Bit Trip Runner and Gaijin Games thoughts!

So I got a chance to meet Alex Neuse of Gaijin Games last week at GDC and play Bit Trip Runner. Here are my thoughts:

It's by far the best game in the Bit Trip series to date. The simple low poly graphics look great in motion. The music ties really well with the platforming elements and if you can scan ahead you get a good sense of how the rhythm is going to play out. I also like that as you progress through the game you gain new skills like attacks and slides. There's also a bunch of great references to other Bit Trip games such as the Bit Trip Beat Paddle which is used as a shield in later levels.

On a more personal note, Alex is a really friendly guy and it was great to get some perspective from a WiiWare developer who's already been through the process a few times. I like how focused and small their game concepts are; I think it gives them a lot of room to polish and iterate.

I'm thinking for our next WiiWare title we build something a bit smaller in scope than Frobot. Personally, I'd like to try something in a 2d genre.