I remember being back in college walking back to the dorm after watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I made a comment about how the movie represented the seven deadly sins, and one of my friends started to freak out because I was “ruining the movie.” Of course, that wasn’t the intention. One is trained to see/interpret information a certain way due to one’s major. English encourages one to look at things from several different perspectives and to be prepared to accept multiple thoughts on a subject. It is with this odd memory in mind that I present to you VVVVVV for the PC.
VVVVVV follows six crew members who are exploring outer space. And, coincidently (or not so coincidently), all of them have a “V” name. Suddenly, the ship begins to malfunction, and it forces them to escape via teleporter. They are now separated, and the good captain is determined to find his crew and escape the mysterious dimension they have crashed into. Scattered throughout the dimension are terminals that slowly begin to fill in the gaps of what they now inhabit.
In reality, it isn’t a bad plot, and I would have loved it if more of the story was fleshed out. But it doesn’t matter. What’s on show here is the level design. Captain Viridian explores the “planet” and escapes obstacles by changing his flow of gravity. Thus, instead of jumping, he’ll “hop” from the floor to the ceiling (and vice versa). This inversion of what it means to be a “platformer” gives VVVVVV a feeling of freshness that is rarely felt. This means that almost every screen is a puzzle in and of itself as you have to figure out how to best move and switch the flow of gravity to survive. The demo doesn’t do justice to the actual game as there is exploration in conjuncture to the straightforward platforming.
As complex as this all sounds, and it is definitely difficult (8-bit heroes would cringe at what Viridian goes through), it is simple. All one needs to complete the game are three keys: left, right and space bar. That’s it. Hypothetically, this means that almost anyone can play; although, that person may not actually want to as the game gets tricky very quickly. Checkpoints abound, and it is rare to find one more than two screens away. There were a few times when I thought an additional checkpoint or two was needed. It also doesn’t help that although the controls are responsive, they are a bit “sticky” or “glidey.” Viridian would then move a bit too quickly, bringing forth an early death. Unlimited lives are a god-send to counter that point.
Graphically, the game takes a great deal of inspiration from the 8-bit era. VVVVVV is bright and colorful, mainly sticking to two colors per room. The backgrounds move (sometimes), yet they never distract what’s occurring right before your eyes. Traps of all types streak across the screen in a blur of words and color. And, of course, the game’s signature title is seen in almost every solitary screen: spikes. There are lots and lots of spikes to die upon. Thankfully, you have the crew’s, especially Viridian’s chipper attitude to keep you going.
And so does the perky soundtrack. There are about eight different tracks, and each one has its own upbeat feel. And it honestly feels like something that could be heard chiming from the old NES. This means that the soundtrack is a bit of a conundrum; it is exceptionally catchy and playing pushy while it is heard, yet once the game is closed, it is quickly forgotten. Maybe I should just purchase the soundtrack and subject my imaginary minions to its quirks.
VVVVVV isn’t just about the crew’s names, the so called need to adjust the old “v-setting” (if you had an old television you might get the reference), the direction keys being used, the inability to tell which way is actually “up,” the peaks and valleys of the level design, the velocity of Viridian or its overbearing usage of spikes. It is about how all of those elements flow together to create a complete package that is rarely seen in both independent and mainstream games. The main problem with it is the price tag: $10 is a bit steep for a two-hour campaign. Although, I did pick it up while it was on sale ($2.50), so it is ultimately worth it.
