Bit.Trip Beat

About the only downside to having a game as much fun to play as Bit.Trip.Beat is that with only 3 levels, you'll definitely be left wanting more.

All in all, the game is must-play for anyone studying game design and/or fans of high-pressure gameplay. Bit.Trip Beat feels like a an intentional deconstruction of videogames as a whole, with all forms of complexity stripped away in favor of delivering a simple, concentrated experience. This lack of pretense isn't totally new; WarioWare and Shadow of the Colossus both went for it in their own ways, but never to this extreme.

Bit.Trip Beat is one of the best WiiWare titles available, featuring simple, fun, and addictive gameplay. Gamers interested in unique and original games should definitely download this title.

The aesthetic pulled me in and the addicting game play kept me going until my arms could take no more. Bit.Trip Beat is one of the better retro games released this year.

Bit.Trip Beat is my favourite reason to turn on my Wii recently and is a great showpiece to bring out at a party or when friends are visiting. The controls can be a little intimidating and it’s easy to get frustrated but it can also be really addictive. Bit.Trip Beat is a cheap, beautiful looking game that encapsulates what WiiWare should be.

Compulsive to play...Just a shame it's a little short. [July 2009, p.94]

Overall the experience is pretty entertaining, and at a price point of $6 it’s tough to pass up. With that being said, players expecting too much might be let down, as the game is three tracks total (basically 200 points a song, which is the same as any Rock Band DLC really), and it’s all about replaying them and getting better scores.

This is the first in the series of Bit.Tip titles brought to you by Gaijin Games and they knock it out of the park with a great first title. Solid controls, four player co-op play, enjoyable music and old school visuals that will make anyone smile. This is a must download for the Wii.

Someone finally finds something interesting to do with Pong, with this excellent retro homage.

BitTrip Beat certainly makes for an atmospheric, pulse pounding experience, but it's not one that comes easily. [June 2009, p.128]

Bit.Trip Beat is a fast, furious rhythm game with fun and exciting gameplay despite its eccentricities.

The three marathon levels might have been better broken into a series of shorter sprints, and the four-person co-op is a stressful frustration, but as a single-player score-rush, Bit.Trip Beat is mercilessly targeted to the most masochistic part of your psyche. The result is by turns infectious, delightful, and entertainingly cruel.

The game's brevity is a positive, ensuring Bit Trip Beat burns brightly without having to grind on after it's extinguished its best ideas. The result is a brisk, radiant creation, presenting a nostalgic celebration of the medium's beginnings as well as a bold testament to how those narrow compulsions that inspired people to play videogames thirty years ago are, in fact, timeless.