BIT.TRIP BEAT is an arcade rhythm game developed by Gaijin Games.

Art style

The game is heavily inspired by the first games for the Atari 2600. It features the same blocky visuals, a pale color palette, and a large number of explosions.

Gameplay

BIT.TRIP BEAT is very similar to Pong and does not feature much plot. The players control a small platform that is used to kick off the beats that come from the right side of the screen. The game initially released for the Nintendo Wii, so its gameplay is well-adapted for Wii Remote. The players can control the platform by tilting the remote.

Each level consists of three phases: Transition, Descent, and Growth. Each of them has a difficulty increase, compared to the previous ones. There is a boss fight at the end of each phase. The only way to complete a level is to kill the boss or to get a game over.

The game's soundtrack is created by the noise that the beats make upon hitting the platform. Each deflected beat gets the player several points. The beats move in various patterns making it hard to hit them back. There are also several special types of beats present in the game, such as the beats that pause on the game field for several seconds.

Multiplayer

BIT.TRIP BEAT features a multiplayer mode for two to four players. More platforms appear on the screen as more players jump into the game. In the four-player mode, the platform size gets a bit smaller to make the game less easy.