VVVVVV

This retro indie gem (which I acquired on Steam almost by accident) is, in short, one of the finest examples of the platforming genre that I have played. VVVVVV is deceptively simple in design - you have four controls: left, right, activate, and the ability to invert your personal gravity - but showcases an impressive number of clever stages based on several simple mechanics.

Your goal is simply to move through the levels, while avoiding spikes and enemies on your way to the next checkpoint. In VVVVVV, you will die many, many, many, many times while trying to avoid these hazards, but tons of conveniently placed checkpoints mean you won't have to replay long sections after each death. In fact, I died over 200 times on the final level of the game alone. Even after you complete the relatively short main game, replayability is increased by the presence of hard-to-reach trinkets, which sit just tantalizingly out of your grasp.

Getting to these trinkets requires you to complete the hardest puzzles in the game, some of which may make the faint of heart weep in despair (especially the level sequence "Veni" - "Vidi" - "Vici", seen here).

VVVVVV also features a superb 8-bit chiptune soundtrack by Magnus Palsson, aka Souleye. Upbeat and relentless, the music evokes feelings of nostalgia while perfectly complementing the fast-paced gameplay. You'll be dancing along to "Positive Force" even after you've sent poor Captain Viridian to his frowny-faced death for the thousandth time.

Short but sweet, VVVVVV does pretty much everything right. A cute, clever retro platformer with a minuscule learning curve, it deserves to be sent back in a time machine to be a hit NES title.


Rating: 9.5/10


Update:

I BEAT VENI VIDI VICI!!!!!! *happy dance*