European dudes! We at Gaijin are so stoked that you finally have these amazing games! We honestly prefer COMPLETE for all the new features, but the 3D and on-the-go-ness of SAGA is pretty darn tasty, so depending on your preference, each offers something super choice. Swing by gaijingames.com or runner2.com to keep in touch with all of us at Gaijin! We love hearing from gamers!
Alex Neuse here. I hope y'all like the game and the overall series! It was fun making it for you! Now put those headphones on and plug in to some FLUX! (If you're in Europe).
@SmaMan: There are a lot of reasons why it took so long for this update to come out. The approval process wasn't really a big part of it. I think that basically, when you have so many parties working on anything, it compounds the amount of time it takes to get something done. In the end, we're just thrilled to have the update out there, even if it's a bit after the fact.
@Stuffgamer1: Yeah, that drives me nuts. I'm on the final couple rooms, and that issue alone is kinda making it a chore. All in all, though, I really enjoy Lit.
Thanks for the nice write-up, Sean! One clarification though: the game tells you to connect a Nunchuk (or Classic Controller--FTW!) during the boot sequence. I can't wait for the review to see what y'all think!
@strato castx: I haven't played Flash Beats, but I just saw a few photos of it online right now and nearly lost my brainz. I want to play that game. Badly. Have you? Is it awesome!?
Firstly, it definitely gets mental. Too mental, though?
Secondly, to answer your question, most of the angled beats that come in will eventually intersect a second beat line if you miss it on the first line it passes. So, as you're playing, remember that the straight ones kind of take priority, because you only have one chance to nail 'em.
We would love to patch the game, but it's a lot more complicated a process than it seems, sadly. Since a patch is still far off (if it even happens), we thought we'd offer this peace-offering of sorts in the meantime. Since the game was never meant to be as punishing as the shipped version turned out to be, we felt that doing anything and everything we could to help players was the best course of action. We are still pursuing the possibility of a patch, though, and will let the entire world know if it ends up becoming a reality. And trust us, the very moment that it becomes possible, we will do it.
Thanks to everyone for all your support too, and for not turning your back on the game because of this issue. Also, I'm glad that some folks could find a new challenge in the game despite the bug. Rest assured, CORE has the fix included for all regions.
@ Sean Aaron & Corbie: Don't you worry. We've got something special planned for the good folks at nintendolife. Oh, and Corbie, sorry about that email. I'll make it up to you.
@feba: Actually, there is very little text in-game, so we didn't localize that stuff. All the error messages and whatnot are localized though according to Nintendo's localization requirements.
@VenomTheEvil: Sorry it took so long! I hope you love the game!
Thanks for all the awesome comments and tons of care that you've put into sharing your voices with us. Being able to talk to the community who has bought our game is not only fun, but is also very informative. Even if you're not a fan! Let's face it, this game isn't for everyone.
I wanted to talk about two things that y'all brought up.
1. The level unlocking. Sadly, having the game only save if you get a high score is a bug. We never intended it to be that way. After you beat a boss, the next level was meant to unlock permanently whether you ranked in on the high scores screen or not. The Gaijin Games crew is very bummed about shipping with this bug. We're not sure yet if a WiiWare patch is even possible, but until we find out, there is a save file available on gamefaqs with all levels unlocked here: http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/wii/save/957980.html. We're going to make our own super-special save file and post it on our site next week as well if you want to download that. Subsequent games in the BIT.TRIP series will not have this issue to deal with. So, apologies to everyone. The game is way more punishing than we intended it to be because of this bug.
2. In terms of checkpoints or shorter stages; I understand and respect the desire for them. I absolutely do. It was a design choice of mine to go the direction we ended up going, though, because I'm a huge fan of shoot-em-ups and I have found that when I have unlimited continues or the ability to start from where I left off, I never have to learn how to play the game well. As a gamer, I am more drawn to learning the patterns and strategies and failing over and over again only to triumph in the end. This is of course a personal preference. I like to think of our game as more akin to shoot-em-ups than any other genre, really. Some of my favorite games are punishingly difficult, and I think my preference shines through in the difficulty of BTB. Whether that's good or bad, I'm not 100% sure. Either way, though, the sequel follows the same structure as the first, but who knows if all games in the series will...
I think that the sequel is easier, but it's hard to tell because it's just so different and very challenging in brand new, mind-bending ways. I hope that you all give it a try when it comes out (if you enjoyed BEAT enough, that is).
Hey folks, From what I heard, the game is coming out on May 1st. But now that y'all are mentioning this VC (which is just CV backwards, if you get my meaning) Friday thing, I'm worried. Man, I wish I knew more about European releases. Keep me posted if Friday hits and you guys find your eyes bleeding out of their sockets or not. -Alex
@VenomTheEvil! Let it be known that BTB is finally making its way to Europe! Check out our site at www.gaijingames.com for the announcement and spread the word!
Sorry about the wait; but it's coming THIS FRIDAY! -Alex Neuse
So, maybe it's too early to ask, but has anyone gotten a "perfect" score on any of the levels?
I can beat all the levels without much trouble (but then I played the game all day every day for four months straight). Maybe I should do a strat-guide video or something.
Hey everyone! I didn't actually make that video. The good folks over at Wander Films made it for the Nintendo Channel! I wish I had that much talent, but alas, I do not.
Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go throw my chairs into the fireplace.
@ Chicken Brutus: The Challenge Beat towards the beginning of Level 2 is brutally difficult. But they are meant as new challenges, like you said. I'd advise that players avoid the challenges (if they can remember which Beats they are) until they've honed their skills a bit. For instance, that one I mentioned--I've only successfully hit every Beat in that challenge 8 or 9 times.
@thewiirocks: I hear ya on the dark blue. It's tough to see. It is definitely one of those things that slipped through the cracks. I like the menu (it's our tutorial). But I hear your gripes. As far as the rumble goes, you can always hit the Home Button and turn off your Wii Remote's rumble. Thanks for the comments!
@ZIMM: I've not got a lot of time at the moment, so here's some quick answers to your questions.
1. The motion control is technically "analog", but as far as using the analog sticks on the Nunchuck or the Classic Controller goes, we tried it out and it just simply wasn't responsive enough. We also gave the +Control Pad a shot and everything we tried just screamed for the motion controls. Mind you, if there were a spinner controller peripheral available, that would have been THE BEST.
2. The choice for 3 levels was because of the story themes I wanted to get across. The flow across 3 levels works very well for this series from that standpoint (you'll probably understand more about this once the sequels are out). Also, since the gameplay is so simple, I wanted to err on the side of leaving the players wanting more rather than less, you know? Too much of a good thing...
3. Leaderboards would have been super awesome. The honest answer is that we're just 3 guys makin' this thing and the effort it takes to get that stuff in there was prohibitive to our development cycle.
@Rockbandmonkey: I noticed your BTB avatar. Totally nice. In case you're interested, there are some official avatars over at www.commandervideo.com. Just click on the 0150X0001 hyperlink in the screenshot image. Also, if any of you are game, we'd love some fanart to post on our fanart page! Just send it to commandervideo@commandervideo.com!
@worrybomb: In regards to the soundtrack, there may be a chance that this gets released in the future. Don't hold me to it, but I'm trying to figure something out.
@Wiiloveit: I wish I could tell you some definitive answer on the PAL release date, but rest assured it IS coming.
@Everyone else: Thanks for the support, and keep the comments/criticisms coming. We've got more games to make that we want you all to love so your feedback helps a lot. We're definitely following your comments here in the Gaijin Games studio.
Comments 57
Re: First Impressions: Running Wild in Runner3
Glad y'all are looking forward to it! I'll tell ya what, we sure are having a lot of fun developing it for you!
Re: SMW: A Day's Walk
I like this level a lot, because it feels like it could be a REAL Mario level! Great job!
Re: BIT.TRIP Presents: Runner 2 Future Legend of Rhythm Alien (Wii U eShop) Gameplay Trailer - World 3
Just you wait until we reveal the official trailer. Your socks will be knocked right off.
Re: BIT.TRIP Collections Come to Europe on 16th March
European dudes! We at Gaijin are so stoked that you finally have these amazing games! We honestly prefer COMPLETE for all the new features, but the 3D and on-the-go-ness of SAGA is pretty darn tasty, so depending on your preference, each offers something super choice. Swing by gaijingames.com or runner2.com to keep in touch with all of us at Gaijin! We love hearing from gamers!
Re: Review: BIT.TRIP FLUX (WiiWare)
@cyrus_zuo Actually, you can play with 2 players!
Alex Neuse here. I hope y'all like the game and the overall series! It was fun making it for you! Now put those headphones on and plug in to some FLUX! (If you're in Europe).
US folks do that on Monday.
Re: Nintendo Swashes Even More Pirates' Buckles
Dustin Hoffman is an amazing actor.
Re: Gaijin Games Reveals First BIT.TRIP RUNNER Details
@HadesGigas - That game doesn't count, because I didn't think of it.
NAH! I'm just kidding. That game looks awesome! Please tell me it's coming stateside. DO WANT!
Re: Interviews: Robotube Games - Bloktonik
Yo Jason! Totally sweet interview. I'm looking forward to talking with you next Thursday about very secret things... YEAH!
Re: WiiWare Demo Program Proving Successful
As a developer and a fanboy, I love the demos.
Re: First Impressions: Super Meat Boy
This game is going to destroy our awesome-glands. EDMUND!
Re: BIT.TRIP BEAT Updated!
@SmaMan: There are a lot of reasons why it took so long for this update to come out. The approval process wasn't really a big part of it. I think that basically, when you have so many parties working on anything, it compounds the amount of time it takes to get something done. In the end, we're just thrilled to have the update out there, even if it's a bit after the fact.
Re: BIT.TRIP BEAT Updated!
@Stuffgamer1: Yeah, that drives me nuts. I'm on the final couple rooms, and that issue alone is kinda making it a chore. All in all, though, I really enjoy Lit.
Re: BIT.TRIP BEAT Updated!
@newlykate: What was in the EU update of Lit that we don't have?
Re: First Impressions: Bit.Trip VOID
Thanks for the nice write-up, Sean! One clarification though: the game tells you to connect a Nunchuk (or Classic Controller--FTW!) during the boot sequence. I can't wait for the review to see what y'all think!
Re: Features: Looking Back At BIT.TRIP BEAT, Pt. 1
@MarkyVigoroth: Crap! You're totally right!
Re: Bit.Trip Core Gets European Date
Did y'all see? Chicken Brutus popped his thumb open while playing!
http://www.gaijingames.com/?p=753&cpage=1#comment-2293
Re: Review: Bit.Trip Core (WiiWare)
@Syr: I'm right here, Syr. Right by your side. And I salute you!
Re: Talking Point: Bit Boy!! Took 50 Times More Work Than Bit.Trip?
@WiiBoy: Hey Bernd. No love lost.
Re: Interviews: BIT.TRIP CORE - Gaijin Games
@strato castx: I haven't played Flash Beats, but I just saw a few photos of it online right now and nearly lost my brainz. I want to play that game. Badly. Have you? Is it awesome!?
Re: Bit Boy!! Coming to Europe July 3rd
Dudes, I am stoked on this game. I WANT TO PLAY!
Re: Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (27th May)
@ Chicken Brutus! Thanks for the vibes! I hope you like CORE as much as BEAT!
@ Corbie, we over here at GG love these lists. Keep 'em coming!
Re: Nintendo Life Exclusive - Bit.Trip Core E3 Trailer
@ Wiiloveit
Firstly, it definitely gets mental. Too mental, though?
Secondly, to answer your question, most of the angled beats that come in will eventually intersect a second beat line if you miss it on the first line it passes. So, as you're playing, remember that the straight ones kind of take priority, because you only have one chance to nail 'em.
Re: Interviews: Matt Bozon, Adam Tierney, and Sean Velasco of WayForward - Part Two
Holy crap. E.V.O. FTW! Seriously.
Re: Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (6th May)
C'mon SWEDEN!!!! Our Engineer, Chris Osborn is half Swedish! This one is for the homeland!!!!
Re: Bit.Trip Bug!
@Mange: Ask and you shall receive.
We would love to patch the game, but it's a lot more complicated a process than it seems, sadly. Since a patch is still far off (if it even happens), we thought we'd offer this peace-offering of sorts in the meantime. Since the game was never meant to be as punishing as the shipped version turned out to be, we felt that doing anything and everything we could to help players was the best course of action. We are still pursuing the possibility of a patch, though, and will let the entire world know if it ends up becoming a reality. And trust us, the very moment that it becomes possible, we will do it.
Thanks to everyone for all your support too, and for not turning your back on the game because of this issue. Also, I'm glad that some folks could find a new challenge in the game despite the bug. Rest assured, CORE has the fix included for all regions.
Re: Nintendo Download: Bit.Trip Beat, Dr. Mario, Magic and Galaxy Force II (EU)
@ Sean Aaron & Corbie: Don't you worry. We've got something special planned for the good folks at nintendolife. Oh, and Corbie, sorry about that email. I'll make it up to you.
Re: Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (29th Apr)
@Djungelurban: I'm with you! I'm excited to see the Japanese charts too!
Re: Nintendo Download: Bit.Trip Beat, Dr. Mario, Magic and Galaxy Force II (EU)
@feba: Actually, there is very little text in-game, so we didn't localize that stuff. All the error messages and whatnot are localized though according to Nintendo's localization requirements.
@VenomTheEvil: Sorry it took so long! I hope you love the game!
Re: Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (29th Apr)
Hey everyone. Alex Neuse from Gaijin Games here.
Thanks for all the awesome comments and tons of care that you've put into sharing your voices with us. Being able to talk to the community who has bought our game is not only fun, but is also very informative. Even if you're not a fan! Let's face it, this game isn't for everyone.
I wanted to talk about two things that y'all brought up.
1. The level unlocking. Sadly, having the game only save if you get a high score is a bug. We never intended it to be that way. After you beat a boss, the next level was meant to unlock permanently whether you ranked in on the high scores screen or not. The Gaijin Games crew is very bummed about shipping with this bug. We're not sure yet if a WiiWare patch is even possible, but until we find out, there is a save file available on gamefaqs with all levels unlocked here: http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/wii/save/957980.html. We're going to make our own super-special save file and post it on our site next week as well if you want to download that. Subsequent games in the BIT.TRIP series will not have this issue to deal with. So, apologies to everyone. The game is way more punishing than we intended it to be because of this bug.
2. In terms of checkpoints or shorter stages; I understand and respect the desire for them. I absolutely do. It was a design choice of mine to go the direction we ended up going, though, because I'm a huge fan of shoot-em-ups and I have found that when I have unlimited continues or the ability to start from where I left off, I never have to learn how to play the game well. As a gamer, I am more drawn to learning the patterns and strategies and failing over and over again only to triumph in the end. This is of course a personal preference. I like to think of our game as more akin to shoot-em-ups than any other genre, really. Some of my favorite games are punishingly difficult, and I think my preference shines through in the difficulty of BTB. Whether that's good or bad, I'm not 100% sure. Either way, though, the sequel follows the same structure as the first, but who knows if all games in the series will...
I think that the sequel is easier, but it's hard to tell because it's just so different and very challenging in brand new, mind-bending ways. I hope that you all give it a try when it comes out (if you enjoyed BEAT enough, that is).
Thanks again for your comments!
-Alex
Re: Nintendo Download: Bit.Trip Beat, Dr. Mario and Galaxy Force II (EU)
@ Dazza:
I've got your back, yo.
Re: Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (29th Apr)
Chicken Brutus has spoken.
Re: Bit.Trip Beat Coming to Europe on Friday
Hey folks,
From what I heard, the game is coming out on May 1st. But now that y'all are mentioning this VC (which is just CV backwards, if you get my meaning) Friday thing, I'm worried. Man, I wish I knew more about European releases. Keep me posted if Friday hits and you guys find your eyes bleeding out of their sockets or not.
-Alex
Re: Bit.Trip: Beat
@VenomTheEvil!
Let it be known that BTB is finally making its way to Europe! Check out our site at www.gaijingames.com for the announcement and spread the word!
Sorry about the wait; but it's coming THIS FRIDAY!
-Alex Neuse
Re: Video - The Making of Bit.Trip Beat
@ Corbie: I absolutely LOVE Kaboom!. The 5200 version is my version of choice.
Re: Video - The Making of Bit.Trip Beat
You guys are a riot! 4 controllers together!?
So, maybe it's too early to ask, but has anyone gotten a "perfect" score on any of the levels?
I can beat all the levels without much trouble (but then I played the game all day every day for four months straight). Maybe I should do a strat-guide video or something.
Re: Video - The Making of Bit.Trip Beat
Hey everyone! I didn't actually make that video. The good folks over at Wander Films made it for the Nintendo Channel! I wish I had that much talent, but alas, I do not.
Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go throw my chairs into the fireplace.
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
@ Everyone: So, tell me honestly, is Onslaught worth picking up? I've been mildly interested. Mind you, FPS is not my favorite genre. Thoughts?
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
My question to you all is this, though:
Where is The Trucker?
Re: Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (18th Mar)
Dudes! Let's get BTB to CLIMB THIS LADDER! Can anyone say "Top 10"? YES!
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
Check out http://commandervideo.com/fanart.html for a brand new image from one of your own! Good ol' Chicken Brutus!
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
@ Chicken Brutus: The Challenge Beat towards the beginning of Level 2 is brutally difficult. But they are meant as new challenges, like you said. I'd advise that players avoid the challenges (if they can remember which Beats they are) until they've honed their skills a bit. For instance, that one I mentioned--I've only successfully hit every Beat in that challenge 8 or 9 times.
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
@thewiirocks: I hear ya on the dark blue. It's tough to see. It is definitely one of those things that slipped through the cracks. I like the menu (it's our tutorial). But I hear your gripes. As far as the rumble goes, you can always hit the Home Button and turn off your Wii Remote's rumble. Thanks for the comments!
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
@Objection_Blaster: I saw "RE:#2" in your comment and got all excited about shooting zombies. What a game RE2 was. Info on what now?
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
@ZIMM: I've not got a lot of time at the moment, so here's some quick answers to your questions.
1. The motion control is technically "analog", but as far as using the analog sticks on the Nunchuck or the Classic Controller goes, we tried it out and it just simply wasn't responsive enough. We also gave the +Control Pad a shot and everything we tried just screamed for the motion controls. Mind you, if there were a spinner controller peripheral available, that would have been THE BEST.
2. The choice for 3 levels was because of the story themes I wanted to get across. The flow across 3 levels works very well for this series from that standpoint (you'll probably understand more about this once the sequels are out). Also, since the gameplay is so simple, I wanted to err on the side of leaving the players wanting more rather than less, you know? Too much of a good thing...
3. Leaderboards would have been super awesome. The honest answer is that we're just 3 guys makin' this thing and the effort it takes to get that stuff in there was prohibitive to our development cycle.
4. Pong? What's that?
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
Man, shoot 'em ups are awesome.
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
@ Corbie: My lawyers will be in touch.
Dude, it was totally sweet!
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
@Rockbandmonkey: I noticed your BTB avatar. Totally nice. In case you're interested, there are some official avatars over at www.commandervideo.com. Just click on the 0150X0001 hyperlink in the screenshot image. Also, if any of you are game, we'd love some fanart to post on our fanart page! Just send it to commandervideo@commandervideo.com!
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
@worrybomb: In regards to the soundtrack, there may be a chance that this gets released in the future. Don't hold me to it, but I'm trying to figure something out.
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
@Wiiloveit: I wish I could tell you some definitive answer on the PAL release date, but rest assured it IS coming.
@Everyone else: Thanks for the support, and keep the comments/criticisms coming. We've got more games to make that we want you all to love so your feedback helps a lot. We're definitely following your comments here in the Gaijin Games studio.
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
@worrybomb:
salute