Runner2

Last updated

Runner2
Bit Trip Presents Runner 2 cover.jpg
Developer(s) Gaijin Games
Publisher(s)
Producer(s)
  • Alex Neuse
  • Mike Roush
Designer(s)
  • Danny Johnson
  • Alex Neuse
Programmer(s)
  • Darren Ensley
  • Mike Gonzales
  • Andrew Hynek
Artist(s)
  • Jason Cirillo
  • Chris Meyer
  • Mike Roush
Composer(s)
Series Bit.Trip
Engine Atrophy Engine
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, Wii U, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, iOS, Nintendo Switch
ReleaseWindows, OS X, Linux
  • WW: February 26, 2013
Wii U
  • NA: February 26, 2013
  • EU: April 11, 2013
  • AU: August 22, 2013
Xbox 360
  • WW: February 27, 2013
PlayStation 3
  • NA: March 5, 2013
  • EU: August 21, 2013
iOS
  • WW: October 31, 2013
PlayStation Vita
  • WW: December 17, 2013
PlayStation 4
  • WW: February 24, 2016
Nintendo Switch
  • WW: February 29, 2024
Genre(s) Platform
Mode(s) Single-player

Bit.Trip Presents... Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien (also known as simply Runner2) is a 2013 side-scrolling platformer developed by Gaijin Games. The game is the sequel to Bit.Trip Runner (2010) and was released as a downloadable title on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Wii U, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, and iOS. Versions for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch were later released in 2016 and 2024 respectively. The PC, Mac, Linux, and Wii U versions were self-published by Gaijin Games, and the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions were published by Aksys Games.

Contents

While Runner2 has a lot in common with its predecessor, its polygonal graphics mark a significant departure from past entries in the Bit.Trip series. In an interview with Push Square, Gaijin Games co-founder Mike Roush cited the studio's urge to “spread its wings a bit” as the inspiration behind the change. [1] The game also features narration by Charles Martinet.

Runner2 received generally positive reviews from critics. [2] A sequel, Runner3 , released in 2018 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PC.

Gameplay

Runner2 is divided into five themed worlds, each with fourteen regular levels and five bonus stages for a grand total of ninety-five. The goal of each level is to guide the chosen character to the end of the level without striking an obstacle or falling off the screen. The character runs automatically, and in order to arrive safely at the finish, the player must perform various simple actions such as jumping, sliding and kicking, as well as more complex moves including hanging from rails, deflecting projectiles with a shield, and slide-kicking. [3] Most obstacles require the player to perform one specific action to survive—jumping over ground-based enemies, sliding under hovering enemies or fireballs (which fly at head height), kicking stop-sign walls—although the player can either deflect the square "beat" blocks to earn points or simply slide under them. If the player hits an obstacle (including failing to jump and thus running into a wall) or falls off the screen, the game rewinds to the beginning of the level. Runner2 introduces checkpoints halfway through normal levels and after each phase of a boss level; if the player suffers a "bonk" after hitting a checkpoint, the game rewinds to that checkpoint. The game has very mild penalties for failure: it does not track lives, so the player can fail a level as many times as necessary to beat it. It does reset the rewound area, so the player must collect gold bars and mode upgrades again, and it does track the total number of player bonks and ratio of bonks to level completions, though this only affects players curious enough to look at the stats page.

Although it shares the auto-running style of its predecessor, the game also boasts several new features. There's a glide move that enables the character to travel further while jumping, a loop-the-loop that challenges the player to twirl their analog stick in tandem with the character's placement on the circle, diamond-shaped structures that task the player with pressing buttons at the correct time, and a dance move. The glide move proves necessary to make many of the game's jumps. The loop-the-loop and diamond structures simply award players bonus points for good timing, with no way to suffer a hit. Dancing earns the player bonus points but causes the character to ignore other inputs, such as jumping and ducking, for the approximately half second the dance animation takes, meaning the player must carefully time their dancing to maximize points while not crashing into obstacles. As noted above, the game also introduces checkpoints at the halfway mark of each level. These take the form of crossbars which the player may run into, allowing them to continue at that point rather than the beginning of the level, or jump over, which does not set the rewind marker but does award bonus points. If a player manages to gather every gold bar and mode upgrade in a level, they're provided a chance to shoot the character into a large target from a cannon. The closer the character lands to the center, the more points the player receives. Hitting the bulls-eye earns the player a Perfect+ ranking for the level, the goal of some of the in-game challenges as well as achievements or trophies.

Costumes and alternate characters

Runner2 also boasts a variety of unlockables, such as additional costumes and new characters (including Unkle Dill, CommandgirlVideo, Whetfahrt Cheeseborger, Reverse Merman, Pitazo, CaptainVideo, and retro CommanderVideo). Costumes are hidden in treasure chests scattered throughout the game, whereas new characters are earned by completing certain levels. The player simply needs to run into a treasure chest to claim it, and they keep it even if they suffer a hit later in the level. In some levels, giant locks protect the path to the treasure chest. The player must first complete the Key Vault level in that world to make keys appear, then replay such levels to collect the key and chest.

Retro levels

Similar to its predecessor, Runner2 is home to several retro levels, which unlock when players uncover hidden Famicom cartridges. Collecting a cartridge immediately ends the level; in some cases the player must collect a key and open a lock guarding the path which contains the cartridge. While the retro levels of Runner were inspired by the Atari 2600 era of gaming, Runner2's retro levels are more reminiscent of the 8-bit era.[ citation needed ]

Development and release

Runner2 was released as a downloadable title for the Wii U on the Nintendo eShop and on Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux via Steam on February 26, 2013. It was then released on the Xbox 360 's Xbox Live Arcade the next day. [4] The game was released on the PlayStation Network on March 5, 2013. [5] Although all versions are generally the same, the Wii U version offers the added ability of playing on the Wii U GamePad with the Off TV Play function. The developers also confirmed that because Wii U is the newest platform with the most memory, it has the best overall load times of any of the consoles. [6] Runner2 was removed from the Xbox Marketplace sometime in 2018, alongside other Aksys published titles. [7]

Later releases

The game is also available on iOS, PS Vita and PS4. The iOS version was released on October 31, 2013. Said version is entitled Bit.Tip Run and very similar to the console version. The developer has already promised an update for the iOS version, which features GameCenter achievements and leaderboards, virtual controls, a better in-game shop and more levels. And never was ported to Android.

Downloadable content

A "Good Friends" DLC pack was released on Steam on July 11, 2013, with a release for the console versions to follow. The DLC adds six characters from various titles, including Dr. Fetus from Super Meat Boy , Josef from Machinarium , Quote from Cave Story , Raz from Psychonauts , and the Spelunker from Spelunky , along with an invisible Commander Video skin. [8] Atlas from Portal 2 is a Steam-exclusive character.

Audio

Like the rest of the Bit.Trip series, Runner2's music is a pivotal part of the experience. There's a sound associated with every action, which allows the player to contribute to the soundtrack as they progress. Chiptune artist Disasterpeace provided the music for the game's retro stages, and Petrified Productions provided the rest of the soundtrack. The narration in this game is done by Super Mario voice actor Charles Martinet. [9] [10]

Promotion

Prior to its release, Gaijin Games promoted Runner2 with several gameplay videos, character announcements, and frequent updates on their blog. [11] In one post, the studio asked its readers to try their hand at naming levels in the game; [12] in another, they discussed the nature of development transparency, and the merits of keeping fans and press in the loop over the course of a game's creation. [13]

In one of the more well-publicized reveals, Gaijin Games co-founder Alex Neuse informed Joystiq that the team was keeping track of how many beers they consumed over the course of development. [14]

Reception

Runner2 was met with positive reviews. IGN called it "one of the finest music games ever made," [23] and referred to the synchronicity of the music and gameplay as trance-inducing. GameSpot similarly praised the soundtrack and gameplay, stating that "you feel like you're reacting instinctually with button presses before you consciously realize what you're doing." [22] Neal Ronaghan of the Nintendo World Report referred to it as "one of the best side-scrolling platformers in recent memory," [27] citing in particular its visuals and gameplay.

Chris Plante of Polygon enjoyed Runner2's inviting nature, calling it a game "everyone can play." [28] Destructoid 's Kyle MacGregor stated that, although he was apprehensive of Runner2's departure from the Bit.Trip series' trademark retro graphics, he'd "come to prefer the new look." [29] He also said that it felt "like a very natural progression for the series," and that "Runner2 is a marvelous platformer that just about anyone should be able to enjoy."

Sales

The game sold more than 1 million units by March 2014. [30]

Related Research Articles

<i>Bit.Trip</i> Video game series

Bit.Trip, stylized BIT.TRIP, is a series of nine video games developed by Choice Provisions and published by Aksys Games for the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, macOS, PS Vita, PS4, and PS5. It was published by Arc System Works for WiiWare and Nintendo eShop in Japan, and by Namco Networks America Inc for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Each game revolves around the adventures of a character named "Commander Video", and features "a crazy mix of 80s aesthetics and modern game design". The styles of the games range from pong-like, to platforming, and shooting. Each game in the series features a chiptune-inspired soundtrack, but a different style of rhythm-based gameplay in each. Most games in the series have few levels; Beat, Core, Void and Flux have only three levels each while Fate has six and Runner has 36. Most of the games feature levels lasting between 10 and 25 minutes to make up for having such few levels. The games also consists of 8 modes; Nether, Hyper, Mega, Super, Ultra, Extra, Giga, and Meta; which changes based on how well the player does. Each successive game adds a new mode, the highest being Mega in Beat, and Meta in Flux.

<i>Bit.Trip Beat</i> 2009 video game

Bit.Trip Beat, marketed as BIT.TRIP BEAT, is an arcade-style music video game developed by Gaijin Games and published by Aksys Games for the Wii's WiiWare download service. It was released in 2009 in North America, and released in Japan and PAL regions in the same year. It was later released for the Windows and Mac OS X through the download service Steam in 2010, while Namco Bandai published it for iOS on iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad in both Bit.Trip Beat and Bit.Trip Beat HD versions. Android and Linux versions debuted in the Humble Android Bundle 3.

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<i>Bit.Trip Core</i> 2009 video game

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<i>Bit.Trip Void</i> 2009 video game

Bit.Trip Void, marketed as BIT.TRIP VOID, is an arcade-style bullet hell rhythm game developed by Gaijin Games and published by Aksys Games for the Wii's WiiWare download service. It was first released in Japan in 2009, and later in North America and PAL regions in 2009 and 2010, respectively. It was designed by Alex Neuse and Chris Osborn, while the visuals were designed by Mike Roush. While initially having what they now describe as "noisy" audio and visuals, they changed them to be more minimalistic to alleviate this, a decision which worked well with their minimalistic design for the HUD. Neuse designed it so that it could be open to interpretation by players, though stating that they intended it to delve into starring character Commander Video's psyche, and "what it means to have emotions and personal space."

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<i>Bit.Trip Runner</i> 2010 video game

Bit.Trip Runner is an arcade-style rhythm game developed by Gaijin Games and published by Aksys Games for the Wii's WiiWare download service. It is the fourth game to be released in the Bit.Trip series of games, serving as the successor to Bit.Trip Beat, Bit.Trip Core and Bit.Trip Void, and as the predecessor to Bit.Trip Fate and Bit.Trip Flux. A remake called Bit.Trip ReRunner was released on September 19, 2023 for Windows, developed by Choice Provisions and Gamecraft Studios.

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References

  1. ↑ Wahlgren, Jon (April 18, 2012). "Interview: Gaijin Games - RUNNER 2". Push Square.
  2. ↑ "Gaijin Games' Scores". Metacritic.
  3. ↑ Malina, Tom (October 18, 2012). "BIT.TRIP Presents... Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien". Nintendo World Report.
  4. ↑ Cook, Dave (February 26, 2013). "Runner2 releases today on Wii U & Steam, PS3 & Xbox 360 later". VG247.
  5. ↑ "Runner2 Hits PSN on March 5th and Vita in the summer". February 27, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Differences between versions". Archived from the original on June 30, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Bit.Trip Presents… Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien". Delisted Games. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  8. ↑ Cowan, Danny. "Portal 2, Spelunky characters join Runner 2's DLC cast". Joystiq.
  9. ↑ "Mario voice actor Charles Martinet narrating Bit.Trip Presents... Runner2". Polygon. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Mario Voice Actor Charles Martinet To Lend His Talent To BIT.TRIP Presents: Runner 2". NintendoLife. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Runner2 Official Site".
  12. ↑ "NAME OUR LEVELS!!!". Gaijin Games. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013.
  13. ↑ "It's Naked Time!". Gaijin Games. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013.
  14. ↑ Fletcher, JC (March 14, 2012). "Runner2 development fueled by 744 beers (so far)". Joystiq.
  15. ↑ "Bit.Trip Presents...Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Bit.Trip Presents...Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien for Wii U Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Bit.Trip Presents...Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Bit.Trip Presents...Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Bit.Trip Presents...Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien for PlayStation Vita Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  20. ↑ Parkin, Simon (March 1, 2013). "Bit.Trip Presents... Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien review". Eurogamer.
  21. ↑ Vore, Bryan (February 26, 2013). "Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien". Game Informer. Archived from the original on March 1, 2013.
  22. 1 2 Waters, Chris (March 6, 2013). "Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien Review". GameSpot.
  23. 1 2 Cocke, Taylor (February 25, 2013). "BIT.TRIP PRESENTS RUNNER 2: FUTURE LEGEND REVIEW". IGN.
  24. ↑ Kemps, Heidi (March 1, 2013). "Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien review: Running down a dream". Joystiq.
  25. ↑ Wahlgren, Jon (March 4, 2013). "Review: BIT.TRIP Presents: Runner 2 Future Legend of Rhythm Alien (Wii U eShop)". Nintendo Life.
  26. ↑ Musgrave, Shaun (November 5, 2013). "'Bit.Trip Run!' Review – A Mostly-Intact Port Of An Excellent Runner". TouchArcade . Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  27. ↑ Ronaghan, Neal (February 26, 2013). "BIT.TRIP Presents... Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien". Nintendo World Report.
  28. ↑ Plante, Chris (February 28, 2013). "BIT.TRIP RUNNER 2 REVIEW: VIDEO STAR". Polygon.
  29. ↑ MacGregor, Kyle (February 28, 2013). "Review: Bit.Trip Presents Runner2". Destructoid.
  30. ↑ Hillier, Brenna (March 13, 2014). "Bit.Trip Presents Runner 2 turns one, passes 1 million sales, goes on sale". VG247 . Retrieved March 13, 2020.
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