Bit.Trip Flux

Genre: Arcade / Music-Rhythm

Players: 1

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Review:

Note: Included in Bit.Trip Collection, along with Bit.Trip Beat, Bit.Trip Core, Bit.Trip Fate, Bit.Trip Runner, and Bit.Trip Void.

Bit.Trip Flux is an Arcade-style game with Music-Rhythm elements originally released on the Wii’s WiiWare service in 2011, gradually making its way to multiple other platforms, and eventually finding its way onto Nintendo Switch in 2020. This game is the sixth and final release in the original Bit.Trip series (though Bit.Trip Runner received two direct sequels), and acts as a direct follow-up to Bit.Trip Beat, and as such has similar gameplay vaguely reminiscent of Pong, but with a Music-Rhythm element to it, and with mechanics that make heavy use of motion-control.

The presentation here is an improvement over Bit.Trip Beat, blending low-res 2D pixel art objects in the foreground with colorful abstract 3D backgrounds. These visuals and the gameplay are directly tied into the game’s soundtrack, which features some catchy electronica themes.

Much as in Bit.Trip Beat, the gameplay here is very simple – you have a Pong-like paddle, and dots are coming from the right side of the screen – catch as many of those dots with your paddle as you can. However, this simple gameplay is complicated by a few elements. First, the dots move in different patterns – some come straight at you, some move at an angle or travel in a wave pattern, and some even bounce and return. There’s a bit of trial and error here in figuring out just how to anticipate their movement, and the variety definitely keeps things from becoming too monotonous, even though you’re only moving up and down. Second, Flux adds in an element from Bit.Trip Void – dots that need to be avoided. This isn’t a major change, but a nice evolution of the formula, regardless.

However, again like Bit.Trip Beat, the other element that complicates things is likely to be more divisive – motion control. Rather than moving the paddle using the analog stick, players tilt their controller to change its height. This takes a lot of getting used to, and it’s hard to get the sort of precision you need to catch the dots a lot of the time. What’s really disappointing is that this control persists in handheld mode, where it works well enough (possibly even better) but where touchscreen control seems like it would have been preferable.

One other small disappointment deserves mention – this version of the game seems to lack the multiplayer mode that was present in earlier versions.

Because of how difficult Bit.Trip Flux is to control, it’s not going to be for everyone. It definitely has some appeal, and the musical elements of its presentation and gameplay are really nice, but the forced motion control definitely limits the game. If you’re looking for a fun Arcade-style game and don’t mind playing around with motion-controls, you may want to give this game a try, but you’re just as likely to be frustrated by it as you are to be delighted.

tl;dr – A direct follow-up to Bit.Trip Beat, Bit.Trip Flux has some of the same good and bad qualities. It is an Arcade-style game that combines elements of Pong, Music-Rhythm games, and motion control. It’s this last element that will make this a game that not everyone will enjoy, as these controls take some getting used to. However, if you can get used to these controls, you may find elements to this game that make it worthwhile.

Grade: C+

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