VVVVVV

Moby ID: 44786
Windows Specs
Buy on Windows
$4.99 new on Steam

Description official descriptions

VVVVVV is a platformer brought back to the aesthetics of those in the eighties, with a basic colour palette and a limited set of controls. Players command Veridian, whose space ship hits an interference and is about to crash. The entire crew is evacuated quickly, but a few crew members remain. Due to a teleporter malfunction they have been be moved to random locations on the ship. It is up to Veridian to restore all teleporters and find back the five missing crew members: Violet, Vitellary, Vermillion, Verdigris and Victoria ... hence the game's title.

The game is entirely built around a gravity-flip mechanism. Next to moving around, the only other main ability Veridian has, is to flip gravity force 180 degrees, enabling him to switch between moving on the ground and upside-down on the ceiling. Most of the areas feature a combination of spikes, platforms and different moving objects and enemies that require a quick succession of movement and gravity flipping, demanding quick timing from the player.

The path to explore the space station is not linear. Any of the crew members can be tracked down right away and difficult sections can be abandoned to explore later. Once different teleporters have been found, Veridian can quickly move between faraway sections of the space station using a map. The game requires a lot of trial and error to progress, but it offers an unlimited amount of continues and regular checkpoints.

Next to the main objective there are also 20 hidden trinkets to collect, which open up new game modes. These include time trials, intermissions, a game mode where the game needs to be played without dying once, a flip mode where the entire game is flipped vertically, and a secret laboratory.

Later levels introduce new difficulties such as looping screens, beams that bounce the main character around, moving screens with spikes at the sides, sequences where Veridian needs to survive in a closed section of the level, and a part where another character needs to be guided around with indirect control over his movement. There are also terminals that provide information, logs and activate events. Each room also has a unique name and there is a soundtrack of chiptune music.

The later released 3DS version has 18 user-created levels, but the level editor is not included for the handheld release. There are however 3D effects and some music is reinterpreted.

Spellings

  • 弹弹跳跳闪避人 - Simplified Chinese spelling

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Credits (Windows version)

74 People (5 developers, 69 thanks) · View all

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 83% (based on 37 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.8 out of 5 (based on 54 ratings with 1 reviews)

A hard and satisfying platformer

The Good
VVVVVV is one of those games that does one thing, but does it right. It's minimalistic in both aesthetic and gameplay. It's a platformer with simple but elegant mechanics. You use three keys: you can move to the left and right, and you can flip. Flip inverts gravity force, allowing you to switch from the floor to the ceiling. While flipping you can move horizontally, but not flip again mid-air.

The story is simple: your spaceship crashes and you find yourself trapped in a strange dimension. You must explore the space station to rescue your crew members, scattered around it. You can speak with your crew and read terminals to expand on what's happening.

During the level you have to explore the dimension you're in, navigating the environment while avoiding spikes, enemies and other hazards. You have a map that shows you the locations you've visited and those you need to go to, as well as teleporters and trinkets. I loved the exploration part of the game: even if the graphics are very simple, it gave me a sense of discovery, and it's also a relaxing pastime between levels.

Every set of levels adds different challenges, such as surfaces that bounce you off, looping rooms or moving platforms. Level design is very good, with smart use of space and interesting puzzles.

You die often in the game, but respawn instantly and near the point where you died: checkpoint are many and well placed, so you won't be frustrated having to do the same sections over and over. VVVVVV is challenging, requires good reflexes and fast reactions, but it's fair. You'll always know why you died and how you could've avoided it. There are optional trinkets to collect (that, when all collected, unlock a new location) that are often hard to reach, but they can easily be ignored: you can unlock everything in the main menu, if you want to.

After completing the main objective, you're free to roam around the map, exploring parts you may have missed and collecting trinkets. You also unlock different modes: time trials, no death mode (play the game without dying), flip mode (the game is flipped vertically). There are several player-made additional levels and an easy to use level editor to make your own maps.

I didn't mind VVVVVV simple, yet functional Commodore 64-style graphics: they're often abstract and you have to use your imagination to fill the gaps, but I liked them.

The game has many small details that make it charming: each room is individually named, your crew have something different to say depending on who you've rescued, there's an "analogue" (or old television set) mode, and many other little things that make you see how much care went into the game. Also, there are options for people with disabilities, such as removing the animated backgrounds or slowing the game's speed.

Lastly: I loved the chiptune music. Usually I find this kind of music annoying after a while, but not in this case.

The Bad
I enjoyed very much VVVVVV and didn't find many flaws in it.

The main game isn't too long, I completed it in two hours and a half. I don't think that's a flaw, however: it didn't outstay its welcome and was a satisfying experience. Also, the additional levels and the editor offer many hours of content.

During the game there are some rare checkpoints that are badly placed, requiring you to walk a few seconds to reach your objective. But that's nitpicking.

Some people may find the graphics bad, because it's not "real" pixel art, or because it doesn't work with the real limitation of the c64 and so on. I liked the aesthetic of it, finding it simple and pleasing, but I understand it may be not everyone's cup of tea.

The Bottom Line
VVVVVV it's easy to learn, hard to master. Its rules are simple, but that doesn't mean that it isn't challenging: difficult, but rewarding and never frustrating. I'm not usually a fan of platformers (probably because I'm not very good at them), but I heartily recommend this game.

Windows · by ponzo (85) · 2012

Trivia

1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die

VVVVVV is mentioned in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by Tony Mott

Development

The initial game design, especially the movement, was based on the prototype Sine Wave Ninja, created by Terry Cavanagh for the Glorious Trainwreck website's Klik of the Month. Visuals were inspired by Monty on the Run and the Dizzy games.

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Related Sites +

  • SoulEye Digital Music
    The VVVVVV soundtrack's composer's page. The game's soundtrack is available for purchase through this website.
  • VVVVVV
    TIGdb entry

Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 44786
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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Sciere.

Nintendo Switch added by mars_rulez. iPad, Android, iPhone, Ouya added by Kabushi. Linux added by Iggi.

Additional contributors: Solid Flamingo, Hello X), Rik Hideto.

Game added January 16, 2010. Last modified February 22, 2024.