G.G Series: Horizontal Bar

Genre: Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

Horizontal Bar is a Platformer released on the Nintendo DSi via the DSiWare service in 2011 as well as being made available on the Nintendo 3DS eShop. In this game, players take the role of a gymnast trying to swing themselves from bar to bar, reaching the end of each level within a time limit, collecting pickups and avoiding hazards.

This game uses a pretty simple presentation, with 2D visuals where your character is depicted with white line art on a dark background, and the rest of the visuals are similarly simple. This is backed by a fairly minimal soundtrack, with both combining to give this game an almost creepy vibe.

The gameplay here puts a huge focus on the swinging, with players having to time the release of their swing to get the right angle to reach their destination. I’ve played countless games where you have to swing around like this, and Horizontal Bar may very well be the one I have found most difficult to control. As a result, while I appreciate the challenge this game presents, it just wasn’t very fun for me.

I imagine there may be some out there who might find the exacting Platforming in Horizontal Bar to be appealing, but I think most will just find it to be frustrating. Even at the low price of $2, this one is hard to recommend.

tl;dr – Horizontal Bar is a Platformer where players take the role of a gymnast swinging their way through challenging obstacle courses. Unfortunately, the controls for swinging are far too exacting and difficult, and the result is a game that’s just not very fun to play through.

Grade: D

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