To date, there haven’t been many titles worth checking out on the WiiWare front. There have been a few interesting ones and some buried gems like World of Goo, but besides that, it just can’t compete with the classic games on the Virtual Console. Wiiware remains an untapped market for simple arcadey games that utilize the unique controls of the Wii. Gaijin Games is trying to capitalize on this with their Bit.Trip series of games and Bit.Trip Beat is their first effort.


Gameplay

Bit.Trip Beat is not an easy game. That said, it’s an experience that is so unique that it is hard NOT to recommend it. No matter how many times I die, I just keep coming back to it.

Bit.Trip Beat plays like a breakout clone turned on the horizontal access. It has a really pixilated 8-bit inspired style that permeates both the graphics and the sound. On top of that, the controls are downright wacky. You play with the Wiimote only, turned on its side the way you hold it when you play NES ports from the Virtual Console store. Then, to move your paddle up and down the screen, you tilt the controller forward and backward.

The main gameplay is simple; you have to bounce or absorb horizontally moving dots that come across the screen from right to left. On top of this, the dots cross the paddle area in time with the music and the complexity of the music depends on how well you’re doing. Rack up a large combo and the music will get louder and more complex. Miss them and it will get more sparse.

The graphics are also tied into the gameplay and become rich and colourful when you’re doing well and hushed and monotone when you’re sucking. Don’t be deceived; just because you’re doing poorly and the graphics and sounds become simplistic, doesn’t mean the game lets up on you. You will still be facing the same amount of difficulty in that mode and need to play just as well to struggle your way back up to 8-bit colour and full music.


It may sound a bit complex but as soon as you play it, you’ll understand and despite the high level of difficulty it can be an engrossing game for both the player and anyone watching.

Graphics and Sound

Bit.Trip Beat has some of the most stylized graphics in the WiiWare marketplace. It is truly a stunning game, despite having graphics that would compare favorably to NES era graphics. There are giant pixels and that’s about it. You play a paddle that can grow or shrink depending on how far into a level you are and there are many variations the dots can take on.

Right before you lose your life, Bit.Trip Beat takes it’s most interesting turn. The graphics look like Pong on the Atari 2600 and the sound is relegated to the Wiimote’s speaker. The music fades out entirely and all you hear are the sound of each dot you manage to hit with your paddle. 

The sound is what makes this game really special as it sucks you into the gameplay and is a constant indicator as to how you’re doing. It really does utilize the Wii and all of its idiosyncrasies.

Value

Bit.Trip Beat is easily one of the best purchases in the Wii Shop and definitely my favourite yet in the WiiWare section. At 600 points (or roughly 5-6 dollars) it is definitely a worthwhile purchase.


While the controls and difficulty may steer some away, it is a great single player experience. There is also a co-op mode, but be warned. It isn’t much easier. The 4-player co-op just divides the paddle into 4 equal pieces, which can actually make the gameplay even harder!

Conclusion

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.