We’ve already reviewed a couple of games from the BIT.TRIP series this year – RUNNER and FATE – both of which we enjoyed immensely. Of course, up to this point the BIT.TRIP game have only been available to play via WiiWare, so if you’ve not forked out for the white box and a waggle stick, you’ve been missing out on all the action.

Fear not, non-Bit Trippers! BIT.TRIP BEAT, the game that started it all, hit Steam this week signifying that the series may well be coming to PC/Mac in its entirety. With brand spanking new HD visuals and a whole new control system at the ready, we decided to go back to the start and see whether BEAT is still as fun as it originally was early last year.

GAMEPLAY

If you took Pong, turned it into a rhythm game then injected a bucketload of psychedelic visuals, you’d essentially get something along the likes of BIT.TRIP BEAT. Blocky retro balls flys from the right-hand side of the screen, and you are tasked with bouncing them back with the paddle on the left. Each block reaches the paddle on a beat of the currently-playing track, hence it’s more of a rhythm game than a simple case of knocking back anything that comes your way.

It’s simple yet incredibly addictive. Each level begins with just a few blocks flying in your direction at any one time, but eventually mental formations begin to appear and you’ll be flinging the paddle all over the place to keep them back. Note that BIT.TRIP BEAT is stupidly difficult, mainly due to the length of the tracks. It’s a real test of endurance that we barely see in today’s modern titles, and the game demands your full attention at all times.

There are multiple methods for controlling the paddle. You can have a crack with the arrow keys on your keyboard, or even use an Xbox controller if you’ve got one handy. The best method, however, and probably the one that is closest to the original Wii Remote controls is the mouse. It’s surprising to see the sorts of moves you manage to pull off with the mouse, and definitely makes you feel like a BIT.TRIP god. It’s perhaps not as great as with the Wii Remote, but it’s still a worthy alternative.

So what happens when you let a block slip by your paddle? This is where the magic comes in – miss too many, and the level will devolve into classic Pong-style visuals, with white objects on a black background. At this point, if you miss any more, you’ll earn yourself a game over. On the flipside, bag yourself a big enough combo by not missing any blocks, and the visuals will explode into colour with gorgeous backdrops. It’s this idea that really gives BIT.TRIP BEAT its personality, and makes building up that combo very much worth it.

While BIT.TRIP BEAT is a lot of fun to play, it can also be a little frustrating when you’ve been playing a level for a while, then lose right near the very end. The thought of having to do that entire song all over again is pretty off-putting, although you’ll most likely leave the game and then still come back to it later.

BEAT could also have done with some more levels. There are only a few different songs to play, and while each of them is quite lengthy, you’ll still have managed to see every the game has to offer within the hour. There are additional achievements to unlock and leaderboards to top, but it’s still a very short game indeed.

STYLE

This is the bit where we gush over BIT.TRIP BEAT‘s gorgeous visuals and epic soundtrack. The game features blocky visuals that actually look nicer than a lot of current indie games with smoother graphics. It’s a real feast for the eyes, and the way in which the level alters depending on how well you’re playing (as mentioned above) is fantastic.

This PC edition has had a hefty upscaling from the WiiWare version, and it now looks far more crisp and lovely. You’ll most like miss the backdrops and random objects whizzing by as you’ll be concentrating so hard on not losing, but everything still looks charming and zany.

The soundtrack is very chiptune, and very awesome – which is a good thing, given that the entire game revolves around music! It’s all chiptune stuff mainly, and there’s even a guest track by chiptune artist Bit Shifter. If you’re a chiptune fan, you’ll love every track in BEAT with a passion - the music is the main reason you’ll keep coming back to play.

STORY

This is the beginning on CommanderVideo’s epic BIT.TRIP journey, but it is a journey without much explanation. In other words, there is no story – we catch glimpses of the Commander whizzing around at the start of levels, but there’s never really an explanation as to where his journey will take him.

OTHER

It’s great to see the BIT.TRIP series finally appearing on PC, and BIT.TRIP BEAT is a fine way to kick off proceedings. We possibly would have liked to see a few more tracks added, and the difficulty towards the end of the available tracks can get rocky – although this is a new Easy mode for anyone having major difficulties.

If you’ve not been able to get into the series before due to a lack of Nintendo Wii, now is as good a time as any. BIT.TRIP BEAT is available to pick up from Steam right now, and we’d advise checking out the trailer on the Steam Store page and seeing what you think.

BIT.TRIP BEAT on Steam