![]() ![]() The first few screens teach you how to use this to avoid a pit of spikes, but the precise movements you need to make quickly grow more complicated. Your character cannot jump, but instead can switch gravity back and forth at a press of a button. The entire game rests on a single mechanic – the gravity flip. (The names of the crew members – Veridian, Vermilion, Violet, Verdigris, Vitellary and Victoria – is where the game gets its name.) The story puts you in the shows of Captain Viridian, whose spaceship is sucked into some kind of void, leaving himself and his crew stuck in various parts of some strange alternate dimension. Its look and style heavily channels the Commodore 64, taking the best from its era while avoiding the clumsiness so often apparent on the platform. It exemplifies the level of difficulty found in old-school games, while avoiding the frustrations that come with it. It is eloquent in its simplicity, yet challenging and varied enough to avoid the dreaded “casual” label. Though those who have seen it through before may roll their eyes and clamor for new content, the Nintendo Switch continues to be the best platform to experience quick, pick-up-and-play games like this for the very first time.VVVVVV is one of the best 2D platformers to arise since the end of the 16-bit era. Then again, at $4.99, it’s one of the cheapest, enjoyable diversions on the Switch.Īlmost eight years after its initial release, VVVVVV continues to prove that a platformer can stand on its own mechanics and doesn’t necessarily need fancy visuals, sound, or even a compelling story to be really darn fun. It’s just a touch disappointing, especially as VVVVVV releases around the same time as so many other great indie titles with more replay value or new features to attract the attention of those browsing the eShop for favorites to replay on the go. Maybe that’s fine–ports are what they are. Even with the fun of multiplayer on the Switch, it’s just not a game you’ll get much out of, and there’s nothing new in the Switch version to entice those who have already finished it. ![]() VVVVVV is fun, but it really is that painfully short–only about 5-6 hours for completionists or 2-3 hours just to beat. And I was able to play it with a friend on the go–another advantage afforded by the platform. I played it in five to thirty minutes bursts over a long weekend, and it was great. I didn’t beat VVVVVV in one or two sittings, despite its brevity. It’s an ideal game to show off what the Switch does best–provide a gaming diversion for busy adults who can’t commit hours at a time, all the time, to finish a game. Since each puzzle is a self-contained, repeatable mystery, I can quickly open the game, solve a few, and put it back down again without missing anything. VVVVVV has been out on almost every platform you can name since its initial release in 2010, but it’s been at its strongest on handheld systems like the 3DS. This capability also did wonders for my salt levels when encountering the game’s particularly rage-inducing challenges.Īnd the open-ended playstyle lends itself well to the Switch in particular. If you get stuck, you can always explore a new path or just put the game up for a bit and return later. There’s almost always a checkpoint after each new, difficult task, making VVVVVV a game perfect for short bursts of play. There’s nothing new in the Switch version to entice those who have already finished. And no one knows how to jump in this platformer. Most of these are spike pits some are enemies or other hazards. But both Viridian and his friends face a myriad of obstacles between themselves and the ship. ![]() He must track down his crew members and bring them back to their stations across nine levels in order to escape with everyone’s lives. You play as Captain Viridian, a visually non-descript little spaceman who has been separated from his crew and his ship across Dimension VVVVVV. The puzzling fun of VVVVVV has little to do with the elephant in its rooms, and everything to do with its clever, gravity-flipping gameplay. But with or without explanations, those questions don’t matter. VVVVVV’s name, like many of its story elements, provokes more questions than it answers. The V’s are spikes they’re the name of the dimension you’re stuck in they’re the direction you’re going or trying to go or trying not to go. That’s six V’s, if you’re trying to spell it right. The latest entry in the “it’s on the Switch now” saga is VVVVVV, another pick up and put down indie seemingly made for the platform. By Rebekah Valentine 5 years ago Follow Tweet ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |