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bit Generations official thread

R

RaidenZR

Member
Well I got my 3 games in the mail yesterday- Dialhex, Coloris, and Soundvoyager.

Coloris and Dialhex are really nice, simple puzzlers. I totally dig the music for both and can easily trance out with them for long periods of time. I wanted something that could be just a time killer and score-topper before movies or on my lunch break. These easily fufill that purpose. I also like the themed stages in Coloris a lot! It's kind of like a mini Lumines with all the skin sets.

Soundvoyager - this totally blew my mind for the first couple of plays. I've never played anything quite like it... it exploits the use of sound through play like nothing I've ever seen before. Really impressed here. I hooked it up to my speakers and just had a lot of fun with it. The slalom's are frickin' tough though! Took me a while just to do the second one. Does anything cool happen if you open up all the branches?

I may end up getting all of these. I definitely want Digidrive and Orbital next. They're just too cool and despite what other people may think, I believe there is quite a bit of value in what's being acheived. Nintendo would do well to just bundle it all on one DS card or something and release it here for like $40 or so. I think it could easily find a nice customer base that way. Or just retail it online Electroplankton-style.
 
J

japtor

Member
yes. i posted about it a bunch...somewhere, there was another bitgenerations thread. its my favorite of the bunch.
 
R

RaidenZR

Member
I just clocked in some more time with Soundvoyager and Coloris and I'm totally smitten with what I have for this series. I realized how to actually get the colors I wanted in Coloris by looking at the frame. Didn't notice it the first time. I know, stupid...

And Soundvoyager's multipath branching is really making me want to play it more. It's honing my listening skills and I'm so into it because it truly is a new way to play a game.

Sorry if I'm a bit late to the party on these. I'm just a wee bit excited with what I've got so far and can't wait to play the games more and more.
 
J

jgkspsx

Member
Soundvoyager is only worth it for the Soundcatcher levels, guys. I'm sorry.

Orbital is the best of the four I own, followed by Digidrive, Dotstream, and Soundvoyager. At least give Orbital and Digidrive a try -- they're some of the best and most inventive games in my rather large GBA collection.
 
8

8bit

Knows the Score
RaidenZR said:
I just clocked in some more time with Soundvoyager and Coloris and I'm totally smitten with what I have for this series. I realized how to actually get the colors I wanted in Coloris by looking at the frame. Didn't notice it the first time. I know, stupid...
Click to expand...

Can you expand on this? I'm having a terrible time with Basic 10, and could do with some more strategic thoughts.
 
Z

Zynx

Member
I totally love Digidrive, but I think I might have exhausted it...I've hit ~620,000 by now, and each game takes far too long. I'm actually thinking of writing a small guide for it, but I'll have to see if I can make a GameFAQs account or something so I can submit.

Orbital is pretty neat, but I really hate it when you're heading directly towards a planet, then no amount of repelling will push you away, or when you ping-pong between planets and lose all your lives. And I'm still not sure which way I'll go if I'm between a smaller planet and a larger one, while closer to the smaller planet. I've finished all the non-extra levels, though.

Dotstream is quite fun, but didn't last long, since it was pretty easy to finish. I do appreciate that your opponents don't rubber-band to catch up though. Formation also gets old, because once you get the hang of it, you'll never run out of energy. Even if you get knocked off and lose a line or two, you can easily recover. I got bored after I had a score of 5000 or so. You need ALL the formations to be able to handle the various set pieces though. Protip: Whenever there's a star powerup, ALWAYS get it.

Soundvoyager is a really, really cool concept, and the execution is pretty decent for a pioneer (read: it still could be better). Sound catcher gets difficult when some of your previous loops are loud and the one you're seeking is soft. I wish you had more than one chance at sound cannon, would have been less tense, and I still haven't finished off the sound shalom branch.
 
D

Drakken

Member
I just got Soundvoyager. It's interesting, for sure. I don't get the Chase and Drive games, though. The sounds don't seem to tell me anything. Surely I'm just missing it.
 
V

Valtox

Member
jgkspsx said:
Follow the sound. At the end of each soundcatcher level, there are two sounds, one on the left and one on the right. Pick the one you haven't picked before.
Click to expand...
Thanks man!
I didn't realize it.
I really recommend Soundvoyager.
 
G

gururoji

Member
I really didn't like Soundvoyager either, and I enjoy sound and music games thoroughly. It's just a taste thing. Glad to hear that some people do enjoy it though. I love(d) the rest of the games in this series!...hope we get to see more on the DS, especially so I can take advantage of multiplayer options.
 
V

Valtox

Member
jgkspsx said:
I love the soundcatcher levels, but much more could and should have been done with them. The other levels just don't seem fun to me.
Click to expand...
I agree that sound cannon sucks a bit.
I hope something like SV comes out with wii controller (also sound cannon could be goo like that!)
I see that going to an "end" made me to unlock a sound catcher remix.
Does it have an end?
 
J

jgkspsx

Member
Valtox said:
Does it have an end?
Click to expand...
Not that I ever reached.

My problem with the soundcatcher design is that the resulting tracks are mono, which is just boring. If you had to build a stereo "picture" the game would be FAR more interesting.
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
Okay, so I understand HOW to play Dotstream but it seems, in my limited reckoning, like there's no way to get into first place. I've presumed that there's no acceleration and only one turbo boost, which would make that (aside from just running a perfect race) your only chance at beating the competition. There are also stars whose purpose I haven't figured out.

Halps?

(Coloris is amazing. It's like living in a Cornelius song. So amazing.)

ETA: I found the answer courtesy of our Great Dave:

The only way you can catch up is by drifting one of the lines. You need to get your line as close as possible to another one, either directly above or below it. When you do, a bar at the bottom fills up. As it fills up, you go faster. However, because there's shit all over the courses that you have to avoid, it's not as easy as just drifting next to one line. Because it doesn't count if you're moving upwards or downwards, only on straights. So you need to try and avoid everything on screen, spending as much time as possible in a straight line next to another line.
Click to expand...
 
K

Koomaster

Member
BenjaminBirdie said:
Okay, so I understand HOW to play Dotstream but it seems, in my limited reckoning, like there's no way to get into first place. I've presumed that there's no acceleration and only one turbo boost, which would make that (aside from just running a perfect race) your only chance at beating the competition. There are also stars whose purpose I haven't figured out.

Halps?

(Coloris is amazing. It's like living in a Cornelius song. So amazing.)
Click to expand...
As I recall, the stars give you invincibility so you can pass through obstacles instead of having to go around them. And since the quickest way between two points is a straight line, it's in your best interest to grab the stars when you can, and move straight ahead - this works even better if you have a boost and can boost through as many obstacles as possible.
 
I

inthegray

Member
BenjaminBirdie said:
Okay, so I understand HOW to play Dotstream but it seems, in my limited reckoning, like there's no way to get into first place. I've presumed that there's no acceleration and only one turbo boost, which would make that (aside from just running a perfect race) your only chance at beating the competition. There are also stars whose purpose I haven't figured out.

Halps?
Click to expand...

you accelerate faster by racing right next to one of the racers, and sticking next to them until you pass them.
 
Baron

Baron

Member
Nobody has mentioned that you can gain more speed boosts in Dotstream by going through the "recharge corridor" which is at the bottom of the track right before the start/finish line. It locks you in so you can stay in the field for as long as you want and keep gaining more and more speed boosts. However, you stay in too long and no matter how many boosts you get, you'll lose the race from the delay. You press one of the buttons, I believe the "A" button, to leave this "recharge corridor".

The "recharge corridor" operates kind of like the fuel/recharge area in the Wipeout games.
 
J

jgkspsx

Member
What a great little series of games. I still need to pick up Coloris, and maybe Dialhex.

I hope Nintendo commissions some nice downloadable DS bitGen games from Skip.
 
S

Shiggy

Member
I recently finished Soundvoyager, great game. Especially Sound Cock 3 and Sound Picker 3 were difficult, still, the Sound Catcher levels had been great.

Coming on December 24th (Christmas): Orbital (+EBA)
With such a low dollar exchange rate I'll probably buy Digidrive and Rhythm Heaven soon.
 
D

Daigoro

Member
back from the dead!

i ordered my first bit generations game today: dotstream.

a picture of Coloris in the GBAmicro <3 thread was what triggered my fuzzy memory of this series, so i went looking for them on Play Asia.

out of the three that i was interested in, one of them is was the budget price of 14.90 (dotstream), one of them was still up at about 24.90 (Coloris. i want to get this one next!), and Orbital (out of stock! noooo!).

so i should be getting my first bit game in about a week. im looking forward to it.

is Orbital worth hunting down? assuming i can find a copy at this point...


edit: OH NOES! i just checked Play Asia and now dotstream is listed as out of print/stock. i hope my order got in under the wire...

i also checked the 2 other big import game sites and Orbital is nowhere to be found. looks like i may have waited a bit too long to finally get into this series.
 
T

the thoroughbred

Member
Daigoro said:
back from the dead!

i ordered my first bit generations game today: dotstream.

a picture of Coloris in the GBAmicro <3 thread was what triggered my fuzzy memory of this series, so i went looking for them on Play Asia.

out of the three that i was interested in, one of them is was the budget price of 14.90 (dotstream), one of them was still up at about 24.90 (Coloris. i want to get this one next!), and Orbital (out of stock! noooo!).

so i should be getting my first bit game in about a week. im looking forward to it.

is Orbital worth hunting down? assuming i can find a copy at this point...


edit: OH NOES! i just checked Play Asia and now dotstream is listed as out of print/stock. i hope my order got in under the wire...

i also checked the 2 other big import game sites and Orbital is nowhere to be found. looks like i may have waited a bit too long to finally get into this series.
Click to expand...

NOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
This can't be.

There has got to be a re-print of these. I wanted to wait till they came to Europe.
I want all 6. Now what, times are hard, I can't afford to buy all this stuff.
 
C

ccharla

Member
I was in Japan for TGS in September, and couldn't make a complete collection, despite my best efforts. I got bitStream, Orbital, Colorus (or whatever) and the sound game. One thing I will say for Japan -- it's not like the US where prices are pretty much the same anywhere you go. I saw the games for between $11 and like $50 (more expensive and better selection in Akiba, cheaper and worse selection out in the sticks)
 
D

Daigoro

Member
update:

looks like Play Asia has a limited restock of dotstream again for 14.90. go get it!

they also got Orbital back in stock, but for 24.90.

cant wait for my order to arrive so i can get the coupon and get hooked on the series and go buy more before they dissapear. (PA shipped the day after i ordered. i love that place)
 
F

fly high ~ayunite~

Member
I tried my friend's copy of Orbital and I'm addicted to it. I think I might order the other ones. Nintendo should really have these up for download over Virtual Console in all regions (Should be easy enough to translate) then download play to DS. I've checked the website and they all look so awesome.
 
K

Kafel

Banned
Do we know what are doing these guys ( Skip ) these days ?





hopefully working on the next bunch of bit generations or on the Wii Ware ? : |
 
S

Shiggy

Member
Kafel said:
Do we know what are doing these guys ( Skip ) these days ?
Click to expand...

Although there's no direct information about their current games in development, you might find some hints at what the 1st Div. is up to, as far as I have understood they concentrate on these "simple, but fun" games, at least I hope so ;)

http://skipblog.weblogs.jp/skip_blog/

I'll probably buy the last games that I've missed in order that I get the whole series, since I especially adore Soundvoyager and Orbital, not to forget dotstream. Only Boundish was kind of a disappointment.
 
R

RaidenZR

Member
I think a lot of people would go for these as downloadables on the VC. At like 500-700 pts a piece they could be really successful.
 
Baron

Baron

Member
I picked up Dialhex and Orbital during Play-Asia's sale going on now. I already own Dotstream and Coloris, both of which I enjoy very much. Orbital is an awesome, awesome game, and everyone who can should buy it as soon as possible. It really is incredible, and it's quite deep as well. I marvel at how into the game I get when playing it. Please, please - buy Orbital, people. Dialhex is all right, not as fun and cool as Orbital, but still an enjoyable puzzle game. It's actually quite hard. Almost too hard.

I have to pick up the last three sometime soon. I'm sad that I won't be able to play Soundvoyager, as I am deaf in one ear and the game apparently depends on identifying stereo sound separation as a core gameplay element. I'll buy it anyways. Maybe I can play it on my GBA player through my home stereo, where it may be easier to hear the right and left sound channels separately.
 
P

polg

Member
another happy customer here :)

Got dot stream, dhialex and sound voyager at PA's sale...

I'm so happy I got them... Sound Voyager is very trippy...

will be buying the rest, want the whole collection now!
 
J

jgkspsx

Member
Finished my collection. Glad to see I picked the essential games the first time ;)

Dialhex is a somewhat relaxing, somewhat frantic game. It has the same virtues and vices as Gunpey PSP, actually: very basic gameplay, advanced techniques that reveal themselves, no panic button to save yourself from imminent doom, not much in the way of powerups... It's almost worth the $12.

Coloris is a very interesting game. I don't think I fully understand it yet. Definitely the most rewarding of the games I missed. I don't really understand how colors toggle - I'll have to mine this thread a little. Very impressive presentation.

I didn't expect much of Boundish, but it's reasonably fun. I realized I didn't have any Pongalike on the GBA, so I figured I might as well pick it up. Pool Flower is an interesting take on it - I like it a lot. Box Juggling is... um... OK, for a juggling game. Human League is very funny, but not so fun. The Venn diagram one is pretty fun, though I don't understand how ball control works. The turntable one is bizarre. I liked it better once I figured out the controls. None of these games is any fun on the default difficulty - they all need to be on level 2 or 3 to be a good challenge. This still was a bit expensive at $12.

I'd like to try some of the bitGen games in vs. mode, but that will never happen. I hope we see some Virtual Console ports with online play.
 
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