![]() Checkpoints, denoted by little “C” markings, are remarkably prevalent, usually with at least one – and occasionally more – per screen. Since they’re practically everywhere, the only penalty for death is losing a few seconds, and your lives are unlimited, although it does keep a running tally of death counts. By making player death so inconsequential, it allows the individual sections to be more challenging, and thereby engaging, than typical platformers. If this was running by the “three lives, get tossed a few screens back” model in some of these challenges, VVVVVV would be an incredibly difficult game, but as it stands, it’s light and breezy. The only really, really difficult is a series of screens that’s likely to cause any length of time is surmount is known as “Veni, Vidi, Vici” section, which is sort of like those sections in Mega Man where you drop down a narrow series of shafts and have to avoid the spikes on the walls…except done over six screens or so, twice, once upside down and once right side up. The screen before it is called “The Warning” to includes dozen checkpoint markers all placed next to each other. Obviously putting all of these next to each other is functionally useless, but it sends a subconscious message to the player – something SO CRAZY is coming up that you’d better well be prepared. VVVVVV is lacking the cynicism of other retro-style throwbacks like Battle Kid and I Wanna Be The Guy, who pretty much just existed to remind people how difficult NES games were without really providing anything worth playing outside of irony. It’s also better than just big-time corporate games like Capcom’s Mega Man 9, Konami’s Wii ReBirth series and even Retro Game Challenge / Game Center CX – those games simply offered refined versions of the games of yore, and while they did them very well, it’s still pretty much same old, same old. VVVVVV, like Super Meat Boy, another platformer released around the same time with vaguely similar sensibilities, removes the aggravations that were a necessity in the olden days and instead something that actually feels modern. There are however 3D effects and some music is reinterpreted.Tracking down your crewmembers requires a bit of exploration, to the point where it’s sort of a Metroidvania…but not really. The later released 3DS version has 18 user-created levels, but the level editor is not included for the handheld release. Each room also has a unique name and there is a soundtrack of chiptune music. There are also terminals that provide information, logs and activate events. Later levels introduce new difficulties such as looping screens, beams that bounce the main character around, moving screens with spikes at the sides, sequences where Veridian needs to survive in a closed section of the level, and a part where another character needs to be guided around with indirect control over his movement. These include time trials, intermissions, a game mode where the game needs to be played without dying once, a flip mode where the entire game is flipped vertically, and a secret laboratory. Next to the main objective there are also 20 hidden trinkets to collect, which open up new game modes. The game requires a lot of trial and error to progress, but it offers an unlimited amount of continues and regular checkpoints. Once different teleporters have been found, Veridian can quickly move between faraway sections of the space station using a map. Any of the crew members can be tracked down right away and difficult sections can be abandoned to explore later. The path to explore the space station is not linear. Most of the areas feature a combination of spikes, platforms and different moving objects and enemies that require a quick succession of movement and gravity flipping, demanding quick timing from the player. ![]() Next to moving around, the only other main ability Veridian has, is to flip gravity force 180 degrees, enabling him to switch between moving on the ground and upside-down on the ceiling. The game is entirely built around a gravity-flip mechanism. It is up to Veridian to restore all teleporters and find back the five missing crew members: Violet, Vitellary, Vermillion, Verdigris and Victoria. Due to a teleporter malfunction they have been be moved to random locations on the ship. The entire crew is evacuated quickly, but a few crew members remain. Players command Veridian, whose space ship hits an interference and is about to crash. VVVVVV is a platformer brought back to the aesthetics of those in the eighties, with a basic colour palette and a limited set of controls. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |