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bit Generations official thread
- Thread starter Jonnyram
- Start date
I wrote a warning in my impressions further up, cos I know a few people with this problem and I wanted them to avoid disappointment:Played a friend's copy of all the Series 1 games. Loved 'em. Ordered all 7 in the series. Dammit!
FWIW, I know people have been having trouble with yesasia not shipping Dotstream, but their prices can't be beat, especially with a new customer coupon from the link above. I ordered all 7 and chose a $4 split shipment fee (over free shipping) and the total was $131 and change...
I'll keep y'all posted on whether yesasia comes through...and I'll give my own impressions of them when I get them if there haven't been way too many by then. I figure since I really liked Boundish and didn't think it was a turd that my alternate viewpoint might be worth it to some.
FWIW, I know people have been having trouble with yesasia not shipping Dotstream, but their prices can't be beat, especially with a new customer coupon from the link above. I ordered all 7 and chose a $4 split shipment fee (over free shipping) and the total was $131 and change...
I'll keep y'all posted on whether yesasia comes through...and I'll give my own impressions of them when I get them if there haven't been way too many by then. I figure since I really liked Boundish and didn't think it was a turd that my alternate viewpoint might be worth it to some.
Coloris is my best BitGeneration game imo. When you play it the first time it sucks because you don't know what to do but after a while when it clicks about the gameplay, this game is pure genius. When you got nine variations of colors, you start to sweat a little bit 
and the advanced mode is NOT for colorblinds at all, every blocks are hardly visible with some skins.
and the advanced mode is NOT for colorblinds at all, every blocks are hardly visible with some skins.dragon_feces
Member
Some nice short pick-up-and-play games to put on the flashcart and play on DS Lite. I would buy except the import prices are way too high and there's no sign of it coming stateside.
Well, my copy was on the way when I read that, so I could do nothing about it. I'll let my girlfriend play it.
On a side note, we're travelling to Japan in mid September-October. Do you think it will be difficult to get the rest of the series then? How do you see availability of the titles? I'll get Rhythm Tengoku then too ;-)
On a side note, we're travelling to Japan in mid September-October. Do you think it will be difficult to get the rest of the series then? How do you see availability of the titles? I'll get Rhythm Tengoku then too ;-)
stephentotilo
Behind The Games
Sound Voyager is incredible
I'm beginning to get the hang of Digidrive. And it's starting to click. As best I understand it the goal is to build up stacks of similarly colored cars and then flush those cars out by directing a police car into them. That then advances the circle away from the plunger (this must sound so weird to people who don't have the game). But I can't figure out what makes the plunger advance, I don't understand the rules for swapping colored stacks (what happens when you drive the "wrong" colored car into a particular stack, usually triggering a transfer of those weird symbols), and I haven't gotten good enough yet to do better than to quadruple the stack (which changes the triangle sign to a square). I guess the rest will come in time. Anyone figure out the rest?
The real skill of playing Digidrive seems to involve strategically misdirecting cars that are parked at the end of the roads that you want to bump back into the traffic pattern -- so if you're building a black stack and then send another black car the wrong way, you can get it back by driving another car into it. That collision will send the rogue black car back toward the intersection, where it can be directed into the proper line-up.
I'm beginning to get the hang of Digidrive. And it's starting to click. As best I understand it the goal is to build up stacks of similarly colored cars and then flush those cars out by directing a police car into them. That then advances the circle away from the plunger (this must sound so weird to people who don't have the game). But I can't figure out what makes the plunger advance, I don't understand the rules for swapping colored stacks (what happens when you drive the "wrong" colored car into a particular stack, usually triggering a transfer of those weird symbols), and I haven't gotten good enough yet to do better than to quadruple the stack (which changes the triangle sign to a square). I guess the rest will come in time. Anyone figure out the rest?
The real skill of playing Digidrive seems to involve strategically misdirecting cars that are parked at the end of the roads that you want to bump back into the traffic pattern -- so if you're building a black stack and then send another black car the wrong way, you can get it back by driving another car into it. That collision will send the rogue black car back toward the intersection, where it can be directed into the proper line-up.
Got 3 more today and gave them a whirl:
Coloris - Surprisingly good! I like this more than dialhex even though it doesn't have dialhex's cool music. The sound effects are awesome and it's a nice idea for a puzzle game.
Soundvoyager - Yeah this was awesome just like everyone has said already.
Orbital - The most interesting of the bunch, yet at the same time I think it's the worst of the ones I've played. It's a really nice original concept and the music/sound effects are great (except for the LOUD BUZZING NOISE WHEN YOU ARE HOLDING A BUTTON WTF WHY CANT YOU TURN THAT OFF), but playing with gravity is often more annoying than fun when trying to go in the exact angle you want. Good game, but IMO the weakest gameplay-wise of the bunch.
One thing I've gotta say though is these are the Bit Generation series are the best "playing" Nintendo games I've played since Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. At first I thought they were going to be gimmicky and art for the sake of art and non-gaming like Elektroplankton, but I was dead wrong and I'm glad I was. The actual gameplay mechanics are very good in each of these games and there's tons of levels and stuff that make them feel like full games.
Coloris - Surprisingly good! I like this more than dialhex even though it doesn't have dialhex's cool music. The sound effects are awesome and it's a nice idea for a puzzle game.
Soundvoyager - Yeah this was awesome just like everyone has said already.
Orbital - The most interesting of the bunch, yet at the same time I think it's the worst of the ones I've played. It's a really nice original concept and the music/sound effects are great (except for the LOUD BUZZING NOISE WHEN YOU ARE HOLDING A BUTTON WTF WHY CANT YOU TURN THAT OFF), but playing with gravity is often more annoying than fun when trying to go in the exact angle you want. Good game, but IMO the weakest gameplay-wise of the bunch.
One thing I've gotta say though is these are the Bit Generation series are the best "playing" Nintendo games I've played since Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. At first I thought they were going to be gimmicky and art for the sake of art and non-gaming like Elektroplankton, but I was dead wrong and I'm glad I was. The actual gameplay mechanics are very good in each of these games and there's tons of levels and stuff that make them feel like full games.
The Innocent X
Banned
Sound voyager is amazing. Sometimes it's the most frustrating game in the world, but them when you get it right its so trippy. You can spend ages immersed in the song. Playing without the visual aids is beyond me at the mo, but I'll get there.
Searching for that little intermittant hi hat in the background. Damn thats tricky.
Oh, and you definitely need very good headphones!
EDIT: Ok, so a question for anyone who has got a decent amount into the game, I have unlocked the remix, but it never seems to end. Is this normal, or is there something special that needs to be done?
Searching for that little intermittant hi hat in the background. Damn thats tricky.
Oh, and you definitely need very good headphones!
EDIT: Ok, so a question for anyone who has got a decent amount into the game, I have unlocked the remix, but it never seems to end. Is this normal, or is there something special that needs to be done?
do you know how the blocks change colors, and what limits them and stuff? the game seems like itd be pretty awesome, but i cant figure out what exactly the mechanics are. i figure it has something to do with the surrounding colors, but thats about as much as i get.Bebpo said:
ive probably played orbital the most out of the 2nd set, im only really disappointed by the lack of variety in the music, although i may just not be paying enough attention to notice. the only times i get frustrated is coming away from one planet and headed into another, sometimes you cant slow down enough (planets too close, too much speed, whatever). and on some levels if the planets are close enough, once you hit one, youre pretty much doomed the rest of the way, since you crash and bounce off one, then into another, and another.
sound voyager is decent so far. i got stuck on sound drive 3 or something last night, i think the last one on the far left branch, with stepping/running sounds. is the whole game linear progression or what though, how do the other branches get unlocked?
The Innocent X
Banned
japtor said:
You know when the song finishes there is one more sound to find before you finish? Well, there are two possible sounds you can go towards, and they correspond to the two branches. the sounds are the same as those played on the level select screen for that type of stage. Replay teh stgae and go towards the other sound at the end to unlock that branch.
Now, can anyone help with my question above???!!!
What good are official threads if they're not used, anyway?
In case anyone still wants and doesn't have Dotstream, YesAsia ($19 per bitGen game, free shipping on orders over $30) got more copies. They're shipping mine tomorrow, along with Orbital. Orbital is the one I'm really (*really*) looking forward to.
In case anyone still wants and doesn't have Dotstream, YesAsia ($19 per bitGen game, free shipping on orders over $30) got more copies. They're shipping mine tomorrow, along with Orbital. Orbital is the one I'm really (*really*) looking forward to.
TheGreatDave
Banned
ChrisAllenFiz said:
I came to that conclusion too, but I can't say for sure. I played for about...15 minutes or so.
I finished Sound Voyager the other night...
Awesome game.
Though the game was WAY too easy,
but it does bring new ideas which i hope get used soon.
Like when I was playing
,
I just imagined how well this would work for a survival horror game...
Would be the scariest thing ever if done right.
_________________________________
Working on DotStream and Orbital now...
Orbital gets pretty tough I must say.
Awesome game.
Though the game was WAY too easy,
but it does bring new ideas which i hope get used soon.
Like when I was playing
SOUND CANNON 3
I just imagined how well this would work for a survival horror game...
Would be the scariest thing ever if done right.
For those that don't know what SOUND CANNON is, the game is pitch black, and you can only hear the enemy approaching, and by sound you gotta shoot it before it kills you.
SOUND CANNON is part of Sound Voyager, it's one of the later levels.
SOUND CANNON is part of Sound Voyager, it's one of the later levels.
Working on DotStream and Orbital now...
Orbital gets pretty tough I must say.
TheGreatDave
Banned
I'm really stuck on Orbital right now. I'm Stage 20 and ****ed.
I'm about to snap and buy Orbital.
So far, being able to only get one of them is giving me a difficult choice.
Orbital vs Sound Voyager vs Dotstream vs Digidrive (in that order of personal preference so far, based on videos Ive seen).
Would I be right in assuming Orbital is kind of like Geometry Wars if you circled around those black holes all the time, and crossed that concept with katamari (picking up other planetoids and capturing them into an orbit around you)?
So far, being able to only get one of them is giving me a difficult choice.
Orbital vs Sound Voyager vs Dotstream vs Digidrive (in that order of personal preference so far, based on videos Ive seen).
Would I be right in assuming Orbital is kind of like Geometry Wars if you circled around those black holes all the time, and crossed that concept with katamari (picking up other planetoids and capturing them into an orbit around you)?
Digidrive is GREAT!
The music is wonderfull and when you manage to launch the disc with x? circle... ohh i think i'm in heaven!
I tried it for around 5 minutes and i just knew this game is made for me.
It's the music and gameplay that turned me on
Can't wait for my copy of orbital and coloris.
The music is wonderfull and when you manage to launch the disc with x? circle... ohh i think i'm in heaven!
I tried it for around 5 minutes and i just knew this game is made for me.
It's the music and gameplay that turned me on
Can't wait for my copy of orbital and coloris.
Walter Matthau
Member
I finally got my games in and plan on going through them one by one (giving each game at least 2 days before going on to the next one). So far i've played about 3 hours of DIAL HEX, the game I had the least interest in, and I find it to be pretty addicting. At first I was thrown back by it's simple presentation. A main menu and one play screen consisting of a stagnant playfield that isn't visually appealing and a soundtrack that was very plain and seemingly went nowhere. The blocks were moving slow (I didn't know about L+R) and I was finding it difficult to make the hexagons. However, after a few plays the game started to become really interesting and suprisingly filled with depth and a need to strategize getting pieces together. The soundtrack started to advance and new pieces created new sounds. The more I got into the game and the more colors that started to appear, the more crazy and appealing the playfield got. I've yet to complete Solo mode completely (I think), but I unlocked Endless mode within the first hour or so. I'm pretty addicted to the game and considering that this and Boundish seem to get the least fan fair around here, that speaks well of the rest of the series.
Edit: The packages of these games are really quite appealing and make me even more satisfied with my purchase. They look like wide Djarum cigarette boxes and have a very clean minimalistic look to them.
Edit: The packages of these games are really quite appealing and make me even more satisfied with my purchase. They look like wide Djarum cigarette boxes and have a very clean minimalistic look to them.
stephentotilo said:
From Dylan of Q-games:
http://tokyopia.com/tk/forum/index.php?topic=2614.msg25482#msg25482
stephentotilo
Behind The Games
Thanks Brandonn (and Dylan, by extension).
Without the game in front of me points 1-5 make perfect sense. Point six is a head-scratcher, but I assume I'll get it once I play some more. Thanks!
Without the game in front of me points 1-5 make perfect sense. Point six is a head-scratcher, but I assume I'll get it once I play some more. Thanks!
Walter Matthau
Member
I moved onto Coloris today and i'm even more impressed than I was with DIAL HEX. It's a full blown puzzle game that is much better than most out there (Zoo Keeper, Polarium, Pokemon Troizei, etc.). It's amazing to me how they managed to take such simple designs and make them so visually appealing. When you look at screen shots of these games they look so drab, but when you actually get to play them you begin to realize exactly why it works. The advanced stages feature some new templates and sounds, but for the most part, I prefer the board/sounds in basic. I also love the sound when you win the game and how you can let it go on forever if you want to. The gameplay itself is fun, yet rarely feels frantic (sort of like Lumines). My only gripe so far is how long a game can last before you finally beat/lose it (also like Lumines/Zoo Keeper). Another seemingly simple concept that just somehow works and you get addicted.
Final Score for DIAL HEX (considering price/game itself, not packaging): 6
I was really into the game until I started getting real good at it. Like Meteos, you just hit a point where things are happening so fast and advancing becomes impossible. I loved what was happening with the music as it kept going forward, but sometimes it would also become a distraction because it was that good. I think I hit the skill level that i'm going to hit in the game and don't have much desire to go back to it for a while. It was a good starter for the rest of the set.
Final Score for DIAL HEX (considering price/game itself, not packaging): 6
I was really into the game until I started getting real good at it. Like Meteos, you just hit a point where things are happening so fast and advancing becomes impossible. I loved what was happening with the music as it kept going forward, but sometimes it would also become a distraction because it was that good. I think I hit the skill level that i'm going to hit in the game and don't have much desire to go back to it for a while. It was a good starter for the rest of the set.
Initial Digidrive impressions:
- Definitely going for a Lumines vibe with the music and different unlockable skins.
- The skins are often rather ugly, though they something have cool mutations.
- The single player main game takes a longggg time to get going (much like Lumines)
- The vs. CPU mode is really cool! This would be such an excellent 2P game -- I take it you can't do single cart multiplayer through wireless?
- The basic mechanic is pretty fun, but I just don't understand it yet.
My high score at present is 68 meters in single-player. I've unlocked the
skinset. Haven't yet beaten the CPU on hard, though I came close. Nothing like destroying a half-full big box of cars to ruin your day.
SoundVoyager next...
- Definitely going for a Lumines vibe with the music and different unlockable skins.
- The skins are often rather ugly, though they something have cool mutations.
- The single player main game takes a longggg time to get going (much like Lumines)
- The vs. CPU mode is really cool! This would be such an excellent 2P game -- I take it you can't do single cart multiplayer through wireless?
- The basic mechanic is pretty fun, but I just don't understand it yet.
My high score at present is 68 meters in single-player. I've unlocked the
(mostly unappetizing) Food
SoundVoyager next...
Read the post like 4 posts above yours.jgkspsx said:
What? My only real score was 602 or something (tried once without knowing what went on, died -- tried once after reading brandonnn's post), and I only got one unlockable (the one you get for clearing 500). I have to intentionally play worse than I can manage to get all unlockables? What? That's...incredibly stupid.jgkspsx said:
Walter Matthau
Member
Fireblend said:
Yes. All the menus are in English. The way Coloris works is you have a cursor that is a certain color. You put that cursor over certain blocks to change them to be the color you want. When you have a row of three, they dissapear. They also have special blocks that either cause a diagnol "explosion" or eliminate all of the same type of block. Later in the game it gets harder as the cursor color may not correlate to a certain block (you can't put a red cursor on a green square or it makes the square unuseable). The advanced games work exactly the same way, but the new templates just make the game harder (i.e. in one of them, the blocks are numbers counting down and it's a huge distraction).
Finally, YesAsia has shipped my order for Dotstream. If anyone else is interested in it, you may have luck ordering it from them. I ordered Coloris from them as well, that has been in stock the whole time, but was being held up by Dotstream, as I am a money grinch and didn't want to pay extra for separate shipments.
Anyhow, I am looking forward to playing it this week. Coloris in particular.
Anyhow, I am looking forward to playing it this week. Coloris in particular.
Soundvoyager impressions:
Well, most of my fears have been allayed. The main mode of the game, Soundcatcher, is a solid music game that produces some fairly neat music as you play. It's at least 50% of the game, and it's hypnotic, rewarding, and unique. The Remix mode is really cool, though some combinations of sounds are not too pleasant.
The rest of the minigames, though, are not so hot. Sound Cock is pretty fun, Sound Race (or whatever) is boring, Sound Chase is not so good, Sound Cannon is disappointingly pretty bad, and Sound Picker is fairly torturous. Maybe I'll like them more as I play, but it doesn't seem likely.
Very good try!
I still suck at Digidrive. 160 is my best score. Hm. I am getting the rules down, though. It's a pretty inventive little game, though I'm not entirely convinced it's fun.
Well, most of my fears have been allayed. The main mode of the game, Soundcatcher, is a solid music game that produces some fairly neat music as you play. It's at least 50% of the game, and it's hypnotic, rewarding, and unique. The Remix mode is really cool, though some combinations of sounds are not too pleasant.
The rest of the minigames, though, are not so hot. Sound Cock is pretty fun, Sound Race (or whatever) is boring, Sound Chase is not so good, Sound Cannon is disappointingly pretty bad, and Sound Picker is fairly torturous. Maybe I'll like them more as I play, but it doesn't seem likely.
Very good try!
I still suck at Digidrive. 160 is my best score. Hm. I am getting the rules down, though. It's a pretty inventive little game, though I'm not entirely convinced it's fun.