GameSetTip: Bit Generations Sale @ Play-Asia
February 6, 2007 1:05 PM | Simon Carless
So, we're not actually shilling here, since we have no biz relationship with them, so wanted to point out that Play-Asia's Lunar New Year sale is on, and of particular interest are the Bit Generations GBA titles for $15 each.
We've previously discussed these unique, Nintendo-published experimental GBA titles, which were released at a budget price in Japan, and it appears will never get a North American release at this point - Modojo has a good review set for almost all of them, and it seems generally agreed that Dotstream and Orbital are the two worth picking up.
In Orbital, "you control a small planetoid as it floats through space. You start out as one of the smallest objects on the screen, but by merging with objects a size larger, you increase your own size and gravitational pull", and in Dotstream, also getting good reviews at 4CR, "you are a beam of light that is in a race with four other beams of light. Dotstream does away with the accelerate button found in most racing games. Instead, you travel faster when going in a straight line."
Both neat, and I picked them both up for $33 including postage to the U.S. - so I would recommend checking out these and other Bit Generations titles if you're into the experimental. [EDIT: Orbital, Dotstream, and Coloris are now out of stock, as of 2.31pm PST - the other titles are still available right now, though.]
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8 Comments
Swap Orbital out for Soundvoyager (the best of the bunch), and think about Coloris and/or Digidrive as well.
dmauro | February 6, 2007 1:23 PM
I'd love Nintendo to release these for the VC, maybe at a low wii points price? 200 points each maybe?
Lloyd | February 6, 2007 1:35 PM
Right now Orbital and Dotstream are both listed as Out of Stock, though they aren't listed that way on every page; trying to add them to your cart will fail though. (At least as of 6 Feb, 5pm Eastern.)
Adam Vandenberg | February 6, 2007 1:50 PM
This is pretty weird - I finally find a place that has the english version of The Settlers II: Next Generation (a german game) for the PC, and it's in Asia of all places...
fluffy bunny | February 6, 2007 2:59 PM
I own all but Boundish, which is often considered the simplest and worst of the bunch, and I actually don't like Orbital much at all. I put the time into it to complete each of the initial levels but I was really quite bored.
Dotstream is certainly one of the easiest for someone to get into due to the simple nature and variety in levels and music.
Coloris and Digidrive are also good choices.
Soundvoyager is really cool considering how unique it is to play but I really only liked the main mode but you have to play through other modes to get all the stages.
Dialhex is fun but very simple and doesn't offer a lot of content.
I'm sorry if it seems like I'm whoring out a site I post at but awhile back I wrote up some rather quickie impressions in a thread so click my name here for a link to it. I was really hoping to drum up some interest back when I got the six of the seven I purchased so I'm glad to see yet more attention towards the games.
Nick | February 6, 2007 7:12 PM
the 4CR reviews are very disappointing, if not completely irresponsible -- they clearly didn't understand how to play Digidrive or Coloris.
it's like not knowing about the "run" button in SMB and as a result complaining that the game featured jumps that were impossible to make!
Digidrive _does_ have layer-upon-layer of rules going on, but each is simple.
In Coloris the color shifting isn't random: the white or black cursor indicates if the color with shift up or down the spectrum. it's clamped at the ends of the spectrum. it's not complicated.
why they didn't simply do what any reasonably intelligent person would do and read gamefaqs before trying to play is beyond me.
raigan | February 9, 2007 5:29 PM
All of the titles are back in stock now, but none of them is on sale any more. I guess that's a good thing... Orbital was listed as "out of print" for a little while, and I was afraid that Nintendo had stopped manufacturing the games.
ragingmime | February 13, 2007 1:46 PM
Oops. Actually, Dialhex, Digidrive, and Boundish are still on sale.
ragingmime | February 13, 2007 6:45 PM