Last week there were two new releases at the Wii Store. In the Virtual Console department we were presented with Summer Games II, a Commodore 64 sports title released by Epyx in 1985 and a brand new title called: BIT.TRIP BEAT in the WiiWare department.

I was fairly excited about playing Summer Games II as I’m a big fan of the Epyx series of sports games. I bet we all have stories of sitting with our families around the computer or gaming console playing Winter Games, Summer Games and/or Summer Games II. Summer Games II sports the Javelin Throw, Kayaking, The Triple Jump, Bicycling and more. The game costs 500 Wii Points and is around 100K in size.

Let’s talk about the strengths of Summer Games II on the Wii Console. First, it’s Summer Games. Second, the graphics and sound our faithfully emulated right down to the Commodore keyboard and static load screens. Third, it hearkens back to a simpler time when games were easy to learn and fun… almost. And that’s where the good things I have to say about the game end.

Let’s talk about playing the game as it is the sore spot in this review. The gameplay (if one can call it that) is abysmal at best. Oh there are still some nifty things as you attempt to navigate throughout the game. For instance, when you press the B button you’re presented with a Commodore 64 keyboard for typing. This is necessary for the game as you are required to input your name. That would be fine if you could easily figure out how to start the game after you input your name. The game controls are sluggish and confusing and there was not a single game I could play intuitively with either the Wii’s native controller or the classic controller. This was extremely frustrating. It may be that the only strength of this release is an extensive operators manual. In order to even play an event I was forced to read each section of the manual. Now, I’m not opposed to reading–and it’s fairly convenient as all you need do is press the Wii home button to read the manual, but it was extremely disappointing that the game was not more intuitive.

If I were to rate Summer Games II on the Wii with a 5 star rating, where 3 is the standard for mediocrity, I would give the Wii Console version a 1 out of 5 stars. Minus 1 for a clumsy keyboard interface, minus 1 for non-intuitive game play, minus 1 for no consistency in the controls and minus 1 for the costing me 500 Wii points. The remaining star is given to the game as it is an Epyx title with great graphics and sound that still remind me a little of when I was a kid.

The next game in the chamber is BIT.TRIP BEAT, a neo-retro title by Aksys Games. After reading a couple of descriptions about the game I pulled the trigger and spent an additional 600 points to download this 1-4 player game. If I could describe my immediate impression of the game in one word it would be: phenomenal.

As you can see in the screenshot above it looks a bit like squash from the old Sears pong game. There are plenty of good things to say about this game the first of which is it feels retro right down to the opening menu. Following a fabulous 8-bit sounding intro, the menu appears sporting big blocky fonts with bright colors. Once again I’m like a deer caught in headlights: stopped cold in my tracks by something shiny.

The gameplay is simplistic and completely intuitive. Controlling the paddle is easy. Holding the Wiimote horizontally with your hands on either end you roll it back and forth like you do when you’re about to sink your teeth into a hot ear of corn on the cob. That’s it. It’s that simple! Brilliant! The object of the game is to hit each block or “ball” as it rifles toward you–very much like the gameplay in Pong. Each time you strike one of the oncoming blocks a note is played. Not just a musical note though. It’s an 8-bit sound byte. As you progress through the game the patterns and numbers of blocks heading toward you increase as do the intensity of the companion graphics, sound effects and music. BIT.TRIP’s sound can be likened to an 8-bit symphony with each block presented as a member of a retro-orchestra of which you are the conductor.

If I had to rate this game on the same scale as I did for Summer Games, it would score a 5 out of 5. Plus one for retro graphics, plus one for an awesome soundtrack, plus one for intuitive simplistic and fun gameplay, plus one for feeling more retro than Summer Games II and plus one for being well worth the points it was purchased with. If you have a Wii, this is a must purchase.

Below is a sample of the gameplay. Be sure to click the HQ button to watch in High Quality. There is also a google ad, be sure to turn that off when it pops-up. I chose this one because of it contained higher quality than others I found on the YouTube.