Bit Boy!! Arcade

Bit Boy!! Arcade

Developer(s) Bplus
Publisher(s) Bplus
Distributor(s) Nintendo eShop
Platform(s) Nintendo 3DS
Release date(s)
  • EU April 24, 2014
  • NA April 17, 2014
    Genre(s) Action
    Mode(s) Single-player
    Distribution Digital download

    Bit Boy!! Arcade is a video game developed by Bplus for Nintendo 3DS' eShop service. It was released in the United States on April 17, 2014 and in Europe on April 24, 2014. It's a sequel to the 2009 released Bit Boy!! for Nintendo's WiiWare service and the second installment of the Bit Boy!! series.[1] It uses a 3D, isometric playing field, with polygon characters. According to Bplus two more sequels will be released in undefined future.[2]

    Gameplay

    Players control a red cube named Kubi (from Greek: κύβος (kubos) [3]), who they must navigate through a series of worlds. The game follows the principle of rescuing Kubi's friends and avoid monsters that roam the levels. The main goal in each phase, each level consists of 10 normal and 10 action phases, is to rescue seven of Kubis friends.

    The publisher denotes the game with the terms "Hide + Seek", "Avoid + Collect" and "Action + Puzzle".[4] Each level is based on a square floor plan. On this grid-like basis Kubi is moved. The camera is oriented isometric.[5] The players define how fast Kubi is moving by pressing the control pad and the buttons at the same time. Depending on how fast they are pressed Kubi moves fast or slow. The game uses the 3DS featured play coins to give the player the ability to purchase continues like it would be in an real arcade machine.

    Plot

    Characters

    ZeLeLi is a mighty gearwheel-shaped being created out of the essence of our dying sun 7 billion years in the future. ZeLeLi is the origin of time, life and light so it possesses power over these universal forces. Travelling through time and space, ZeLeLi spreads the seed of life and light in all time in the whole universe. Its counterpart are the black Shadow Plättchen. Forcefully cut out of the negative space of a black hole, the black Shadow Plättchen represent exactly the opposite of ZeLeLi. Like the ZeLeLi, Plättchen are not limited within the constrains of time and space. Wherever they come along they spread massive havoc. Central to the plot of the game are two main characters, the games hero Kubi and the game designer Bernd. He appears as a through the air floating pixle head and talks to Kubi during the games sequences.

    Story

    At the beginning of the game Kubi gets killed by a monster created from the black Shadow Plättchen. Bernd is devastated and pleads ZeLeLi for help. ZeLeLi turns back the time and gives Kubi and Bernd the ability to speak to each other. In the mean time Bernd deleted the game in witch Kubi died to create another one in whom his hero doesn't have to suffer this fate. Kubi thinks that Bernd is the one who has kidnaped all of his friends and refuses to be the hero unless Bernd designs the game exactly like Kubi wants it to be. As the story continues it is hinted that Bernd even if he is the developer of the game is not allmighty. The Shadow Plättchen gained power by killing small fairies called Pixle Flies and by kidnaping their king. With this power they got the ability to take influence on the game. So Kubi and Bernd are forced to work together to save Kubis friends and the game itself.

    Development

    Bit Boy!! ARCADE was produced by Bplus. The first announcement was made via press release on 16th February 2012 stating that the game was halfway done.[6] A first playable Demo was shown on E3 2012.[7]

    Reception

    Reception
    Review scores
    PublicationScore
    Nintendo World Report8.0/10 [8]
    Nintendo Life[9]

    The game received mixed reviews. Nintendo Life praised the overworld, saying it was one of the most interesting on the gaming history and also said it had an excellent soundtrack, but criticized the gameplay was broken and it was hard to play.[10]

    References

    1. ↑ "– Bit Boy!! ARCADE – Game Info". Nintendo.com. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
    2. ↑ "#BitBoyARCADE". Bitboy.bplus.at. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
    3. ↑ English cube from Old French < Latin cubus < Greek κύβος (kubos) meaning "a cube, a die, vertebra". In turn from PIE *keu(b)-, "to bend, turn".
    4. ↑ "#BitBoyARCADE". Bitboy.bplus.at. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
    5. ↑ "Bit Boy!! Arcade Review". NintendoWorldReport.com. Retrieved 2014-04-29.
    6. ↑ "Bit Boy!! ARCADE for eShop is Halfway Done". NintendoLife.com. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
    7. ↑ "Bit Boy!! Arcade". NintendoWorldReport.com. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
    8. ↑ Miller, Zachary. "Bit Boy!! Arcade Review". Retrieved May 1, 2014.
    9. ↑ Reed, Philip. "Review: Bit Boy!! ARCADE (3DS eShop)". Retrieved April 19, 2014.
    10. ↑ "Review: Bit Boy!! ARCADE (3DS eShop)". NintendoLife.com. 2014-04-19. Retrieved 2014-05-12.

    External links