Runs, jumps and slides onto Sony platform next week

The third title in the reflex-testing Bit.Trip Runner series is getting set to sweat on a new platform, as developer Choice Provisions has announced that Runner3 will be hitting PS4 next week.

Runner3 is a simplistic but scarily addictive action title, where players must guide t??he titular runner, Commander Video, through a series of fast-paced courses, reacting wi??th lightning fashion to numerous obstacles and hazards that hinder our hero's high-speed progress.

For its platform debut, Runner3 will be receiving an update, which will also be rolled out the previo??us Nintendo Switch and PC releases. This will include adjustments to hit boxes, a revised scoring system, new challenges, and a custom difficulty option, allowing players to adjust the density of obstacles and enemies.

Runner3, already av?ailable on Nintendo Switch and PC, is coming to PS4 in digital and physical formats on November 13.

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Lets-a go

Choice Provisions (classically known as Gaijin Games) has a pretty sweet thing going on. Since 2009 they've mostly made Bit.Trip games, while enjoying the occasional non-Bit success.

What's surprised me the most about them is just how much of a knack they have for incorporating sound into their projects, allowing players to up their game if they can play to the beat. Runner3 might be t?he best realization of? their penchant for synesthesia yet.

Runner3 (PC, Switch [reviewed])
Developer: Choice Provisions
Publisher: Choice Provisions, Nicalis (physical)
Released: May 22, 2018
MSRP: $29.99 (digital), $39.99 (physical)

Runner3 is a weird-ass game. The first thing you might see is an advertisement featuring an anthropomorphic bladder: one of several faux sponsors. Then you meet someone named Ch?eese Grote, who tasks you with helping Food Land. This is all narrated by Charles Martinet, Mario himself, who is also in the game as a playable character. Yeah...strap in because it gets weirder.

No but seriously, none of the narrative matters much, as all of that's in place for flavor purposes. Depending on how many collectibles you get you may not even see more cutscenes, and that's perfectly okay. The Runner series’ soul is platforming with built-in rhythm and that hasn’t changed. You’ll pounce from level to level, running??, kicking, jumping, and ducking all the way with a few new twists. What twists? Weird twists. Okay, the mystique of weird is unavoidable. I'm talking an eggplant plane or a flying soda can that you control like a shmup, or a behind-the-back camera shift during a mine cart ride. You'll also tango with legit bosses and try to cope with at least one new concept every several levels.

The old running formula still works, even in an era that's absolutely full of them. Each course, from the very first to the last, is hand-crafted in a way that makes sense the first time you play it. They're so well done mechanically and aesthetically that you'll slowly start to notice all of the detail in the background and will feel the need to wear headphones. Runner3's realms are wonderfully distinct and creepily psychedelic, yet soothin?g in turn. Choice really has an eye for color and knows how ??to hit that perfect balance of cute and disturbing, just like an old-school Nicktoon.

Runner3 has a penchant for enticing you to replay levels, mostly because they pack two variants into each stage. Beat a level and you can do it again, but this time you're going for gems and will run along new routes. It's tough even if you're just going for a barebones clear, and you'll really need to take the time to learn the timing for each obstacle down to half-second button taps or delayed presses. If you’re aiming to get all 25 gems and 100 gold in a level it’ll get even tougher. Those remixed levels in turn come with their own 100 gold to grab (the frogurt is also cursed) and there&?rsquo;s more collectibles. Yikes!

One mistake and it’s over, and if you're struggling at the sequence right before a checkpoint (of which there is only one in each level), it can get maddening. Other small annoyances carry over from Runner2, like the inability to tell if an object is safe to jump on or if it’ll instantly kill you until you actually test it out. Without the consistent retro style of the first game it can be hard to discern, but it's a fleeting iss??ue that works itself out over a short amount of time.

There's tons to unlock, and though you can enjoy most of what Runner3 has to offer with the base characters of CommanderVideo and CommandgirlVideo, there's a lot more, including crossovers like Shovel Knight and Eddie Riggs from Brutal Legend. The real meat of the extras lies within the unlocka??????????????????????????ble mini game, which is a full non-runner platformer that functions as an entirely new mode, so long as you acquire all the VHS tapes needed to tackle each world. It's a clever scheme, because once I found one of the easier tapes and devoured the fun platformer mini-game, I was hell bent on getting the rest.

While I did have some issues in portable mode when it came to camera shifts and the like (which are few and far between), solely in terms of being able to identify objects on a smaller screen, I did play 50% of Runner3 off-TV with aplomb. TV mode is perfect though, especially with a Pro Controlle?r and the right sound setup. The only technical annoyance I encountered is prevalent throughout -- the load times. Once you're in a leve?l you're good to go with multiple retries, but swapping around worlds and levels features an exhausting wait.

Based on what was accomplished in Runner3, the series is far from over. Despite creating two other Runners, Choice Provisions has shown that they're not out of ideas quite yet. Bring on Runner4.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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May 22

Let's run through all of the Bit Trip games since 2009 real quick -- Beat, Core, Void, Runner, Fate, Flux, Runner2, and Runner3. See a pattern here? Outside of two additional compilations the Runner series is the clear breadwinner, and after an announcement in early 2017, we're nearly ready to receive Runner3.

I was just talking to a few people over the weekend about how so many folks forgot about this one, but come May you'll be able to run all over again on PC and Switch. A physical copy is also on the w??ay, with a PVC character strap, audio CD sampler, and an instruction booklet.

According to Choice Provisions it's a timed console exclusive on Switch, and will make it to other platforms eventually. It feels right at home on a Nintendo system though, especially ??given the runner/mobile nature and the Switch's ability to go portable.

Runner3 [Nicalis]

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And a car, and an item shop

Hard as it may be to believe, the Bit.Trip series has been around since 2009. The franchise got its start on the Wii, and developers Choice Provisions have had a close relationship with Nintendo since the studio's inception. Runner 3 is the studio's first game headed to the Switch, and I got a chance to try it out last ?weekend at PAX West.

Runner 3 is a direct sequel to Bit.Trip Presents Runner 2, and the developers teased that the truncated name was due to their reluctance to fill out forms with the full title. Joking aside, the shortened name is intended to convey a separation from Bit.Trip's universe, allowing protagonist Commander Video to break away from the Bit.Trip series and explore a larger world.

There are several enhancements new to Runner 3, though the core jump/slide/kick gameplay will be familiar to Bit.Trip veterans. Each of the game's three lands will feature a different type of vehicle which controls differently than when Commander Video is on foot. These vehicle sections are supposed to be sort of a reward for players who find them, and they're meant to break up platforming challenges with a different style of gameplay. Players will also be able to find branching paths after completing a level once, and these more difficult sections can be selected by hitting the bumper on your controller when approachin??g a fork in the path. You may be able to find special "Hero quests" on these branching paths which will unlock new characters when completed. Additionally, you'll be able to spend those gold bars you collect in between levels at a brand-new item shop.

Not everything is different in Runner 3, though. You'll still trail rainbows when you're doing well, and 2D retro levels make a return, albeit in a different form. Instead of 8 or 16-bit graphics, this time the retro levels are inspired by late '50s cartoons, and they allow for free movement instead of the autoscrolling of the main game. The audio should sound similar, since the music was created by the same composer who's worked on the Bit.Trip franchise since the beginning. Mario's voice actor Charles Martinet returns, and players who manage to find a puppet collectable hidden in every level will be able to unlock a live-action puppet show featu??ring his voice. 

Even though it's still a way off, Runner 3 looks and plays great, and the three levels all look very distinct. The easiest gameplay can be found in Foodland, medium levels in Spookyland, and the toughest challenges come from Machineland. This industrial section is made slightly more difficult because the level is built as you approach, meaning there's slightly less time to react before you get close to an enemy or obstacle?. It's a little odd seeing a character who's intended to call back to Atari graphics running around in HD, but I got used to it fairly quickly. 

Choice Provisions is aiming to have Runner 3 ready for the Switch and Steam by February 2018. Other platforms haven't been ruled out, but have yet to be an??nounced. 

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Others have stated it's easier than the 3DS and Wii U

??Nintendo systems have gotten a lot of flak when it comes to bad developer policies. Many devs have spoken posthumously about the poor monetization contract for the WiiWare platform, and the issues of developing for systems like the Wii U. The Switch, however, by design, is changing that entire landscape. Among many other studios who have said the same, Choice Provisions has come out in favor of Nintendo's new console/portable. 

Speaking to Autodesk, Josh D?efries of Choice Provisions explains: "We were nervous at first about developing for the Switch, simply because there are always unknow??ns with new platforms. We ended up getting the game running on the console in only a day, however, and it's been smooth sailing ever since!"

It's been smoothing sailing in general for Ninten??do, who is riding high on the Switch. Hell, it could outsell the Wii U in just a year's time if it keeps up this pace. Nintendo has the backend all sorted out it seems, but it still has some work to go on the consumer side -- there's some hardware kinks to work out, among other problems like the complete lack of a Virtual Console.

Runner3 [Autodesk]

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Here's a new trailer

It's hard to believe that the original Runner came out in 2010 on WiiWare. Although the series has dabbled in multiple platforms over the years, it's coming full circle on a Nintendo pla?tform later this year.

No longer just a cryptic teaser, Runner3 was co??nfirmed for the Nintendo Switch today during the publisher's "Nindies" stream. The game will feature branching paths, quests, shops, vehicles, multiple modes, and characters??, as well as retro challenges.

All told it sounds like the most densely packed Runner game yet. N?o date or price have been announced, but more info, including what the Switch-exclusive f?eatures entail, are coming "soon."

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'Our biggest and most ambitious game yet'

Bit.Trip! Now there's a name I'm happy to hear again. Choice Provisions is following up its excellent obstacle-course platformer Bit.Trip Presents Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Al??ien with a game known simply as Runner3. Those arrows in the logo are curious indeed.

While this teaser tells us little, the developers say they "plan to be very open with you about the creation of Runner3, and we even plan to solicit feedback occasionally and offer user polls to give everyone a chance to chime in and help us think of things like level names, possible unlockable outfits, and more." There are already a few devlog posts up, including one about instilling joy.

If you're new to Bit.Trip or just missed out on Runner and Runner2, it's currently a good time to make amends. Both games are half p??rice on Steam, Wii U, Vita, and PS4 until Oct?ober 2.

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