The BIT.TRIP series has come to a conclusion on WiiWare, but Commander Video is now staging
his escape from the digital realm.
Heís reaching past the confines of your Wii Shop Channel, metamorphosing into various
plastic shapes and landing on store shelves with a loud beep.
All six of his trippy adventuresóthe entire BIT.TRIP seriesóhave been rereleased on Nintendoís
two platforms.
And while the Saga isnít quite as good as the Collection, this portable version is still
a solid compilation of fantastic retro games.
The series debuted on WiiWare in 2009 with BIT.TRIP BEAT, a phenomenal rhythm game that
essentially combined Pong and Guitar Hero.
Five more BIT.TRIP releases entered the WiiWare ether over the next two years, and back in
February, the series was finally concluded with the outstanding BIT.TRIP FLUX.
Weíve reviewed all six BIT.TRIP titles here on CGRundertow, so for more on each game,
check out our individual reviews.
Suffice to say, the psychedelic sanctums to which these games take us are a big reason
the BIT.TRIP series has been such a favorite here at the underwater base.
Well, that and the fact that theyíre really **** good.
So what makes this version inferior to its Wii counterpart?
Well, itís mostly to do with features.
On the Wii, BIT.TRIP COLLECTION comes with all six games plus 20 extra levels each, online
leaderboards and a ton of unlockable bonus stuff.
None of those extras were included on the 3DS in BIT.TRIP SAGA.
If youíre keeping score at home, thatís COLLECTION for the win.
But thatís not to say the score is a shutout.
On the contrary, there are a few perks to playing the BIT.TRIP games on the 3DS, the
first of which being the 3D graphics.
The clean retro style of the BIT.TRIP games makes for outstanding 3D interpretation.
The graphics are even more surreal when theyíre popping off the screen, and although it doesnít
add anything to the gameplay, it does add to the aesthetic experience, which has always
been a big part of the BIT.TRIP games.
Another key addition to the 3DS version is touch.
BEAT, FATE and FLUX have each been given optional touch controls, and they actually work great.
In fact, for me, they were the better option.
For example, moving your paddle in BEAT and FLUX is more precise and even quicker when
youíre dragging it with your stylus.
It feels fantastic, and itís definitely a more intuitive control
scheme than tilting a Wii Remote.
The best Nintendo DS games were the ones that actually used the features of the system to
provide new and unique gameplay experiences.
BIT.TRIP SAGA does the same kind of thing on the 3DS, although to an admittedly lesser
degreeóthereís nothing new about these titles, the 3D effect doesnít enhance the gameplay
and only a few of the games support touch.
But what it does do is more than enough to make this version worthwhile, especially for
those who have never taken a BIT.TRIP.
A compilation of the BIT.TRIP games is an easy recommendation.
The only question is which to choose.
If you have a Wii, go with that version.
But if youíre looking for a game to play on your 3DS, you wonít find many third-party
releases on that platform with the kind of addictive gameplay and gorgeous style on display
in BIT.TRIP SAGA.
The story may be over, but the beat goes on.