.
Bit.Trip.Runner is available now via WiiWare.
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Comments
Displaying 1–3 of 3
Meatball_Mamba
Just a great game, and yes, 1-11 was a pain, particularly after the rest of the first zone. But it was that level where I came to understand just what Bit.Trip Runner was. It changed gears from 'pretty good fun' to 'delightfully infuriating'. There's something absolutely compelling about attempting to get "THE RUN" in spite of all the heartbreak on the way.
The sense of progression you feel as you get the timing down more and more and make it further and further is just tremendous. Soon that first series of demanding jumps, ducks and kicks (etc.) becomes second nature and you're waiting for Gaijin Games to throw the next spanner in the works. This cycle continues multiple times in the later levels of each zone...and it's addictive.
You don't want to put it down, because you can feel it, you're SO close...you must defeat this level, and it has to happen NOW, when the timing's fresh in your mind and your reflexes have been honed.
And then, finally, after you've tasted sweet victory...you're dumped straight into the next level and you think 'maybe I'll just see what these next few jumps are like'. Beware though, the cycle is about to begin a new. This is one of Bit.Trip. Runner's most devillish features, if your'e not careful you could lose a lot of time to the game as one struggle through a level blends into another.
It's an abusive relationship, much like Trials HD, but you just can't help but go back.
Ashley_Si
So, let me guess, that was the first game you've downloaded in, 5 months or so. You should also download Ghost Slayer while you're using your Wii again. It's the only reason for me to really use the motion plus.
King_Aaron_Moses
Like everyday of my life. But i dont work i just play game. (^_^)
Displaying 1–3 of 3