Publisher: Aksys Games

Developer: Gaijin Games

Release Date: 9/13/2011

Available Exclusively On

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If you are a fan of classic 8-bit games or quick simple games then you will be right at home here. Bit.Trip Saga takes all the games in the series and packs them into one game. There are 6 games here, but each is different and requires lots of concentration and good hand-eye coordination to have some fun. Let’s dig into this pile of pixels and see what’s in store.

Bit.Trip Beat is one of my favorites because it’s a variation on Pong where you repel pixels coming at you to create a catchy beat. It gets harder and harder as time goes on and is a blast. If you miss too many the game will go in a Nether mode which actually turns the game 8-bit and is really neat. The 3D effects here are nice but are distracting and using the circle pad is useless and inaccurate. I chose the stylus for precise aiming because you will need it.

Bit.Trip Core is one of my least favorites because of how hard it can be to watch four sides of the screen at once. You stay in the middle and control a beam to destroy pixels coming at you from all sides. This can get confusing and it’s really hard to play for long periods of time. I didn’t play this one as much and was a bit of a disappointment.

Bit.Trip Void is another favorite because it doesn’t require much concentration and accuracy. You are a black hole that collects black pixels and avoids white. When you are too big to fit on-screen, or between two pixels, you pop and bank your score. This one is highly addictive and I wound up playing for longer sessions than the other games.

Bit.Trip Runner is my favorite of them all because it’s the biggest game of the six and most fun. You run down a level and avoid obstacles by jumping, kicking, sliding, and timing things just right to a super catchy beat. At the end of each level, you go into an 8-bit version to collect gold and rack up your score. There are tons of levels here, but it can be very difficult towards the end because it requires perfect timing.

Bit.Trip Fate isn’t one of the best because you are on a set path and have to avoid enemy fire while firing back. Dodging fire on a set path seems like it works against you and isn’t really all that fun even if you do concentrate. The game has a slow pace and also requires right-handed stylus use.

Bit.Trip Flux is the last of the six which is like an anti Bit.Trip Beat. You avoid getting hit instead of hitting objects and is just as addictive as Beat. I found this to be one of the more fun games of the six and is super fun to play for long periods of time.

The whole experience is nice, but in short bursts only due to the repetitiveness and sheer concentration needed to get far in the game. This is great for a portable experience, but the 3D effects are distracting, and with some games, it made the experience worse. This game isn’t just for anybody, but for hardcore gamers who love racking up scores and like precision skills and twitch shooting.