Summer gaming is starting with a bang. So many top-tier games are being released right now that there will be no shortage of titles to play when the school year ends in June. until then, I suggest trying a fun game that’s the perfect, quick study break for kids focused on doing well at the end of the semester.
Parents of Wii-owning students, encourage your child to play games that won’t consume hours at a time. “Bit. Trip Runner” is a great diversion until kids can have the time to soak in “Super Mario Galaxy 2.” And for grownups who had an Atari, this game will bring back fond memories.
As a download-only title, “Runner” does not catch your eye unless retro-styled, chunky, pixelated graphics are your thing. The premise is pure Mario: you move from the left to the right and jump when things get in your way. “Runner” also gets the retro gaming feeling right in its style, responsiveness and its thumb-punishing level of difficulty that will test any new gamer’s patience. if you grew up playing console games with no checkpoints, “easy” difficulty settings and cheats, “Runner” will win you over.
Unlike Mario, you are not in control of your speed. your character, the stylishly blocky Commander Video, will run to the beat of the music and you have to jump, slide, kick or block your way around colorful obstacles to get to the finish line. this game needs to be studied and memorized since the patterns never change. One false move and it’s back to the beginning of the level.
Once you hit an object, you won’t die. Restarting the level is instantaneous as you are zoomed backward at high speeds until you reach the starting line. this isn’t a game about making it on the first try, it’s about learning each level and perfecting the sequence of moves. The difficulty can be punishing, but if you can keep your composure and make safe jumps and easy grabs for the gold strewn about each level, you will find yourself amazed at the fantastic visuals and music.
My only complaint is that the later levels are locked until you get past the previous stage. There are times when I got stuck and almost left the game. Luckily, I persevered to get a little further and the accomplishment felt great.
Difficulty aside, this game is fantastic. There will be some controller-throwing frustration, but the reality is that “Runner” can be finished with enough practice and patience. even if you never see the later levels, jumping through an homage to Activision’s “Pitfall” will put a smile on your face as Commander Video streams a rainbow behind him.
At $8, “Bit. Trip Runner” is retro fun and makes me feel like a kid again — which is priceless.
Marcus Anderson is a freelance writer and video game reviewer.
Ok. let me first start off by saying that I successfully modified a Korean 4.2K wii. I used the tutorials on this site and it works great.
Is it possible to download a Wii game off a torrent site then play the game on the Wii? do you have to programe your Wii please explain. Is it the same as a computer game because i know how to do those. help please!
