The Bit Generations series general discussion thread [Temporarily dirt cheap!]

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Apossum

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So these new fangled bit Generations games are popular right now, since they're on sale at play-asia.

This Digidrive game remains elusive...the IGN article on it plainly said they don't know how to play it and google yielded nothing. Anyone here own it? It looks cool.


\\\\\Edit:

This is now a general discussion on the bit generations games. I know a bunch of CAGs just ordered these on Play-asia, so feel free to share your opinions about them here!

Where to buy:

these are on sale right now for $14.90 each at Play-asia, except Coloris and Orbital which are $24.90.


EDIT: THEY'RE PART OF THE 20% OFF SALE, so now there's no excuse not to get them :)

Dotstream: http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-66-49-en-70-1fhw.html
Sound voyager: http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-66-49-en-70-1fi2.html
Dialhex: http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-66-49-en-70-1fhy.html
Digidrive: http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-66-49-en-70-1fi1.html
Boundish: http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-66-49-en-70-1fhx.html
Coloris: http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-66-49-en-70-1fhz.html
Orbital: http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-66-49-en-15-Orbital-70-1fi0.html

Cracked rabbit gaming FAQs and Game Descriptions:
Digidrive: http://crackedrabbitgaming.com/guides/gba/digidrive/faq/
Orbital: http://crackedrabbitgaming.com/guides/gba/orbital/faq/

IGN reviews/descriptons:
Part I: http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/720/720397p1.html
Part II:http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/723/723008p1.html

Official Sites (with videos)

Orbital: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/bit_g/orbital/index.html
Dot Stream: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/bit_g/...eam/index.html
Digidrive: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/bit_g/...ive/index.html
Boundish: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/bit_g/boundish/index.html
Coloris: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/bit_g/coloris/index.html
Sound Voyager: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/bit_g/...ger/index.html
Dialhex: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/bit_g/dialhex/index.html


Write ups by Bruin:
Dotstream - http://think-theory.com/bit-generations-dotstream/
Dialhex - http://think-theory.com/?p=40
Digidrive - http://think-theory.com/?p=41
Orbital - http://think-theory.com/?p=42
Soundvoyager - http://think-theory.com/?p=28
 
Whats the general consensus on the best Bitgen games? I dont want to buy all of them, cos I heard a few are weak, but I also heard a couple of them are really fun. But I can never remember which ones! lol
 
[quote name='Nephilim']This is an excellent FAQ with screenshots.

digidrive faq

The same site has the best Orbital FAQ on the web.

Orbital FAQ[/QUOTE]


Thanks! That's a big help. oooh, now I want orbital too. :)

Whats the general consensus on the best Bitgen games? I dont want to buy all of them, cos I heard a few are weak, but I also heard a couple of them are really fun. But I can never remember which ones! lol
Click to expand...

I'd like to know too...I think I'll turn this into a general purpose Bit Gen thread.
 
[quote name='Apossum']
I'd like to know too...I think I'll turn this into a general purpose Bit Gen thread.[/quote]Good call.

Based on reviews and what not, I've ordered Dotstream and Orbital (and Dialhex to qualify for the P-A coupon). They seem to be the more mainstream, easy to learn games.

I feel like I've posted this in half a dozen threads, but here is IGN's look at all 7:

http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/720/720397p1.html
http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/723/723008p1.html

I'll likely be selling Dialhex at cost when I get it (not a huge puzzle game fan), if anyone's holding out for it (should be under $20).
 
Boundish is for if you really, really like Pong. If you want the finest pong you'll EVER get, this is it.

Dialhex was kinda weak. As was Dotstream.

I couldn't get INTO Orbital, but I LOVED Digidrive, even though it was needlessly obtuse.

Still, I wouldn't ever pay what the import sites are asking for these games.
 
[quote name='RollingSkull']Boundish is for if you really, really like Pong. If you want the finest pong you'll EVER get, this is it.

Dialhex was kinda weak. As was Dotstream.

I couldn't get INTO Orbital, but I LOVED Digidrive, even though it was needlessly obtuse.

Still, I wouldn't ever pay what the import sites are asking for these games.[/quote]

They are $15 each on Play-Asia.
 
[quote name='Puffa469']They are $15 each on Play-Asia.[/quote]

I'd buy Orbital AND Digidrive for $15, but not separately. I love Digidrive, but I can go buy some nice Live Arcade games for less and get more gameplay.
 
No love for Sound Voyager? I've ordered Orbital, Dotstream and Sound Voyager and SV is the game I'm most thrilled about.
 
Added faqs and info to the OP.

If you find more tutorials, reviews, general info for the games, post it here and I'll add it to the OP.
 
Got Dialhex and Dotstream today. I'm definitely ordering the rest of them...these games are right up my alley. Dotstream is pretty cool, but Dialhex is really awesome. it's basically Hexic but a bit less complex--at least, as far as the first few levels go.

One thing with both titles--the music is really good. it's kinda like squarepusher or aphex twin, but more mellow. or like boards of canada, but more uptempo.

if that means anything. :lol:
 
I just got Dialhex and Orbital today too. Haven't opened them up yet. I was almost having buyer's remorse after waiting a week to get these in the mail till I opened the box and saw the packaging. Crazy awesome. And unfortunately I'm at 2 weeks and still waiting for YesAsia to ship Dotstream.
 
I've got 5 coming in the next couple weeks, and I plan on ordering the other 2 soon. I'll post impressions when they arrive.
 
I'm definitely going to get Boundish after watching some of the gameplay vids. Now I just need to pick another one. Coloris and Dialhex are out since I already have tons of puzzle games for the DS. I didn't quite understand the rest enough to really figure out which I should get.
 
I'm getting Coloris next for sure...

Can't decide if I should order Digidrive or Orbital with it. and I definitely want Sound voyager at some point.
 
So Orbital is sorta kinda like a Katamari style game, right? And Dotstream is a racer? But what exactly are Digidrive and Sound Voyager? Like I said, the videos didn't make too much sense to me.
 
The remaining 5 games I needed came today in the mail. They are so beautiful.

I played Dotstream for a few minutes and I already think it is an incredible game. So simple and yet there's enough intricacy to it that it could really keep me busy for a while.

I'll be in this thread quite a bit, because I want to devote a lot of time to this series. Can't wait to try them all out.
 
[quote name='Strell']The remaining 5 games I needed came today in the mail. They are so beautiful.[/QUOTE]

Good to hear you got them and are enjoying them, Strell.

The three Bit Generations games I recently ordered (Boundish, Digidrive, and Soundvoyager) all came yesterday to complete my collection. I plan to go over the whole series and come up with some coherent thoughts on everything in the coming days.

Based on my really brief interaction with them, Boundish wins if for no other reason that my seven and six year old boys love it, especially the box juggling. Digidrive is pretty insane but I'm already doing ok with it (and at the moment it's my favorite of these three), at least good enough to want to continue it. Soundvoyager is a bit of love and hate at the moment, but the main problem is I have to have headphones on (which I expected), and I have to be in a fairly quiet room as well and really concentrate on it.

Overall though, I'm happy with the entire series and conditionally recommend them. I do think people should check out the various movies and FAQs on them, but if any of them appeal to you, I suspect you won't regret getting them.

(Now on the other hand, I spent a little time on Touch Panic for DS which I also got in this Play Asia order, and sort of regret it, but I'll reserve judgement because I suspect I just need some more time to figure out how to do things.)
 
[quote name='Z-Saber']So Orbital is sorta kinda like a Katamari style game, right? And Dotstream is a racer? But what exactly are Digidrive and Sound Voyager? Like I said, the videos didn't make too much sense to me.[/quote]

Digidrive has you "directing traffic" as it were. Crossroads, four ways to go, little colored thingies come up the road, you direct them where to turn. When they reach the end of a path, they stack. Stack enough of the same color, and they are consumed, generating fuel. Throw a launcher thingy in there to use the fuel to launch your rocket further (Increasing your score and getting you one more step ahead of the reaper). Things get more and more complicated, though, as you cannot turn a thingy back around the direction it came, and you can send in unmatching colors to colored rows to potentially double your fuel if you do it right.
 
Got a question. I kinda sorta wanna get a few of these (haven't decided which), but can the DS Lite do multiplayer with GBA games wirelessly like with DS games? If not, then there's definitely no reason to get Boundish.
 
[quote name='spiwak']Got a question. I kinda sorta wanna get a few of these (haven't decided which), but can the DS Lite do multiplayer with GBA games wirelessly like with DS games? If not, then there's definitely no reason to get Boundish.[/QUOTE]

No, unless the game supports the wireless adapter for the GBA.

These don't.

The DS won't convert GBA multiplayer games -> wireless. If you want to do multiplayer with GBA games, you either need multiplayer cables, or you have to have a game that supports the wireless adapter. And only a few support it.
 
Actually, I'm pretty sure a few of the bit generations games support the wireless adapter. It's just that the GBA wireless signal is completely different than the DS wireless signal and does not work in a DS. Or so I've heard.
 
[quote name='naruto179']Actually, I'm pretty sure a few of the bit generations games support the wireless adapter. It's just that the GBA wireless signal is completely different than the DS wireless signal and does not work in a DS. Or so I've heard.[/QUOTE]


This is true. In Digidrive, for example, using my DS lite, I can select "Download" from the options, but after a moment, I get the result "No wireless adapter". This is incredibly annoying for me, as we have two original DS and two DS lites in my house, but only one GameBoy Advance SP (the main reason we still have that is to use with the GameCube link cable for PacMan Vs.). I really wish I could do multiplayer with the DS, but that's not meant to be right now.

My understanding is the following:
I know that some of the Bit Generations games support multiplayer (I think it breaks down as Yes: Boundish Dialhex, and Digidrive, No: Dotstream, Coloris, Orbital and Soundvoyager.)

I also know that this multiplayer support is through the GameBoy Wireless Adapter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Boy_Advance_Wireless_Adapter
From the wikipedia article, "Since the wireless adapter uses a proprietary protocol, it is NOT able to connect with the Nintendo DS."

I *don't know* if the link cable is supported. You'd think this would be certain, but I have a vague recollection of reading somewhere that the Bit Generations only used the wireless for multiplayer.

I also *don't know* if you can actually do multiplayer with a single copy of the game, or if both players need a copy. This is particularly vexing for Boundish, as in my eyes, that game would have a lot more appeal to people in two player mode and I'd love to play against my kids, but I'm certainly not going to import a second copy to do so though (even if I had another GBA or Micro and a supported connection between them), when I can just play Laser Hockey in Wii Play instead. :)
 
Updated the OP-- the sale ends on 2/28, so get these cheap while you can.

Also, it seems they raised the price of Orbital to $24...those bastards.
 
I'm glad I got Orbital for $15, it's a lot of fun. I also ordered Dotstream and Sound Voyager, which rock pretty hard as well. I'm just now learning Digidrive and it seems pretty decent.
I skipped on Dialhex because the Youtube videos make it seem too easy. I played Boundish a few months ago and thought it sucked ass.
I'd like to get Coloris, but don't want to pay more than $15 for it.
 
Dialhex starts out pretty easy, then, like Hexic, it adds more colors. I got up to 4 before my eyes crapped out on me :) but unlike Hexic, it also gets fast.
 
Started playing Orbital today. Fun game, lot more complex than it seems at the beginning. Gravity ain't very simple!

Haven't touched Dialhex yet. Let me know if anyone wants to trade me Dotstream for it! I'm about to force YesAsia to cancel my order since it's been "Searching from Suppliers" for two and a half weeks.
 
I ordered Dotstream today. I also really want Orbital (and a few others to a slightly lesser extent), but I don't want to pay $25 for it. I have a hunch Nintendo will release them in North America at some point. Perhaps in a collected form for the DS.
 
[quote name='spiwak']I have a hunch Nintendo will release them in North America at some point. Perhaps in a collected form for the DS.[/QUOTE]

I asked a N employee about this a while back, and he's never lied to me or given me incorrect information, and his word was the following:

"There's no reason for them to come to the USA as a budgeted game, which they'd have to be released as. So if they came out at $20 a pop, and you've got a typical customer in the store, they'd rather get the latest license game rather than this."

Take that as you will, but it's very good (albeit saddening) logic.

There's the tangent argument that these games were specifically designed for the GBA and not the DS. Which is another strike.
 
Point taken as far as the DS v. GBA goes. But NoA has released weirder things, albeit in very limited supply (I'm thinking of Electroplankton here). I suppose NoA could also assume the people that would get it have already or will import it since the games are so import-friendly.

Either way, I'm very excited about Dotstream coming in. Soon as Orbital falls down to $15 or so I'll be all over that.
 
[quote name='Strell']I asked a N employee about this a while back, and he's never lied to me or given me incorrect information, and his word was the following:

"There's no reason for them to come to the USA as a budgeted game, which they'd have to be released as. So if they came out at $20 a pop, and you've got a typical customer in the store, they'd rather get the latest license game rather than this."

Take that as you will, but it's very good (albeit saddening) logic.

There's the tangent argument that these games were specifically designed for the GBA and not the DS. Which is another strike.[/QUOTE]

One way they could put them out on the GBA is if they combined games. Imagine releasing them on two carts: series one and series two, or even three carts: Dotstream / Digidrive on the first, Coloris / Boundish / Soundvoyager on the second, and the last Dialhex / Orbital. Still charge $20 for each cart.

The problems I see are even with combining titles the "typical customer would rather get a licensed game" could still be argued, but perhaps they could be released like Electroplankton was as Spiwak suggests? The other problem I see is now that the Wii is out, it's sort of easier to ignore the GBA and let it fade a bit and save your efforts for the Wii and DS.

If Nintendo ever wanted to expand the Wii's Virtual Console to include GBA games, then that would be a great way to release them, but of course then you're sacrificing portability. And I'd hate to think what they would charge for a GBA game -- the $5 I would want seems to be unlikely given their current pricing.

I'd love to see them on the DS, as that's where I play them now, but I'd love to reduce carrying seven carts to something more manageable; also, I'd love to get these games out to more people, as I know a lot of people who just can't be bothered to import that will skip say, Ouendan but buy Elite Beat Agents. Perhaps make two new Bit Generations games designed for the DS, and include series one as bonus games on the first, and series two on the second?
 
Hey, I'm all for this wonderful series to come to America and get a marketing blitz and sell, but I realize all three of those things happening are slim. Even if they did show up, they'd get quietly put on the shelf, as Nintendo seems to like to do with certain games (cough Hotel Dusk and Drill Dozer cough). And at that point, no one is going to go for the minimalist design, no matter how good the gameplay is.

I know "Digilux" was registered a while back by Nintendo, but that doesn't strike me as overly encouraging.

And yes, I think releasing it online only (like Electroplankton) would be a great idea. I'm curious - did EP sell well? I imagine if it didn't, that would be another strike against BG.

There's tons of amazing DS and GBA games that never make it here. Legend of Stafi, Rhythm Tengoku, Chousouju Mecha DS. Which really sucks.

At least the system isn't region specific.
 
[quote name='Z-Saber']Can someone describe Sound Voyager and Dotstream in a little more detail? Only two days left to decide.[/quote]
Dotstream - racer, top down, you control dots that leave line-trails. You cannot accelerate, you only have control over quantized up-down steps to dodge obstacles. The only way to get ahead is to run over boost pads or run adjacent to other racers' trails. Naturally, you get no trails in the lead.

I'm not into this one, but I'm the minority in this thread. The only BitGen game I find worth more than a few pennies is Digidrive.

And SoundVoyager? You're a dude in space going up constantly, and you must use your stereo headphones to hear where the thingies are. Move left/right accordingly. Collect thingies to expand the song you hear.

Or, depending on the level, those thingies could be traffic you need to avoid. Creativity probably abounds as one voyages deeper.

A pleasant gimmick, but it seems to go as smoothly from fun to annoyance as the stereo goes smoothly from right to left and back again.

Which is to say that both are smooth, and both happen often.
 
They're a lot of fun if you take them for what they are: simple games. Dotstream has enough difficulty to keep you coming back to learn the courses. Sound Voyager has repetitive gameplay, but it's still fun to notice the new changes and progressions in the music.
These aren't games you're going to spend a couple hours at a time on - they're best in short doses.
 
[quote name='Z-Saber']Well crap. Completely undecided about this second game, though I'm positive I still want Boundish.[/quote]

Just flip two coins. One coin, choose between Coloris and Digidrive. The second, between Dotstream and SoundVoyager. Then, from those, decide if you want something very unique, but shallow, or something slightly less unique, but deeper.

If it helps, I love Digidrive ONLY for the vs. CPU play. I'd get bored playing it by myself.
 
I know for certain I don't want Coloris. I'm not a big fan of puzzle games to begin with, and it doesn't look all that interesting.
 
My Orbital and Dotstream arrived last week. I haven't spent much time with Orbital yet, but Dotstream is kinda fun. I think it's a bit too easy, but I'm enjoying it enough to try and beat my best times. I may order a couple more, probably Digidrive and Soundvoyager.
 
After seeing a couple videos online I decided to go ahead and get Digidrive as well. I'm not a big fan of puzzle games but it seems pretty intense.

I hate that I missed Orbital's price drop. Hopefully it'll go on sale again some time soon.
 
bruin-- good stuff, you're the good kind of site whore, the kind we're looking for in this thread ;) I'll post that stuff in the op tomorrow...as I'm literally getting into bed the second I finish this sentence.

[quote name='Jack']My Orbital and Dotstream arrived last week. I haven't spent much time with Orbital yet, but Dotstream is kinda fun. I think it's a bit too easy, but I'm enjoying it enough to try and beat my best times. I may order a couple more, probably Digidrive and Soundvoyager.[/QUOTE]


I thought it was too easy at first, but the 2nd phase is kicking my ass :lol:
 
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