Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)

News Article

USA WiiWare Update: Bit.Trip Beat

Posted Mon, 16 Mar 2009 by Damien McFerran

Retro action ahoy!

Retro action ahoy!

Downloading this week’s WiiWare release might cause some of you to make confused grunting sounds and paw angrily at your Wii Remote, because the retro visuals and 8-bit music of Bit.Trip Beat might suggest to some that they’ve accidently downloaded a Virtual Console release.

However, you should turn that frown upside down because Aksys Games’ latest WiiWare title is a love-letter to the days of yore when the Atari VCS was king and Sonic was but a glint in Yuji Naka’s mischievous eye.

This ‘rhythm action’ title has been on our radar for quite some time now, and at 600 Wii Points it’s certainly priced competitively. But, as always, we recommend you wait for the definitive WiiWare World review.

BIT.TRIP BEAT (Aksys Games, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): BIT.TRIP BEAT is a rhythm game that brings retro action into the present, letting you use the motion-sensing Wii Remote™ controller to bounce beats. Retro visuals, classic game play, four-player multiplayer and an 8-bit soundtrack will get you in the zone and rock your world. The challenges are mighty, but if you can stay cool as the difficulty increases, you'll discover the beginnings of the BIT.TRIP saga.

Don't forget to check out our exclusive interview with the developer Gaijin Games.

In the ‘real’ world of retro gaming, Virtual Console fans can enjoy the C64 sports classic Summer Games II.

Tags: WiiWare, Aksys Games, North American Releases.

Game Screenshots

User Comments

knucklessonic8

1. KnucklesSonic8 Canada 16 Mar 2009, 12:41 GMT

Shoot. I had hoped for a surprise second WiiWare title. Oh well. Still definitely getting Bit.Trip BEAT.

I plan to do vids and upload them as soon as I can.

tony

2. Tony United States 16 Mar 2009, 12:50 GMT

I think they are referring to the game as a DLC not that it has any additional DLC. I could be wrong but thats the way I interpreted it.

gameking23

3. gameking23 United States 16 Mar 2009, 13:08 GMT

Yay its here! :D

vantes

4. Vantes United States 16 Mar 2009, 13:09 GMT

w00t!

darren_calvert

5. Dazza United Kingdom 16 Mar 2009, 13:14 GMT

Bit.Trip has no DLC. All Damo meant was it is a downloadable title! We've changed this to avoid any more confusion :-p

nintendo_naut

6. Nintendo-Naut United States 16 Mar 2009, 13:41 GMT

Bit Trip Beat FTW!

knucklessonic8

7. KnucklesSonic8 Canada 16 Mar 2009, 13:50 GMT

@Dazza: Good call. That did throw me off.

kawaiipikachu

8. Kawaiipikachu Australia 16 Mar 2009, 13:55 GMT

WOW!
Bit trip Beat. Yahhh
Oh what this is for America.
At least this looks good.

adamant

9. Adamant Norway 16 Mar 2009, 14:10 GMT

I've been waiting for this, looks really intriguing.

mr_saturn

10. Mr. Saturn United States 16 Mar 2009, 14:23 GMT

Yesss, very excited about this!

nintendo_naut

11. Nintendo-Naut United States 16 Mar 2009, 15:05 GMT

Hey and look! Only 600 points! Woohoo!

worrybomb

12. worrybomb United States 16 Mar 2009, 16:15 GMT

Dang that Bit.Trip...it's 312 blocks. Time for some Wii-shuffling. =(

objection_blaster

13. Objection_Blaster United States 16 Mar 2009, 16:39 GMT

^That's really big for a retro title with only a few songs. Any word on when SameGame might make it over? I'd rather get that...

wiiloveitonline

14. Wiiloveit United Kingdom 16 Mar 2009, 16:46 GMT

SCREW YOU GUYS!
We're holding SAMEGAME hostage until you send us this now (like with the MaBoShi for World of Goo situation). If you want SAMEGAME (which I hope you do), then you'd better let us have this next week!

objection_blaster

15. Objection_Blaster United States 16 Mar 2009, 16:50 GMT

Well, Wiiloveit, here's how this exchange is going to go. A week from today (on Monday) you will come to the abandoned theme park with your hostage (SameGame) and give her to us. Then you will leave. Do not bring the police or anyone else with you. The following Thursday/Friday, we will release BTB from our evil grips in time for your update. If you break any of these rules, the girl get it!!!

palgamer

16. PALgamer Spain 16 Mar 2009, 16:52 GMT

O_O ...

bass_x

17. Bass X0 United Kingdom 16 Mar 2009, 16:53 GMT

I'd rather we have LIT instead of this, Wiiloveit.

objection_blaster

18. Objection_Blaster United States 16 Mar 2009, 16:54 GMT

Bass, only one hostage exchange at a time. We evil masterminds are quite busy.

worrybomb

19. worrybomb United States 16 Mar 2009, 17:20 GMT

It looks like a hostage situation. Someone better call a negotiator but not just any negotiator.

PRICELINE NEGOTIATOR!!!

As for my impressions of the game, I agree mostly with IGN's review. The presentation is awesome and so are the 8-bit tunes. I have a few minor issues: the relatively large file size, some kind of level break would've been nice so one's eyes can rest, and it's a bit of a learning curve with the tilting. Overall though, I enjoyed it regardless and if you have the points (and the space), I say download this. Definitely one of the best WiiWare titles so far in 2009.

awesome5

20. Awesome5 United States 16 Mar 2009, 17:55 GMT

Looks interesting, but I think that the background visuals from the video may be too distracting for you to play.

knucklessonic8

21. KnucklesSonic8 Canada 16 Mar 2009, 18:38 GMT

Just got back from playing the game. If you guys have any questions, lemme know.

I'm trying to upload a vid of a... * gasp * Boss fight! :D lol.
I'll upload more vids later tonight. I already have them recorded, just gotta edit them.

The game is great and yes, there is a learning curve, but after a while, you get used to it. The game is pretty challenging if you ask me. I only just unlocked the 2nd song. One complaint so far is when your paddle mixes in with the background, it can be annoying. Or when all the special effects make darker bits (specifically the dark blue ones) harder to notice. But otherwise, I'm really enjoying this. I can easily see myself replaying this over and over again for high-scores cause keeping a combo is not easy.

I'm a big fan of rhythm games (see: DDRHP2 :D) so this naturally is a fit with me. And yes, I completely agree that this is one of the top WiiWare games to be released this far.

So far, Snowboard Riot (challenging and gripping online play), Jungle Speed (hilarious multiplayer) and HVHRS (polished graphics, enjoyable gameplay) have all been highlights for me so far and I can definitely add this to the list. That being said, I still need to get Gradius Rebirth when I have more points and I'm still debating over Lonpos. And if you're wondering about the other 2009 games I've tried Evasive Space and Niki were pretty good, each in their own way. It's just... The aforementioned titles surpass both titles for different reasons. I'd be tempted to put Evasive Space in the company of those titles though but not Niki. But I digress....

Oh, and I should add that the game's size really surprised me. But then again, the special effects and (possibly) the song length would explain the size.... :)

edit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxtscST2a0k
Done processing! :D

corbie_dillard

22. Corbie United States 16 Mar 2009, 18:56 GMT

@ KnucklesSonic8 - Did you ever meet a game you didn't like. You're like the Jerry Lewis of video gaming. :P

knucklessonic8

23. KnucklesSonic8 Canada 16 Mar 2009, 19:00 GMT

Tons, Corbie. Trust me.
Dunno how many times I have to say how much I can't stand Family Table Tennis.

As surprising as this may sound, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat disappointed me. I didn't end up liking it as much as I thought I would have.

And Niki isn't that great either. It's more like a 6/10. I like it.. but it's just... average. I haven't gone back to it since I got it... * gasp * XD

Like I said Corbie, tons of games. I'm beginning to think I should make videos proving that there are games that I just don't like/can't stand... I think I just might...

corbie_dillard

24. Corbie United States 16 Mar 2009, 19:01 GMT

Well I can't help but like your positive attitude, just the same. Well time to get busy with Bit.Trip.Beat. Duty calls. :)

knucklessonic8

25. KnucklesSonic8 Canada 16 Mar 2009, 19:03 GMT

Oh, and here I thought you were making fun of me for it like everyone else does. :P I'm gonna head back myself.

bahamut_zero

26. Bahamut ZERO United States 16 Mar 2009, 19:20 GMT

@KS8: You bought a WW game. Why am I not suprised :P
@Corbie: WOnt take long. You already know the score :D

knucklessonic8

27. KnucklesSonic8 Canada 16 Mar 2009, 19:25 GMT

Fixed: "You bought a great moderately-hyped WiiWare game. Why am I not surprised."

Oh, I forgot to mention I changed my mind in the span of a couple minutes since I posted that. Screw Gradius Rebirth. Family & Friends Party and Family Glide Hockey is where it's at! Those titles are definite must-buys!

I sincerely hope people can tell I'm being sarcastic....

gameking23

28. gameking23 United States 16 Mar 2009, 19:31 GMT

@KS8 Ya who needs Gradius Rebirth when you can play Famly Games & Party Hockey. lol

As for Bit Trip this is the first game I have ever bought without a reveiw (gasp!), and I'm loving every minute of it now if only I could get pass level 1. Guess I'll just have to try harder.

objection_blaster

29. Objection_Blaster United States 16 Mar 2009, 19:58 GMT

Knuckles, how long are the songs you've played so far? Thanks

ferret75

30. Ferret75 United States 16 Mar 2009, 20:23 GMT

These weeks always have something I never expect, but I like anyways. =P

mr_cheez

31. Ricardo91 United States 16 Mar 2009, 20:29 GMT

@Worrybomb. Seriously? You'sd think that with the simplistic visuals and 3-song length, it'd be really small. :P

Ah well, despite it's short length, I'll definitely check this one out. Looks very unique. Hopefully some new songs pop up as DLC.

chicken_brutus

32. Chicken Brutus United States 16 Mar 2009, 20:54 GMT

Chicken Brutus cannot wait to get home and buy this puppy.

popyman

33. Popyman United States 16 Mar 2009, 20:56 GMT

Thanks, KS8, that boss was amazing! Now the wait to get WiiPoints will be even more painful...

BTW, thank you people of WWW for that Hatsworth ad. I'm so getting that game, but wouldn't have known about it otherwise!_

mayhem64

34. Mayhem United Kingdom 16 Mar 2009, 21:03 GMT

Please be good, please be good, please be good...! ;)

subzerobf

35. subzerobf United States 16 Mar 2009, 21:14 GMT

Finally a Wiiware title less than 1000 points. Bit.Trip Beat looks good, but repeteitve, and seizure inducing.

corbie_dillard

36. Corbie United States 16 Mar 2009, 21:18 GMT

There should definitely be a seizure warning. My eyes might never uncross after this. :P

bahamut_zero

37. Bahamut ZERO United States 16 Mar 2009, 21:23 GMT

@Corbie: Maybe you'll accidently type in 8/10 instead of 7 for your score then :P

gameking23

38. gameking23 United States 16 Mar 2009, 21:29 GMT

@Corbie: Better yet why not "accidently" hit the 9 key instead. If you know what I mean.

touffeboy

39. touffeboy Canada 16 Mar 2009, 21:44 GMT

This game looks nice! :) Good release for Wiiware!

worrybomb

40. worrybomb United States 16 Mar 2009, 21:48 GMT

@ Corbie

Ha. I let my older brother give it a shot and about 2 minutes into the game, he was complaining how his eyes were watery.

Seriously though, Gaijin I like your game a lot but your game is more than likely going to make me visit an optometrist sooner than later. =P

nintendo_naut

41. Nintendo-Naut United States 16 Mar 2009, 21:59 GMT

WHAT?! There's only three songs? You've failed me Gajin...Is it worth THREE songs? Hrm well, it looks awesome...

corbie_dillard

42. Corbie United States 16 Mar 2009, 22:03 GMT

I'm working on the boss of level 2 "Descent" right now. Tough stuff. And the ghosting on the LCD HDTV doesn't make it any easier on the eyes. :)

worrybomb

43. worrybomb United States 16 Mar 2009, 22:10 GMT

Yeah the ghosting on the pixelated blocks being reciprocated back to where they came from is the main culprit for my eye problem.

You gotta admit though...the game does look purty at 480p. I'm stuck at the "Descent" song as well. I'm beginning to hate that song. heh.

bahamut_zero

44. Bahamut ZERO United States 16 Mar 2009, 22:18 GMT

I dont have an awsome TV, so it dosnt affect me :P

gameking23

45. gameking23 United States 16 Mar 2009, 22:23 GMT

@Bahamut ZERO Me too I guess it pays to have a less than awsome TV sometimes. :P

mr_cheez

46. Ricardo91 United States 16 Mar 2009, 22:26 GMT

I guess my lousy 480i TV doesn't seem so bad anymore. :P

corbie_dillard

47. Corbie United States 16 Mar 2009, 22:30 GMT

I'd give up my family before I'd give up this TV. :P

bahamut_zero

48. Bahamut ZERO United States 16 Mar 2009, 22:36 GMT

@Corbie: Not a suprise. We all here know how you got the money to pay for those arcade machines ;)

corbie_dillard

49. Corbie United States 16 Mar 2009, 22:44 GMT

Anyone on Level 3 "Growth" yet? Anyone beaten the game yet?

beastman93

50. beastman93 United States 16 Mar 2009, 22:49 GMT

Been waiting a while for this. Can't wait to get it once I get some points.

twilight_crow

51. Twilight Crow Mexico 16 Mar 2009, 22:49 GMT

Yeah, this one looks awsome, I love musical games, but no one will lend me a credit card so :'(, still I'll get it some day for sure.

@KS8
Great first impressions, and thanks for the video ;). When you finish a song can you replay it for a high score anytime you want, or you have to start from the first song again?

corbie_dillard

52. Corbie United States 16 Mar 2009, 22:52 GMT

Once you open up a level, you can then start from that level from then on.

worrybomb

53. worrybomb United States 16 Mar 2009, 22:53 GMT

@Twilight Crow

Once you unlock the next song, you can go back to it in the main menu for replayability. It's definitely a good thing judging from how long each song takes to be completed. =P

worrybomb

54. worrybomb United States 16 Mar 2009, 23:43 GMT

I'm still stuck in "Descent". What messes me up is those Challenges where your paddle shrinks half its size and it really does stink when those pixelated blocks go on hyper speed.

corbie_dillard

55. Corbie United States 16 Mar 2009, 23:47 GMT

What messes me up is those Challenges where your paddle shrinks half its size and it really does stink when those pixelated blocks go on hyper speed.

That took me some time to get past as well.

chicken_brutus

56. Chicken Brutus United States 16 Mar 2009, 23:57 GMT

My thoughts so far:

  • Worth. Every. Penny.
  • Very challenging.
  • Some parts of the song are legitimately unfair until you already know how the pellets will behave...but this isn't really an issue as you'll be playing the songs many times anyway.
  • Commander Video better call my boss tomorrow and explain why I got no sleep tonight.

mickeymac

57. Mickeymac United States 17 Mar 2009, 00:15 GMT

I'll wait for the review before I even think of getting this.

knucklessonic8

58. KnucklesSonic8 Canada 17 Mar 2009, 00:22 GMT

"Some parts of the song are legitimately unfair until you already know how the pellets will behave...but this isn't really an issue as you'll be playing the songs many times anyway"

Yeah, Chicken, this also shouldn't be an issue because a lot of rhythm games use this principle.

@Popyman: No prob! I was already getting Henry Hatsworth since I heard it was announced and saw impressions of it. I'm surprised so many haven't heard of it as it really is a unique blend of gameplay that suits my gaming style.
@Twilight Crow: No problem, man! Glad I could help. :)

popyman

59. Popyman United States 17 Mar 2009, 00:29 GMT

@KS8: Yeah, I have no idea what's up with Hatsworth. I mostly get DS news from DSFanboy, and they haven't mentioned it at all(as far as I've seen, at least)...

But it's EA, so I'm sure it will sell well after awhile.

bahamut_zero

60. Bahamut ZERO United States 17 Mar 2009, 00:44 GMT

@Corbie: So can we be expecting a review by Wednesday?

corbie_dillard

61. Corbie United States 17 Mar 2009, 00:49 GMT

I'm going to start writing it up in about an hour. It will all depend on when they get it proofed and published. Should be sooner than Wednesday. :)

chicken_brutus

62. Chicken Brutus United States 17 Mar 2009, 00:57 GMT

@KnucklesSonic8:
"Yeah, Chicken, this also shouldn't be an issue because a lot of rhythm games use this principle."

Oh fair enough, yeah. It's definitely an issue I have with a lot (but not all) rhythm games. This time, however, I'm actually interested in getting the hang of it; I'm excited to reply levels over and over to get the patterns right...so it's actually a compliment!

And speaking of compliments, well done on that boss fight. I did a lot worse than that my first time. XD

knucklessonic8

63. KnucklesSonic8 Canada 17 Mar 2009, 01:59 GMT

Oh, thanks! lol. Yeah, that was my first try with that boss. But before that, I tried to clear that levels 3 times already. :P

And the principle isn't really an "issue" to begin with but that's just me.

@Popy: But remember I mentioned it to you when we met online in ACCF last month sometime? I was talking about upcoming DS games and I was all: "Henry Hatsworth FTW!" and you were all: "Wha' dat?" :P

bricklebrack

64. BrickleBrack United States 17 Mar 2009, 02:36 GMT

Ok, I am stuck mid way in lvl 2 but this is VERY cool.

objection_blaster

65. Objection_Blaster United States 17 Mar 2009, 02:39 GMT

So...how long are the levels?

bricklebrack

66. BrickleBrack United States 17 Mar 2009, 02:41 GMT

They seem to be in sections. maybe 12 or 15 minutes a level.

bricklebrack

67. BrickleBrack United States 17 Mar 2009, 02:54 GMT

KnucklesSonic8 : I hope you get a vid of lvl 2 soon. I am so stuck lol.

crazed

68. Crazed United States 17 Mar 2009, 03:10 GMT

@BrickleBrack: I hope this isn't true. I've been dying a good 3-4 minutes into the first level. Guess Bit. Trip just isn't my forte...yet.

By the way, is anybody else noticing that your paddle pulses to the beat? This throws me off a bit when trying to reach pixls on different quickly, but then again, this could be that I'm just not good at this game.

Other than this factor (and the agreement with Corbie that it should come with a seizure warning), I don't find much wrong with this game. Good job, Aksys.

bricklebrack

69. BrickleBrack United States 17 Mar 2009, 03:21 GMT

@Crazed: It gets easier. I was stuck on lvl 1 for a long time. But I just went back and it was a lot of fun. Still on lvl 2!!

i_am_error

70. i_am_error Canada 17 Mar 2009, 03:24 GMT

Love the game so far - up (and beyond) to my expectations.

One thing, I'm still stuck at Lvl 2 - but if I shut the game off and return to it (reset or return to Wii menu) I cannot select the 2nd level. I have to replay the first one and then I have access to the 2nd level. Is it normal???

envisionboy

71. envisionboy United States 17 Mar 2009, 03:31 GMT

This game doesn't save your progress as you go thru it? I beat level 1 twice and it opened the 2nd level, but when I come back to it later, it's not open. Is this supposed to be like this?

corbie_dillard

72. Corbie United States 17 Mar 2009, 03:33 GMT

Mine did the same thing. When you quit the game or turn off the Wii it doesn't save, or at least mine didn't. That made me the opposite of happy. :(

bricklebrack

73. BrickleBrack United States 17 Mar 2009, 03:43 GMT

I think you might need to get on the high score list to advance. I did it the second time I played.lol

knucklessonic8

74. KnucklesSonic8 Canada 17 Mar 2009, 04:06 GMT

Guys I'll try to do a vid of Level 2 tomorrow. How does that sound? :)

kenji

75. Kenji510 United States 17 Mar 2009, 04:13 GMT

Just downloaded the game and played it... this game is so damn cool and it really rocks too... 600 points is really good of a deal to buy this game and really must play this game for sure! :D

bricklebrack

76. BrickleBrack United States 17 Mar 2009, 04:13 GMT

COOL! Thanks Knuck!

ren

77. Ren United States 17 Mar 2009, 04:49 GMT

Wow, this looks really awesome. And me with only 300 pts left. I'll have to wait. Great innovative games at this price point; thats what I'm talkin' about. Should set a nice standard if it can stay up in the charts. Hope I can get points soon and grab it. Thanks for posting videos, people, it should hold me over till I stop being broke.

adamant

78. Adamant Norway 17 Mar 2009, 04:51 GMT

Just picked it up as well..

Wow, this is amazing. Really blends the concepts of "video game" and "art". Best Wiiware game by far, probably best Wii Store game too, hell, maybe even best Wii game.

Are we looking at a perfect 10/10 here, Corbie?

syr

79. Syr United States 17 Mar 2009, 08:26 GMT

The one release weeks don't seem bad when gems like this come
along.

While I usually wait to see a couple reviews before deciding whether it's worth it to shuffle around all my wii-ware/vc games to accommodate the new arrivals (312 blocks = 17 NES games!) , the gamble paid off this time!

Awesome game, 9/10 (would be a 10 if it were longer!!)

nintendo_naut

80. Nintendo-Naut United States 17 Mar 2009, 12:58 GMT

Heh, well guess it's awesome after all. XD

knucklessonic8

81. KnucklesSonic8 Canada 17 Mar 2009, 14:55 GMT

@Syr: Exactly! This game made up for all the lackluster updates in the past with only ONE less-than-appealing game (stares at Family Glide Hockey and F&FP).

twilight_crow

82. Twilight Crow Mexico 18 Mar 2009, 09:49 GMT

Wow, after all this comments I'm just dying to play this game. It's so good to see a good release like this once in a while :), it makes wiiware worthwhile.

@KS8
Your videos are always welcomed ;).

@corbie, worrybomb
Thanks! (A little late :P)

Leave A Comment

Please login to post a comment.