Bitless for iPhone/iPad Review

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Bitless (universal) by Nicholas Rapp is a punishing little game with the action of a platformer, and the challenging, fast-paced obstacles of a puzzler. With tons of twitch-reflex testing levels and a devilish personality, players will be twice as eager to finish the game’s many levels.

Bitless places players in control of a small cube with a single eye. The cube never stops moving, leaving players little time to deal with the obstacles appearing from the side of the screen. Each time you fail at a level – which will happen many, many times – the game flashes taunting messages at the screen such as “Delicious,” “Oops” or “LOLZ.”

Controls, just like the graphics, are very simple. Tap anywhere on the screen to jump, and hold to extend the jump. The levels, though, are very far from simple. There’s moving enemies, falling floors, stacks of bad guys and a difficult jumps to hit – all of which surely won’t be made the first time, requiring impeccable timing and lightning-quick reaction times.

These levels, 56 in all, are made to be difficult from the beginning. Trial and error will be required, as some levels have complicated, changing structures players might have to backtrack on to complete. Luckily, there are achievements and leaderboards through Game Center to keep everyone motivated – in case the amusing death screens weren’t enough.

There’s not much to complain about when it comes to Bitless. The emphasis is definitely on gameplay over graphic design – although its unique, retro style is anything but lazy. The simple-looking screenshots are a little deceptive; there are tons of fun little visual effects and wild color schemes to keep thing interesting.

Bitless is a fantastic one-button platformer, one of those hardcore games that make players want to wrap their iDevices in bubble wrap. But its frustrating in the best way possible, an addictive, charming little action title with a great chiptune soundtrack and dozens of levels to enjoy.

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