The Great Playthrough: Game 36 - Star Wars: Racer Revenge and Game 37 - Bit.Trip Runner

I begin, as I often do, with an apology. I know that at the end of my previous entry, I advised you that this next one would be along very soon. And it wasn't.

In my defence, I have been rather busy....

And while I'm in a confessional mood, I ought to point out that I'm not going to complete my initial plan of playing all of these games before the wedding - I still have over a hundred to go on the list! But that's not going to stop me continuing with this experiment, (Just to clarify, the experiment I'm talking about is the game playing - not some weird Frankenstein-style experiment that you think I'm up to), and today I present to you the next two games in the series! First up:

Star Wars: Racer Revenge
Released on: Playstation 2
Played on: Playstation 2
Release Date: 2002

I was looking forward to this game. As derided as Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is, it is universally agreed that the podrace is by far the best part of the film, and I seem to remember that the N64 game that preceded this - Star Wars: Racer - was pretty good as well. These factors, combined with my love for silly arcade racers (remember my disappointment when Outrun 2 didn't work?) gave me high hopes for Star Wars: Racer Revenge.

And then I played it. And honestly? The best comparison I can give is to compare it with the Star Wars prequels themselves. There was initial excitement followed by the disappointment of good ideas being badly handled.

Don't get me wrong, the first race was fun. Handling was a bit strange, but I thought that I'd get used to it. And then, after losing the race (unsurprisingly - due to it being my first go at the game), so I tried again with a different racer and different pod, and then after a couple of goes, I won! And after winning, my reward? Getting dumped back into the track select screen I was in before.

And that is one of my biggest problems with the game - there's no single player mode. Yes, you can play the tracks one at a time, but it doesn't feel like there's any progression or reward for doing well. There's no grand prix, or mission mode, or anything like that. Couple that with the erratic handling and I was fed up with playing the game within 20 minutes.

Sorry Star Wars: Racer Revenge, but you were a disappointment - I'd rather play Outrun any day.

Rating - 4/10
Time played - About 20 Minutes
Will I play it again? - I don't think I'm likely to. 

Bit.Trip Runner

Released on: Nintendo Wii

Played on: Nintendo Wii

Release date: 2010

When I first played Bit.Trip Runner (back when I originally got it), I remember expecting it to be a platformer, and was therefore disappointed with it for approximately fifteen minutes of play, before the game suddenly clicked into place. 

It may look like a platformer. You may need to jump onto platforms and avoid spikes, but it is, in fact a rhythm action game. And the reason I didn't notice? Because it is so well disguised. It'd be like tasting an apple that looked like an apple, smelt like an apple, felt like an apple, but tasted like a 3-course gourmet dinner roasted by Gordon Ramsey whilst he was dressed in a Garfield outfit.

It's not what you expect.

Although, that's not necessarily a bad thing... because it is a very good game.

Basically (in case you didn't know), Bit.Trip Runner sees you controlling Commander Video (a wonderfully blocky 8-bit style man) who continuously runs, and you must make him jump, slide and kick his way through the level, all soundtracked by some wonderful chiptune music.

And the music is the key, because every action you perform with Commander Video makes a sound, and if you do the action at the correct time, it enhances the music, allowing it to build up to an aural soundscape of wonderment. It's almost as if the visual part of the game is irrelevant. You feel like you could play it with your eyes shit. (I don't recommend it though, I died very quickly when I tried that!) 

On the whole it is a very fun game - it can be frustrating when you get things wrong and get sent back to the start of the level when you miss one jump, but because the level re-starts straightaway, not giving you the option to quit, which is a very canny piece of game design. 

My only real complaint about Bit.Trip Runner (apart from the occasional moment of unresponsive controls, which I am assuming is the fault of my wii-mote as it is starting to fall apart from overuse) is that it does all start to feel a little samey after a while, and therefore it's a game more suited to short bursts of play rather than hours upon hours of continuous play. 

It's still bloody good fun...

Rating: 8/10

Time played: 1 hour

Would I play it again?: Definitely.