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** The boss of each song simulates an old UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} or Arcade game. ''BEAT'' had a sideways game of ''VideoGame/BreakOut'' and an ''actual game of VideoGame/{{Pong}} against an AI'', and ''CORE'' had strange versions of ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'' and ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}''.
to:
** The boss of each song simulates an old UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} Platform/Atari2600 or Arcade game. ''BEAT'' had a sideways game of ''VideoGame/BreakOut'' and an ''actual game of VideoGame/{{Pong}} against an AI'', and ''CORE'' had strange versions of ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'' and ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}''.
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** The boss of each song simulates an old UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} or Arcade game. ''BEAT'' had a sideways game of ''VideoGame/BreakOut'' and an ''actual game of VideoGame/{{Pong}} against an AI'', and ''CORE'' had strange versions of ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'' and ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}''.
to:
** The boss of each song simulates an old UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} Platform/Atari2600 or Arcade game. ''BEAT'' had a sideways game of ''VideoGame/BreakOut'' and an ''actual game of VideoGame/{{Pong}} against an AI'', and ''CORE'' had strange versions of ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'' and ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}''.
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** [=CommanderVideo=]'s form in the cutscenes of ''FLUX'' resembles the freeform pointer of the UsefulNotes/MagnavoxOdyssey.
to:
** [=CommanderVideo=]'s form in the cutscenes of ''FLUX'' resembles the freeform pointer of the UsefulNotes/MagnavoxOdyssey.
Platform/MagnavoxOdyssey.
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Frickin' Laser Beams entry amended in accordance with this Trope Repair Shop Thread
.
.Changed line(s) 236,238 (click to see context) from:
* RayGun: Most prominently in ''FATE'', coming in many forms depending on what wingmate powerup you have and your Mode; (though not with sound effects or (except in a [[FrickinLaserBeams few cases]]) traditional "laser weapon" looks) the enemies use this as well. [[BulletHell Gratuitously.]]
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* RayGun: Most prominently in ''FATE'', coming in many forms depending on what wingmate powerup you have and your Mode; (though not with sound effects or (except in a [[FrickinLaserBeams [[EnergyWeapon few cases]]) traditional "laser weapon" looks) the enemies use this as well. [[BulletHell Gratuitously.]]
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* DifficultyLevels: The UsefulNotes/{{iOS|Games}}, PC and ''COMPLETE'' versions have an Easy Mode and a Hard Mode, which influence how fast the meters going both ways fill.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: The explanatory letters in COMPLETE reveal that [[spoiler:the ghostly figures in the first level of ''BEAT'' are dead members of [=CommanderVideo=]'s species, returning to where they came from. This is exactly what he does in ''FLUX''.]]
* HardLevelsEasyBosses: ''BEAT'', ''RUNNER'' and ''FLUX'' have easier bosses than levels; ''RUNNER'' even makes it more or less impossible to not get a perfect on them. ''[=Runner3=]'' makes them even easier, giving you a checkpoint each time you hit the boss [[spoiler:except for the Timbletot, whose fight still has multiple checkpoints but is much longer]]. WordOfGod for the last game is that "boss battles should favor spectacle over challenge".
* {{Homage}}:
** The boss of each song simulates an old UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} or Arcade game. ''BEAT'' had a sideways game of ''VideoGame/BreakOut'' and an ''actual game of VideoGame/{{Pong}} against an AI'', and ''CORE'' had strange versions of ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'' and ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}''.
* HundredPercentCompletion:
** It's a little known fact that hitting ''all'' the beats in a single song will get you acknowledgment at the score screen. Though, it's no surprise not many people have seen it.
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* CoOpMultiplayer: With four players in ''BEAT'' and ''VOID'' and two players in ''CORE'', ''FATE'', and ''FLUX''. ''BEAT'', ''CORE'', ''VOID'', and ''FLUX'' are all individual-style, while ''FATE'' is assistant-style. Averted in ''RUNNER'' for storyline reasons and averted completely in ''SAGA'', likely out of space concerns.
* FinalExamBoss: ''CORE''[='=]s final boss is essentially a test of how well you remembered specific patterns in all of the levels.
* {{Homage}}:
** The boss of each song simulates an old UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} or Arcade game. ''BEAT'' had a sideways game of ''VideoGame/BreakOut'' and an ''actual game of VideoGame/{{Pong}} against an AI'', and ''CORE'' had strange versions of ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'' and ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}''.
* FinalExamBoss: ''CORE''[='=]s final boss is essentially a test of how well you remembered specific patterns in all of the levels.
* {{Homage}}:
** The boss of each song simulates an old UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} or Arcade game. ''BEAT'' had a sideways game of ''VideoGame/BreakOut'' and an ''actual game of VideoGame/{{Pong}} against an AI'', and ''CORE'' had strange versions of ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'' and ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}''.
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* EasyLevelsHardBosses: ''VOID'' and ''FATE'' have harder bosses than levels.
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* DifficultyLevels: The UsefulNotes/{{iOS|Games}}, PC and ''COMPLETE'' versions have an Easy Mode and a Hard Mode, which influence how fast the meters going both ways fill.
* DistaffCounterpart: [=CommanderVideo=] gets one in ''RUNNER''. She's even named "[=CommandgirlVideo=]".
* EasterEgg:
** There's actually a GameOver in ''RUNNER'', though it requires a completely EpicFail on your part. It involves not jumping when you have to [[spoiler:GoombaStomp the final boss]].
* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows: ''BIT.TRIP''[='=]s rainbow has a distinctly different color arrangement.
* EverythingsBetterWithSparkles: As you Mode Up in ''RUNNER'', [=CommanderVideo=] will leave behind a trail of sparkles, which eventually becomes his distinctive rainbow trail.
* GetBackHereBoss: The final boss of ''RUNNER'' has you chasing Timbletot over roof buildings, until you reach a spring at the very end [[spoiler:that allows [=CommanderVideo=] to GoombaStomp him]].
* GoombaStomp: How [=CommanderVideo=] defeats [[spoiler:the final boss in ''RUNNER''.]]
* HardLevelsEasyBosses: ''BEAT'', ''RUNNER'' and ''FLUX'' have easier bosses than levels; ''RUNNER'' even makes it more or less impossible to not get a perfect on them. ''[=Runner3=]'' makes them even easier, giving you a checkpoint each time you hit the boss [[spoiler:except for the Timbletot, whose fight still has multiple checkpoints but is much longer]]. WordOfGod for the last game is that "boss battles should favor spectacle over challenge".
* {{Homage}}: Each stage in ''RUNNER'' has a respective [[BonusStage "retro stage"]] that resembles VideoGame/{{Pitfall}}.
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* CoOpMultiplayer: With four players in ''BEAT'' and ''VOID'' and two players in ''CORE'', ''FATE'', and ''FLUX''. ''BEAT'', ''CORE'', ''VOID'', and ''FLUX'' are all individual-style, while ''FATE'' is assistant-style. Averted in ''RUNNER'' for storyline reasons and averted completely in ''SAGA'', likely out of space concerns.
%%* CrapsackWorld: [[CrapSaccharineWorld Triumph]] in ''RUNNER'', and all of ''FATE''.
* DownerEnding:
** ''FATE'' is the clearest one, ending with [[spoiler:[=CommanderVideo=]'s rage getting the best of him, causing him to sacrifice himself just to finish off Timbletot. The Commander's friends weep as his ghost floats off to start the events of ''FLUX''.]]
* EasyLevelsHardBosses: ''VOID'' and ''FATE'' have harder bosses than levels.
%%* TheHeroDies: Commandergirl Video cries for you
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: ''FATE'' focuses on how [=CommanderVideo=]'s increasing anger at Timbletot is causing him to forget his belief in ThePowerOfLove. [[spoiler:By the end of the game, he is hell-bent on killing Timbletot, even if it means killing himself in the process]].
%%* CrapsackWorld: [[CrapSaccharineWorld Triumph]] in ''RUNNER'', and all of ''FATE''.
* DownerEnding:
** ''FATE'' is the clearest one, ending with [[spoiler:[=CommanderVideo=]'s rage getting the best of him, causing him to sacrifice himself just to finish off Timbletot. The Commander's friends weep as his ghost floats off to start the events of ''FLUX''.]]
* EasyLevelsHardBosses: ''VOID'' and ''FATE'' have harder bosses than levels.
%%* TheHeroDies: Commandergirl Video cries for you
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: ''FATE'' focuses on how [=CommanderVideo=]'s increasing anger at Timbletot is causing him to forget his belief in ThePowerOfLove. [[spoiler:By the end of the game, he is hell-bent on killing Timbletot, even if it means killing himself in the process]].
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* CoOpMultiplayer: With four players in ''BEAT'' and ''VOID'' and two players in ''CORE'', ''FATE'', and ''FLUX''. ''BEAT'', ''CORE'', ''VOID'', and ''FLUX'' are all individual-style, while ''FATE'' is assistant-style. Averted in ''RUNNER'' for storyline reasons and averted completely in ''SAGA'', likely out of space concerns.
* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:''FLUX'']] somewhat as well; the final scene [[spoiler:of the series]] has the Commander [[spoiler:forgetting even himself]], but then again there's that bit of [[RecurringRiff "Transition"]] that pops up.
* HardLevelsEasyBosses: ''BEAT'', ''RUNNER'' and ''FLUX'' have easier bosses than levels; ''RUNNER'' even makes it more or less impossible to not get a perfect on them. ''[=Runner3=]'' makes them even easier, giving you a checkpoint each time you hit the boss [[spoiler:except for the Timbletot, whose fight still has multiple checkpoints but is much longer]]. WordOfGod for the last game is that "boss battles should favor spectacle over challenge".
* HardModePerks: In ''FLUX'', playing on Hard increases the amount of Beats missed required to drop a level. This was the result of a bug in ''COMPLETE'', and does not appear in other versions.
* TheHomewardJourney: The premise of ''FLUX''; [[spoiler:A dead [=CommanderVideo=] returning to the place where he started life]].
* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:''FLUX'']] somewhat as well; the final scene [[spoiler:of the series]] has the Commander [[spoiler:forgetting even himself]], but then again there's that bit of [[RecurringRiff "Transition"]] that pops up.
* HardLevelsEasyBosses: ''BEAT'', ''RUNNER'' and ''FLUX'' have easier bosses than levels; ''RUNNER'' even makes it more or less impossible to not get a perfect on them. ''[=Runner3=]'' makes them even easier, giving you a checkpoint each time you hit the boss [[spoiler:except for the Timbletot, whose fight still has multiple checkpoints but is much longer]]. WordOfGod for the last game is that "boss battles should favor spectacle over challenge".
* HardModePerks: In ''FLUX'', playing on Hard increases the amount of Beats missed required to drop a level. This was the result of a bug in ''COMPLETE'', and does not appear in other versions.
* TheHomewardJourney: The premise of ''FLUX''; [[spoiler:A dead [=CommanderVideo=] returning to the place where he started life]].
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* {{Homage}}: Each stage in ''RUNNER'' has a respective [[BonusStage "retro stage"]] that resembles VideoGame/{{Pitfall}}.
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* DifficultyLevels: The UsefulNotes/{{iOS|Games}}, PC and ''COMPLETE'' versions have an Easy Mode and a Hard Mode, which influence how fast the meters going both ways fill.
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* EasterEgg: You can play random notes in all the games by pressing a button that isn't used for any purpose in that game.
* HundredPercentCompletion: ''COMPLETE'' has a hundred and twenty Challenges (twenty in each game) to play through. It also has plenty of unlockables... of which the Songs require you to get Perfects.
* HundredPercentCompletion: ''COMPLETE'' has a hundred and twenty Challenges (twenty in each game) to play through. It also has plenty of unlockables... of which the Songs require you to get Perfects.
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* CoOpMultiplayer: With four players in ''BEAT'' and ''VOID'' and two players in ''CORE'', ''FATE'', and ''FLUX''. ''BEAT'', ''CORE'', ''VOID'', and ''FLUX'' are all individual-style, while ''FATE'' is assistant-style. Averted in ''RUNNER'' for storyline reasons and averted completely in ''SAGA'', likely out of space concerns.
%%* CrapsackWorld: [[CrapSaccharineWorld Triumph]] in ''RUNNER'', and all of ''FATE''.
* DifficultyLevels: The UsefulNotes/{{iOS|Games}}, PC and ''COMPLETE'' versions have an Easy Mode and a Hard Mode, which influence how fast the meters going both ways fill.
* DistaffCounterpart: [=CommanderVideo=] gets one in ''RUNNER''. She's even named "[=CommandgirlVideo=]".
* DownerEnding:
** ''FATE'' is the clearest one, ending with [[spoiler:[=CommanderVideo=]'s rage getting the best of him, causing him to sacrifice himself just to finish off Timbletot. The Commander's friends weep as his ghost floats off to start the events of ''FLUX''.]]
** [[spoiler:''FLUX'']] somewhat as well; the final scene [[spoiler:of the series]] has the Commander [[spoiler:forgetting even himself]], but then again there's that bit of [[RecurringRiff "Transition"]] that pops up.
* EasterEgg:
** There's actually a GameOver in ''RUNNER'', though it requires a completely EpicFail on your part. It involves not jumping when you have to [[spoiler:GoombaStomp the final boss]].
** You can play random notes in all the games by pressing a button that isn't used for any purpose in that game.
* EasyLevelsHardBosses: ''VOID'' and ''FATE'' have harder bosses than levels.
* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows: ''BIT.TRIP''[='=]s rainbow has a distinctly different color arrangement.
* EverythingsBetterWithSparkles: As you Mode Up in ''RUNNER'', [=CommanderVideo=] will leave behind a trail of sparkles, which eventually becomes his distinctive rainbow trail.
* FinalExamBoss: ''CORE'''s final boss is essentially a test of how well you remembered specific patterns in all of the levels.
%%* FiveManBand: TheStinger in ''RUNNER'' pretty much solidifies it.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: The explanatory letters in COMPLETE reveal that [[spoiler:the ghostly figures in the first level of ''BEAT'' are dead members of [=CommanderVideo=]'s species, returning to where they came from. This is exactly what he does in ''FLUX''.]]
* GetBackHereBoss: The final boss of ''RUNNER'' has you chasing Timbletot over roof buildings, until you reach a spring at the very end [[spoiler:that allows [=CommanderVideo=] to GoombaStomp him]].
* GoombaStomp: How [=CommanderVideo=] defeats [[spoiler:the final boss in ''RUNNER''.]]
* HardLevelsEasyBosses: ''BEAT'', ''RUNNER'' and ''FLUX'' have easier bosses than levels; ''RUNNER'' even makes it more or less impossible to not get a perfect on them. ''[=Runner3=]'' makes them even easier, giving you a checkpoint each time you hit the boss [[spoiler:except for the Timbletot, whose fight still has multiple checkpoints but is much longer]]. WordOfGod for the last game is that "boss battles should favor spectacle over challenge".
* HardModePerks: In ''FLUX'', playing on Hard increases the amount of Beats missed required to drop a level. This was the result of a bug in ''COMPLETE'', and does not appear in other versions.
%%* TheHeroDies: Commandergirl Video cries for you
* HeWhoFightsMonsters; ''FATE'' focuses on how [=CommanderVideo=]'s increasing anger at Timbletot is causing him to forget his belief in ThePowerOfLove. [[spoiler:By the end of the game, he is hell-bent on killing Timbletot, even if it means killing himself in the process]].
* {{Homage}}:
** The boss of each song simulates an old UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} or Arcade game. ''BEAT'' had a sideways game of ''VideoGame/BreakOut'' and an ''actual game of VideoGame/{{Pong}} against an AI'', and ''CORE'' had strange versions of ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'' and ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}''.
** Each stage in ''RUNNER'' has a respective [[BonusStage "retro stage"]] that resembles VideoGame/{{Pitfall}}.
* TheHomewardJourney: The premise of ''FLUX''; [[spoiler:A dead [=CommanderVideo=] returning to the place where he started life]].
* HundredPercentCompletion:
** It's a little known fact that hitting ''all'' the beats in a single song will get you acknowledgment at the score screen. Though, it's no surprise not many people have seen it.
** ''COMPLETE'' has a hundred and twenty Challenges (twenty in each game) to play through. It also has plenty of unlockables... of which the Songs require you to get Perfects.
%%* CrapsackWorld: [[CrapSaccharineWorld Triumph]] in ''RUNNER'', and all of ''FATE''.
* DifficultyLevels: The UsefulNotes/{{iOS|Games}}, PC and ''COMPLETE'' versions have an Easy Mode and a Hard Mode, which influence how fast the meters going both ways fill.
* DistaffCounterpart: [=CommanderVideo=] gets one in ''RUNNER''. She's even named "[=CommandgirlVideo=]".
* DownerEnding:
** ''FATE'' is the clearest one, ending with [[spoiler:[=CommanderVideo=]'s rage getting the best of him, causing him to sacrifice himself just to finish off Timbletot. The Commander's friends weep as his ghost floats off to start the events of ''FLUX''.]]
** [[spoiler:''FLUX'']] somewhat as well; the final scene [[spoiler:of the series]] has the Commander [[spoiler:forgetting even himself]], but then again there's that bit of [[RecurringRiff "Transition"]] that pops up.
* EasterEgg:
** There's actually a GameOver in ''RUNNER'', though it requires a completely EpicFail on your part. It involves not jumping when you have to [[spoiler:GoombaStomp the final boss]].
** You can play random notes in all the games by pressing a button that isn't used for any purpose in that game.
* EasyLevelsHardBosses: ''VOID'' and ''FATE'' have harder bosses than levels.
* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows: ''BIT.TRIP''[='=]s rainbow has a distinctly different color arrangement.
* EverythingsBetterWithSparkles: As you Mode Up in ''RUNNER'', [=CommanderVideo=] will leave behind a trail of sparkles, which eventually becomes his distinctive rainbow trail.
* FinalExamBoss: ''CORE'''s final boss is essentially a test of how well you remembered specific patterns in all of the levels.
%%* FiveManBand: TheStinger in ''RUNNER'' pretty much solidifies it.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: The explanatory letters in COMPLETE reveal that [[spoiler:the ghostly figures in the first level of ''BEAT'' are dead members of [=CommanderVideo=]'s species, returning to where they came from. This is exactly what he does in ''FLUX''.]]
* GetBackHereBoss: The final boss of ''RUNNER'' has you chasing Timbletot over roof buildings, until you reach a spring at the very end [[spoiler:that allows [=CommanderVideo=] to GoombaStomp him]].
* GoombaStomp: How [=CommanderVideo=] defeats [[spoiler:the final boss in ''RUNNER''.]]
* HardLevelsEasyBosses: ''BEAT'', ''RUNNER'' and ''FLUX'' have easier bosses than levels; ''RUNNER'' even makes it more or less impossible to not get a perfect on them. ''[=Runner3=]'' makes them even easier, giving you a checkpoint each time you hit the boss [[spoiler:except for the Timbletot, whose fight still has multiple checkpoints but is much longer]]. WordOfGod for the last game is that "boss battles should favor spectacle over challenge".
* HardModePerks: In ''FLUX'', playing on Hard increases the amount of Beats missed required to drop a level. This was the result of a bug in ''COMPLETE'', and does not appear in other versions.
%%* TheHeroDies: Commandergirl Video cries for you
* HeWhoFightsMonsters; ''FATE'' focuses on how [=CommanderVideo=]'s increasing anger at Timbletot is causing him to forget his belief in ThePowerOfLove. [[spoiler:By the end of the game, he is hell-bent on killing Timbletot, even if it means killing himself in the process]].
* {{Homage}}:
** The boss of each song simulates an old UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} or Arcade game. ''BEAT'' had a sideways game of ''VideoGame/BreakOut'' and an ''actual game of VideoGame/{{Pong}} against an AI'', and ''CORE'' had strange versions of ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'' and ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}''.
** Each stage in ''RUNNER'' has a respective [[BonusStage "retro stage"]] that resembles VideoGame/{{Pitfall}}.
* TheHomewardJourney: The premise of ''FLUX''; [[spoiler:A dead [=CommanderVideo=] returning to the place where he started life]].
* HundredPercentCompletion:
** It's a little known fact that hitting ''all'' the beats in a single song will get you acknowledgment at the score screen. Though, it's no surprise not many people have seen it.
** ''COMPLETE'' has a hundred and twenty Challenges (twenty in each game) to play through. It also has plenty of unlockables... of which the Songs require you to get Perfects.
to:
%%* CrapsackWorld: [[CrapSaccharineWorld Triumph]] in ''RUNNER'', and all of ''FATE''.
* DifficultyLevels: The UsefulNotes/{{iOS|Games}}, PC and ''COMPLETE'' versions have an Easy Mode and a Hard Mode, which influence how fast the meters going both ways fill.
* DistaffCounterpart: [=CommanderVideo=] gets one in ''RUNNER''. She's even named "[=CommandgirlVideo=]".
* DownerEnding:
** ''FATE'' is the clearest one, ending with [[spoiler:[=CommanderVideo=]'s rage getting the best of him, causing him to sacrifice himself just to finish off Timbletot. The Commander's friends weep as his ghost floats off to start the events of ''FLUX''.]]
** [[spoiler:''FLUX'']] somewhat as well; the final scene [[spoiler:of the series]] has the Commander [[spoiler:forgetting even himself]], but then again there's that bit of [[RecurringRiff "Transition"]] that pops up.
* EasterEgg:
** There's actually a GameOver in ''RUNNER'', though it requires a completely EpicFail on your part. It involves not jumping when you have to [[spoiler:GoombaStomp the final boss]].
** You can play random notes in all the games by pressing a button that isn't used for any purpose in that game.
* EasyLevelsHardBosses: ''VOID'' and ''FATE'' have harder bosses than levels.
* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows: ''BIT.TRIP''[='=]s rainbow has a distinctly different color arrangement.
* EverythingsBetterWithSparkles: As you Mode Up in ''RUNNER'', [=CommanderVideo=] will leave behind a trail of sparkles, which eventually becomes his distinctive rainbow trail.
* FinalExamBoss: ''CORE'''s final boss is essentially a test of how well you remembered specific patterns in all of the levels.
%%* FiveManBand: TheStinger in ''RUNNER'' pretty much solidifies it.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: The explanatory letters in COMPLETE reveal that [[spoiler:the ghostly figures in the first level of ''BEAT'' are dead members of [=CommanderVideo=]'s species, returning to where they came from. This is exactly what he does in ''FLUX''.]]
* GetBackHereBoss: The final boss of ''RUNNER'' has you chasing Timbletot over roof buildings, until you reach a spring at the very end [[spoiler:that allows [=CommanderVideo=] to GoombaStomp him]].
* GoombaStomp: How [=CommanderVideo=] defeats [[spoiler:the final boss in ''RUNNER''.]]
* HardLevelsEasyBosses: ''BEAT'', ''RUNNER'' and ''FLUX'' have easier bosses than levels; ''RUNNER'' even makes it more or less impossible to not get a perfect on them. ''[=Runner3=]'' makes them even easier, giving you a checkpoint each time you hit the boss [[spoiler:except for the Timbletot, whose fight still has multiple checkpoints but is much longer]]. WordOfGod for the last game is that "boss battles should favor spectacle over challenge".
* HardModePerks: In ''FLUX'', playing on Hard increases the amount of Beats missed required to drop a level. This was the result of a bug in ''COMPLETE'', and does not appear in other versions.
%%* TheHeroDies: Commandergirl Video cries for you
* HeWhoFightsMonsters; ''FATE'' focuses on how [=CommanderVideo=]'s increasing anger at Timbletot is causing him to forget his belief in ThePowerOfLove. [[spoiler:By the end of the game, he is hell-bent on killing Timbletot, even if it means killing himself in the process]].
* {{Homage}}:
** The boss of each song simulates an old UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} or Arcade game. ''BEAT'' had a sideways game of ''VideoGame/BreakOut'' and an ''actual game of VideoGame/{{Pong}} against an AI'', and ''CORE'' had strange versions of ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'' and ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}''.
** Each stage in ''RUNNER'' has a respective [[BonusStage "retro stage"]] that resembles VideoGame/{{Pitfall}}.
* TheHomewardJourney: The premise of ''FLUX''; [[spoiler:A dead [=CommanderVideo=] returning to the place where he started life]].
* HundredPercentCompletion:
** It's a little known fact that hitting ''all'' the beats in a single song will get you acknowledgment at the score screen. Though, it's no surprise not many people have seen it.
** ''COMPLETE'' has a hundred and twenty Challenges (twenty in each game) to play through. It also has plenty of unlockables... of which the Songs require you to get Perfects.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
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* DownloadableContent:
** The [=iOS=] version of ''BEAT'' has a level pack based on ''VOID''.
* CosmeticAward: The "PERFECT!" acknowledgment on the scoreboard. This does extend to real life as getting the elusive title gives you [[http://commandervideo.com/perfects.html name recognition on the official site]].
* UnexpectedGameplayChange: ''BEAT'' has you playing a game of ''VideoGame/BreakOut'' for one boss and an ''authentic game of VideoGame/{{Pong}}'' for another, at which points the rhythm aspect of the game would be completely set aside. Though if you listen closely, the bouncing of the ball from the walls and paddles does kinda follow the rhythm.
** The [=iOS=] version of ''BEAT'' has a level pack based on ''VOID''.
* CosmeticAward: The "PERFECT!" acknowledgment on the scoreboard. This does extend to real life as getting the elusive title gives you [[http://commandervideo.com/perfects.html name recognition on the official site]].
* UnexpectedGameplayChange: ''BEAT'' has you playing a game of ''VideoGame/BreakOut'' for one boss and an ''authentic game of VideoGame/{{Pong}}'' for another, at which points the rhythm aspect of the game would be completely set aside. Though if you listen closely, the bouncing of the ball from the walls and paddles does kinda follow the rhythm.
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** The end of ''VOID'' has [=CommanderVideo=] exclaiming, "I! Am! READY!"
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* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: In ''RUNNER'', hitting an obstacle just sends you back to the start of the (rather short) level. You even get an [[CosmeticAward achievement]] for exploiting this:
-->'''EVERYONE.PLAYED [[{{Videogame/Braid}} BRAID]]'''
-->Bonk after missing a Gold Bar to rewind time and try again
%%* {{Crossover}}: VideoGame/MeatBoy and Mr. Robotube.
* EasyModeMockery: In ''RUNNER'', playing on Easy removes the gold and Retro Challenges, and makes it impossible to get a Perfect.
* TheEndOfTheBeginning: Level 1-10 of ''RUNNER'' is titled this. Later in the game, there are also stages titled "Middle of the Middle" and "Beginning of the End"
* PunctuatedForEmphasis:
** Also, Mingrawn Timbletot caps off ''RUNNER'' by darkly declaring, "You... are... not... a... ''man!''"
-->'''EVERYONE.PLAYED [[{{Videogame/Braid}} BRAID]]'''
-->Bonk after missing a Gold Bar to rewind time and try again
%%* {{Crossover}}: VideoGame/MeatBoy and Mr. Robotube.
* EasyModeMockery: In ''RUNNER'', playing on Easy removes the gold and Retro Challenges, and makes it impossible to get a Perfect.
* TheEndOfTheBeginning: Level 1-10 of ''RUNNER'' is titled this. Later in the game, there are also stages titled "Middle of the Middle" and "Beginning of the End"
* PunctuatedForEmphasis:
** Also, Mingrawn Timbletot caps off ''RUNNER'' by darkly declaring, "You... are... not... a... ''man!''"
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* DroppedABridgeOnHim: In the first cutscene of ''FATE'' alone, [[spoiler:Radbot]] apparently stops working altogether, and his head splits apart, [[spoiler:revealing Mr. Robotube]].
%%* {{Crossover}}: VideoGame/MeatBoy and Mr. Robotube.
* FlashOfPain: The enemies in ''FATE'' flash red when hit.
* HitboxDissonance: In ''FATE'', bullets pass through [=CommanderVideo=] unless they hit his Core.
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to:
* FadeToWhite: At the end of ''FLUX''. You keep playing but ultimately have to stop because [[spoiler:you can't see (the beats and panel are both white in this game)]]. And then you hear [[spoiler:Transition start]].
%%* SilentCredits: ''FLUX''.
* SheatheYourSword: In an incredibly meta example, ''FLUX'' literally makes [[spoiler:the player do this at the end.]]
%%* SilentCredits: ''FLUX''.
* SheatheYourSword: In an incredibly meta example, ''FLUX'' literally makes [[spoiler:the player do this at the end.]]
Changed line(s) 42 (click to see context) from:
to:
* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: In ''RUNNER'', hitting an obstacle just sends you back to the start of the (rather short) level. You even get an [[CosmeticAward achievement]] for exploiting this:
-->'''EVERYONE.PLAYED [[{{Videogame/Braid}} BRAID]]'''
-->Bonk after missing a Gold Bar to rewind time and try again
* DownloadableContent: ''[=Runner2=]'' has additional characters from other games in the Good Friends Character Pack, consisting of [[VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}} Razputin]], [[VideoGame/CaveStory Quote]], [[VideoGame/MeatBoy Doctor Fetus]], [[VideoGame/{{Machinarium}} Josef]], [[VideoGame/{{Spelunky}} Spelunky Guy]], and the Steam-exclusive [[VideoGame/{{Portal2}} Atlas]].
%%* {{Crossover}}: VideoGame/MeatBoy and Mr. Robotube.
-->'''EVERYONE.PLAYED [[{{Videogame/Braid}} BRAID]]'''
-->Bonk after missing a Gold Bar to rewind time and try again
* DownloadableContent: ''[=Runner2=]'' has additional characters from other games in the Good Friends Character Pack, consisting of [[VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}} Razputin]], [[VideoGame/CaveStory Quote]], [[VideoGame/MeatBoy Doctor Fetus]], [[VideoGame/{{Machinarium}} Josef]], [[VideoGame/{{Spelunky}} Spelunky Guy]], and the Steam-exclusive [[VideoGame/{{Portal2}} Atlas]].
%%* {{Crossover}}: VideoGame/MeatBoy and Mr. Robotube.
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to:
* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: In ''RUNNER'', hitting an obstacle just sends you back to the start of the (rather short) level. You even get an [[CosmeticAward achievement]] for exploiting this:
-->'''EVERYONE.PLAYED [[{{Videogame/Braid}} BRAID]]'''
-->Bonk after missing a Gold Bar to rewind time and try again
%%* {{Crossover}}: VideoGame/MeatBoy and Mr. Robotube.
-->'''EVERYONE.PLAYED [[{{Videogame/Braid}} BRAID]]'''
-->Bonk after missing a Gold Bar to rewind time and try again
%%* {{Crossover}}: VideoGame/MeatBoy and Mr. Robotube.
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* RhythmGame: The games' genre is filed under "Retro Rhythm Action".
* RecurringBoss: Mingrawn Timbletot is fought twice in ''RUNNER'', and once in ''FATE''.
go go commandervideo
bit.trip run
Deleted line(s) 59 (click to see context) :
* CosmeticAward: The "PERFECT!" acknowledgment on the scoreboard. This does extend to real life as getting the elusive title gives you [[http://commandervideo.com/perfects.html name recognition on the official site]].
Changed line(s) 61,65 (click to see context) from:
%%* {{Crossover}}: VideoGame/MeatBoy and Mr. Robotube.
* DarkerAndEdgier: ''FATE''. The environments are considerably emptier and darker, the music is more sparse and generally deeper and less energetic, the game is more action-based with less rhythm elements, and the plot focuses on [=CommanderVideo=]'s SanitySlippage while trying to fight through Timbletot's forces.
* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: In ''RUNNER'', hitting an obstacle just sends you back to the start of the (rather short) level. You even get an [[CosmeticAward achievement]] for exploiting this:
-->'''EVERYONE.PLAYED [[{{Videogame/Braid}} BRAID]]'''
-->Bonk after missing a Gold Bar to rewind time and try again
* DarkerAndEdgier: ''FATE''. The environments are considerably emptier and darker, the music is more sparse and generally deeper and less energetic, the game is more action-based with less rhythm elements, and the plot focuses on [=CommanderVideo=]'s SanitySlippage while trying to fight through Timbletot's forces.
* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: In ''RUNNER'', hitting an obstacle just sends you back to the start of the (rather short) level. You even get an [[CosmeticAward achievement]] for exploiting this:
-->'''EVERYONE.PLAYED [[{{Videogame/Braid}} BRAID]]'''
-->Bonk after missing a Gold Bar to rewind time and try again
to:
* DarkerAndEdgier: ''FATE''. The environments are considerably emptier and darker, the music is more sparse and generally deeper and less energetic, the game is more action-based with less rhythm elements, and the plot focuses on [=CommanderVideo=]'s SanitySlippage while trying to fight through Timbletot's forces.
* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: In ''RUNNER'', hitting an obstacle just sends you back to the start of the (rather short) level. You even get an [[CosmeticAward achievement]] for exploiting this:
-->'''EVERYONE.PLAYED [[{{Videogame/Braid}} BRAID]]'''
-->Bonk after missing a Gold Bar to rewind time and try again
Deleted line(s) 68,70 (click to see context) :
* DownloadableContent:
** The [=iOS=] version of ''BEAT'' currently has a level pack based on ''VOID''.
** ''[=Runner2=]'' has additional characters from other games in the Good Friends Character Pack, consisting of [[VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}} Razputin]], [[VideoGame/CaveStory Quote]], [[VideoGame/MeatBoy Doctor Fetus]], [[VideoGame/{{Machinarium}} Josef]], [[VideoGame/{{Spelunky}} Spelunky Guy]], and the Steam-exclusive [[VideoGame/{{Portal2}} Atlas]].
** The [=iOS=] version of ''BEAT'' currently has a level pack based on ''VOID''.
** ''[=Runner2=]'' has additional characters from other games in the Good Friends Character Pack, consisting of [[VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}} Razputin]], [[VideoGame/CaveStory Quote]], [[VideoGame/MeatBoy Doctor Fetus]], [[VideoGame/{{Machinarium}} Josef]], [[VideoGame/{{Spelunky}} Spelunky Guy]], and the Steam-exclusive [[VideoGame/{{Portal2}} Atlas]].
Deleted line(s) 74 (click to see context) :
* DroppedABridgeOnHim: In the first cutscene of ''FATE'' alone, [[spoiler:Radbot]] apparently stops working altogether, and his head splits apart, [[spoiler:revealing Mr. Robotube]].
Changed line(s) 79 (click to see context) from:
* EasyModeMockery: In ''RUNNER'', playing on Easy removes the gold and Retro Challenges, and makes it impossible to get a Perfect.
to:
Deleted line(s) 82,84 (click to see context) :
* TheEndOfTheBeginning: Level 1-10 of ''RUNNER'' is titled this. Later in the game, there are also stages titled "Middle of the Middle" and "Beginning of the End"
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: It's like an acid trip. And, somewhere, bits are involved. Made even more hilarious in ''FLUX'', which gets ''binary digits'' involved.
* FadeToWhite: At the end of ''FLUX''. You keep playing but ultimately have to stop because [[spoiler:you can't see (the beats and panel are both white in this game)]]. And then you hear [[spoiler:Transition start]].
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: It's like an acid trip. And, somewhere, bits are involved. Made even more hilarious in ''FLUX'', which gets ''binary digits'' involved.
* FadeToWhite: At the end of ''FLUX''. You keep playing but ultimately have to stop because [[spoiler:you can't see (the beats and panel are both white in this game)]]. And then you hear [[spoiler:Transition start]].
Deleted line(s) 87 (click to see context) :
* FlashOfPain: The enemies in ''FATE'' flash red when hit.
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* HitboxDissonance: In ''FATE'', bullets pass through [=CommanderVideo=] unless they hit his Core.
to:
Deleted line(s) 135,137 (click to see context) :
* PunctuatedForEmphasis:
** The end of ''VOID'' has [=CommanderVideo=] exclaiming, "I! Am! READY!"
** Also, Mingrawn Timbletot caps off ''RUNNER'' by darkly declaring, "You... are... not... a... ''man!''"
** The end of ''VOID'' has [=CommanderVideo=] exclaiming, "I! Am! READY!"
** Also, Mingrawn Timbletot caps off ''RUNNER'' by darkly declaring, "You... are... not... a... ''man!''"
Changed line(s) 140,142 (click to see context) from:
* RecurringBoss: Mingrawn Timbletot is fought twice in ''RUNNER'', and once in ''FATE''.
* {{Retraux}}: The base parts of the game have a pixel are style, and are reminiscent of Atari graphics. Anything not designed like that is made of voxels instead.
* RhythmGame: The games' genre is filed under "Retro Rhythm Action".
* {{Retraux}}: The base parts of the game have a pixel are style, and are reminiscent of Atari graphics. Anything not designed like that is made of voxels instead.
* RhythmGame: The games' genre is filed under "Retro Rhythm Action".
to:
* {{Retraux}}: The base parts of the game have a pixel are style, and are reminiscent of Atari graphics. Anything not designed like that is made of voxels instead.
* RhythmGame: The games' genre is filed under "Retro Rhythm Action".
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* SheatheYourSword: In an incredibly meta example, ''FLUX'' literally makes [[spoiler:the player do this at the end.]]
to:
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%%* SilentCredits: ''FLUX''.
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* UnexpectedGameplayChange: ''BEAT'' has you playing a game of ''VideoGame/BreakOut'' for one boss and an ''authentic game of VideoGame/{{Pong}}'' for another, at which points the rhythm aspect of the game would be completely set aside. Though if you listen closely, the bouncing of the ball from the walls and paddles does kinda follow the rhythm.
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!!BEAT:
* AlternateRealityGame: The PC version of ''BEAT'' is one of the Potato Sack: 13 indie games that form the bulk of the material of Creator/{{Valve|Software}}'s "[[http://valvearg.com/wiki/Valve_ARG_Wiki PotatoFoolsDay]]" ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'' ARG.
* AscendedGlitch: In ''BEAT'', hitting the pong ball with the corners of Player 2's paddle will cause the ball to gain way too much momentum and go haywire, making the final boss trivial to beat. When the game was patched, Gaijin specifically didn't fix the bug because it was a "cool advanced technique".
* CheckpointStarvation: ''BEAT'' and ''CORE'' completely lack checkpoints, and with each stage being at least 15 minutes long, you'll lose a lot of time if you get a game over. The other games lessen the blow of this; ''VOID'' and ''FLUX'' have checkpoints you can return to, and ''RUNNER'' and ''FATE'' have shorter stages that add up to the same amount of time as the standard three stages do.
* ColorCodedMultiplayer: Played straight in ''BEAT'' and ''CORE'', but averted in ''VOID'' (the players are identified by the number next to their Void instead). There was no multiplayer in ''RUNNER'', but it returns later in the series.
!!CORE:
* CheckpointStarvation: ''BEAT'' and ''CORE'' completely lack checkpoints, and with each stage being at least 15 minutes long, you'll lose a lot of time if you get a game over. The other games lessen the blow of this; ''VOID'' and ''FLUX'' have checkpoints you can return to, and ''RUNNER'' and ''FATE'' have shorter stages that add up to the same amount of time as the standard three stages do.
* ColorCodedMultiplayer: Played straight in ''BEAT'' and ''CORE'', but averted in ''VOID'' (the players are identified by the number next to their Void instead). There was no multiplayer in ''RUNNER'', but it returns later in the series.
!!VOID:
* ContinuingIsPainful: If you die in ''VOID'', you have the choice between accepting your current score for the high score list, or losing all your points to continue.
!!RUNNER:
* BonusStage: Collecting all pieces of gold in a stage in ''RUNNER'' will activate one at the end of said stage.
* ChekhovsGunman: In ''RUNNER'', Junior Melchkin, Radbot, and VideoGame/MeatBoy each appear in the background once (the former two appearing in the levels named after themselves, the latter in "Gall Blaster"). Eventually, they all show up in "The Source", assisting in [=CommanderVideo=]'s RoofHopping. [=CommandgirlVideo=] also shows up in this level, though it isn't until after the level that [=CommanderVideo=] takes notice...
** Mingrawn Timbletot, also introduced in ''RUNNER'', first shows up in Impetus as a normal boss, and most players are probably going to forget about him. Then he shows up as Triumph's boss, and the game's ending makes it clear that he's the BigBad for the rest of the series.
!!FATE:
* BulletHell: ''BEAT'' and ''CORE'' are rare inversions where you must ''hit'' all the dots instead of dodging them. In ''VOID'' and ''FLUX'', you have to do ''both''. The final boss in ''VOID'' is also a textbook example of classic Bullet Hell. ''FATE'' is the straightest example, being an actual shoot 'em up, complete with tiny hitbox.
!!FLUX:
* AWinnerIsYou: Parodied at the end of [[spoiler:''FLUX'']]: You are presented with [[spoiler:a GAME OVER screen]].
* BackForTheFinale: ''FLUX'' has many gameplay elements from all five of the previous games:
** From ''BEAT'': The core gameplay.
** From ''CORE'': Some of the power-ups.
** From ''VOID'': The inclusion of checkpoints and Beats that harm you if you try to repel them.
** From ''RUNNER'': Multiplier based on power level.
** From ''FATE'': Messages that fly by in the background of each stage segment.
* BookEnds:
** The first and last games of the series, ''BEAT'' and ''FLUX'' respectively, have identical controls, but on opposite ends of the screen.
** The last background image seen in ''FLUX'' is [[spoiler:the giant blue ball that represents a heartbeat at the very beginning of ''BEAT'']]. [[spoiler:The comet from said song]] also makes an appearance as [[spoiler:it flies back to the blue ball]].
** The last level in [[spoiler:"FLUX", called Catharsis,]] uses the background from [[spoiler:the first level of "BEAT"]], except the imagery is updated, has some minor changes [[spoiler:(The Giant Ball is moved to the epilogue)]], and the imagery is played backwards.
** Every song in ''FLUX'' is based upon Transition, the first song in ''BEAT'', in some way. The opening theme is based upon Growth, the third song in ''BEAT'', as well as "Move to Intercept", the menu theme of that game (made by the same guy).
* CallBack: In the background of ''FLUX'' are the level names and other statements from previous games in the series, representing [[spoiler:[=CommanderVideo=] reflecting on his experiences]].
!![=RUNNER2=]:
* BonusStage: Collecting all pieces of gold in a stage in ''RUNNER'' will activate one at the end of said stage.
!![=RUNNER3=]:
* BonusStage: Collecting all pieces of gold in a stage in ''RUNNER'' will activate one at the end of said stage.
!!SAGA:
* ArchEnemy: Mingrawn Timbletot is this to [=CommanderVideo=]. [[spoiler:To a point where the commander wants him dead even if he'll also die in the process.]]
* ArcWords: "I am only a man"
%%** CallForward: Some of the names are those of later stages in ''FLUX'', possibly to reinforce the non-linearity of time in the ethereal.
%%* CharacterDevelopment: [=CommanderVideo=] throughout the series.
%%
%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
%%
* CoOpMultiplayer: With four players in ''BEAT'' and ''VOID'' and two players in ''CORE'', ''FATE'', and ''FLUX''. ''BEAT'', ''CORE'', ''VOID'', and ''FLUX'' are all individual-style, while ''FATE'' is assistant-style. Averted in ''RUNNER'' for storyline reasons and averted completely in ''SAGA'', likely out of space concerns.
* CosmeticAward: The "PERFECT!" acknowledgment on the scoreboard. This does extend to real life as getting the elusive title gives you [[http://commandervideo.com/perfects.html name recognition on the official site]].
%%* CrapsackWorld: [[CrapSaccharineWorld Triumph]] in ''RUNNER'', and all of ''FATE''.
%%* {{Crossover}}: VideoGame/MeatBoy and Mr. Robotube.
* DarkerAndEdgier: ''FATE''. The environments are considerably emptier and darker, the music is more sparse and generally deeper and less energetic, the game is more action-based with less rhythm elements, and the plot focuses on [=CommanderVideo=]'s SanitySlippage while trying to fight through Timbletot's forces.
* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: In ''RUNNER'', hitting an obstacle just sends you back to the start of the (rather short) level. You even get an [[CosmeticAward achievement]] for exploiting this:
-->'''EVERYONE.PLAYED [[{{Videogame/Braid}} BRAID]]'''
-->Bonk after missing a Gold Bar to rewind time and try again
* DifficultyLevels: The UsefulNotes/{{iOS|Games}}, PC and ''COMPLETE'' versions have an Easy Mode and a Hard Mode, which influence how fast the meters going both ways fill.
* DistaffCounterpart: [=CommanderVideo=] gets one in ''RUNNER''. She's even named "[=CommandgirlVideo=]".
* DownloadableContent:
** The [=iOS=] version of ''BEAT'' currently has a level pack based on ''VOID''.
** ''[=Runner2=]'' has additional characters from other games in the Good Friends Character Pack, consisting of [[VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}} Razputin]], [[VideoGame/CaveStory Quote]], [[VideoGame/MeatBoy Doctor Fetus]], [[VideoGame/{{Machinarium}} Josef]], [[VideoGame/{{Spelunky}} Spelunky Guy]], and the Steam-exclusive [[VideoGame/{{Portal2}} Atlas]].
* DownerEnding:
** ''FATE'' is the clearest one, ending with [[spoiler:[=CommanderVideo=]'s rage getting the best of him, causing him to sacrifice himself just to finish off Timbletot. The Commander's friends weep as his ghost floats off to start the events of ''FLUX''.]]
** [[spoiler:''FLUX'']] somewhat as well; the final scene [[spoiler:of the series]] has the Commander [[spoiler:forgetting even himself]], but then again there's that bit of [[RecurringRiff "Transition"]] that pops up.
* DroppedABridgeOnHim: In the first cutscene of ''FATE'' alone, [[spoiler:Radbot]] apparently stops working altogether, and his head splits apart, [[spoiler:revealing Mr. Robotube]].
* EasterEgg:
** There's actually a GameOver in ''RUNNER'', though it requires a completely EpicFail on your part. It involves not jumping when you have to [[spoiler:GoombaStomp the final boss]].
** You can play random notes in all the games by pressing a button that isn't used for any purpose in that game.
* EasyLevelsHardBosses: ''VOID'' and ''FATE'' have harder bosses than levels.
* EasyModeMockery: In ''RUNNER'', playing on Easy removes the gold and Retro Challenges, and makes it impossible to get a Perfect.
* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows: ''BIT.TRIP''[='=]s rainbow has a distinctly different color arrangement.
* EverythingsBetterWithSparkles: As you Mode Up in ''RUNNER'', [=CommanderVideo=] will leave behind a trail of sparkles, which eventually becomes his distinctive rainbow trail.
* TheEndOfTheBeginning: Level 1-10 of ''RUNNER'' is titled this. Later in the game, there are also stages titled "Middle of the Middle" and "Beginning of the End"
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: It's like an acid trip. And, somewhere, bits are involved. Made even more hilarious in ''FLUX'', which gets ''binary digits'' involved.
* FadeToWhite: At the end of ''FLUX''. You keep playing but ultimately have to stop because [[spoiler:you can't see (the beats and panel are both white in this game)]]. And then you hear [[spoiler:Transition start]].
* FinalExamBoss: ''CORE'''s final boss is essentially a test of how well you remembered specific patterns in all of the levels.
%%* FiveManBand: TheStinger in ''RUNNER'' pretty much solidifies it.
* FlashOfPain: The enemies in ''FATE'' flash red when hit.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: The explanatory letters in COMPLETE reveal that [[spoiler:the ghostly figures in the first level of ''BEAT'' are dead members of [=CommanderVideo=]'s species, returning to where they came from. This is exactly what he does in ''FLUX''.]]
* GetBackHereBoss: The final boss of ''RUNNER'' has you chasing Timbletot over roof buildings, until you reach a spring at the very end [[spoiler:that allows [=CommanderVideo=] to GoombaStomp him]].
* GoombaStomp: How [=CommanderVideo=] defeats [[spoiler:the final boss in ''RUNNER''.]]
* HardLevelsEasyBosses: ''BEAT'', ''RUNNER'' and ''FLUX'' have easier bosses than levels; ''RUNNER'' even makes it more or less impossible to not get a perfect on them. ''[=Runner3=]'' makes them even easier, giving you a checkpoint each time you hit the boss [[spoiler:except for the Timbletot, whose fight still has multiple checkpoints but is much longer]]. WordOfGod for the last game is that "boss battles should favor spectacle over challenge".
* HardModePerks: In ''FLUX'', playing on Hard increases the amount of Beats missed required to drop a level. This was the result of a bug in ''COMPLETE'', and does not appear in other versions.
%%* TheHeroDies: Commandergirl Video cries for you
* HeWhoFightsMonsters; ''FATE'' focuses on how [=CommanderVideo=]'s increasing anger at Timbletot is causing him to forget his belief in ThePowerOfLove. [[spoiler:By the end of the game, he is hell-bent on killing Timbletot, even if it means killing himself in the process]].
* HitboxDissonance: In ''FATE'', bullets pass through [=CommanderVideo=] unless they hit his Core.
* {{Homage}}:
** The boss of each song simulates an old UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} or Arcade game. ''BEAT'' had a sideways game of ''VideoGame/BreakOut'' and an ''actual game of VideoGame/{{Pong}} against an AI'', and ''CORE'' had strange versions of ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'' and ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}''.
** Each stage in ''RUNNER'' has a respective [[BonusStage "retro stage"]] that resembles VideoGame/{{Pitfall}}.
* TheHomewardJourney: The premise of ''FLUX''; [[spoiler:A dead [=CommanderVideo=] returning to the place where he started life]].
* HundredPercentCompletion:
** It's a little known fact that hitting ''all'' the beats in a single song will get you acknowledgment at the score screen. Though, it's no surprise not many people have seen it.
** ''COMPLETE'' has a hundred and twenty Challenges (twenty in each game) to play through. It also has plenty of unlockables... of which the Songs require you to get Perfects.
* IdiosyncraticComboLevels: The music in each game changes slightly depending on combo, in addition to the names of the extra modes, which banana slamma in sequence based on some level of combo. NETHER is the lowest, HYPER is normal, then MEGA, SUPER, ULTRA, EXTRA, GIGA, and META, with SUPER onwards being added in each subsequent game.
* InterfaceScrew:
** The trippy background images are enough to distract you from the field of play. This is completely intentional.
** In the "Challenge" portions of ''BEAT'', ''CORE'', ''VOID'', and ''FLUX'', your paddle is shrunk down to half-size, your Control Stick is reversed, or you have to ''rotate the actual controller 90 degrees around the Control Pad to match what's onscreen''.
* LargeHam: [=CommanderVideo=] himself. Listen closely in ''RUNNER'' and ''FATE''. [=CommanderVideo=] announces the mode he transitions to.
--->NETHER. HYPER. MEGA! SUPER! ULTRA! EXTRA!! GIGA!!!
* LeitMotif:
** An identical-sounding heartbeat-like bass track is present in many of the series' songs, including Transition, Control, Id, and nearly everything in ''RUNNER''.
** [=CommanderVideo=] has a theme song that plays in the first world of RUNNER, [[spoiler:the end of ''FATE'' and the final level of ''FLUX''.]] The distinctive first four notes play in varying orders in the first level of ''BEAT'' and [[spoiler:in the first cutscene of ''FLUX'']]. All of ''FLUX''[='s=] level songs are based around [[spoiler:''BEAT''[='s=] first level's music]]. On ''FLUX''[='s=] full soundtrack, the notes play in the correct order one last time [[spoiler:at the very, very end.]]
%%* LoveAtFirstSight: [=CommanderVideo=] and [=CommandgirlVideo=].
* MindScrew: The ''whole freaking thing''. The first game's story is about [=CommanderVideo=] flying through space, exploring the inside of a planet, and then... uh... building a brain out of voxels. The second game is about [=CommanderVideo=] meeting other people, exploring a city with them, and then acquiring independence from them. The third game had [=CommanderVideo=] [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever growing in size]] and harassing the populace until they combine themselves into an even bigger giant, at which point the Commander is intimidated down to size and [[DefeatMeansFriendship decides to make amends with the others]]. What does it all mean? Your guess is as good as mine. Fortunately, starting with ''BIT.TRIP RUNNER'', the series stopped messing with people's minds for the most part and showed them what's really going on. At least until ''FLUX'', where the game returns to oblique symbolic metaphors, once again leaving everyone clueless.
* MindScrewdriver:
** The readme files for the soundtracks have some interesting hints: that ''BEAT'' is about [=CommanderVideo=]'s "aural journey from the ethereal to the corporeal", that ''CORE'' is about his "aural soul quest as he transitions into the land of the tactile", that ''VOID'' is about his "aural soul quest as he learns what it means to interact with others", and that ''RUNNER'' is about him "tak[ing] the world by storm." Indeed, if the story is considered to be a chronicle of a man's existence, [[WMG/BitTrip a lot of things suddenly start to make sense.]]
** Alex Neuse, the game's creator, has confirmed that Commander Video's story is about the development of human life.
* MinecartMadness: ''RUNNER'' and [=Runner2=] have continuous moving and obstacles to avoid and things to collect, despite not involving mines or carts.
* MusicalGameplay:
** Hitting the Beats (or doing successful actions in ''RUNNER'' or downing enemies in ''FATE'') makes beeping noises that contributes to the music.
** In ''BEAT'' and ''FLUX'', stereo is utilized by playing one blip on your paddle's side when it hits, then another on the other side when it goes off-screen.
* MusicalNod: "Transition" from ''BEAT'' briefly plays during the opening to ''RUNNER''[='=]s "Triumph" stage. A bit from the "Concept" cutscene from ''BEAT'' also plays in the cutscene after "Triumph".
* NintendoHard:
%%** Hmm, would ''Atari'' Hard count?
** There's a very good reason why they go through the trouble of including everyone who's ever gotten a "PERFECT!" on a stage on their website.
** Of all of the games, ''FATE'' and ''CORE'' are quite a bit harder than the rest.
* OneHitPointWonder:
** Subverted in ''RUNNER'', where [=CommanderVideo=] can only take one hit, but is merely sent to the beginning of the stage.
** Unless you miss the final spring in the last level, after which you get to watch the Commander twitch on the ground until the GameOver screen pops up.
* PixelHunt:
** Happens often with Beats due to the InterfaceScrew. And you only have about half a second to catch sight of that little thing anyways.
** Possibly made worse in ''FLUX'' since every single beat is the same color--white. (However, given that the background gets increasingly bright and colorful with each Mode, this can become a bit of a mercy.) They ''do'' have a faint colored glow around each one, but good luck seeing which one's which.
* PowerOfLove: The Commander and his team believe this fighting Mingrawn Timbletot. During ''FATE'', the Commander [[spoiler:abandons his ideals and kills both himself and Mingrawn Timbletot in a rage]].
* ProductPlacement:
** NULLSLEEP's logo appears as part of Super-Ego's beat pattern in ''VOID'', accompanied by the word NULLSLEEP passing by in the background.
* PunctuatedForEmphasis:
** The end of ''VOID'' has [=CommanderVideo=] exclaiming, "I! Am! READY!"
** Also, Mingrawn Timbletot caps off ''RUNNER'' by darkly declaring, "You... are... not... a... ''man!''"
* RailShooter: Literally in ''FATE'' -- [=CommanderVideo=] is on a rail, and you control both him and a crosshair.
* RayGun: Most prominently in ''FATE'', coming in many forms depending on what wingmate powerup you have and your Mode; (though not with sound effects or (except in a [[FrickinLaserBeams few cases]]) traditional "laser weapon" looks) the enemies use this as well. [[BulletHell Gratuitously.]]
* RecurringBoss: Mingrawn Timbletot is fought twice in ''RUNNER'', and once in ''FATE''.
* {{Retraux}}: The base parts of the game have a pixel are style, and are reminiscent of Atari graphics. Anything not designed like that is made of voxels instead.
* RhythmGame: The games' genre is filed under "Retro Rhythm Action".
* RobotBuddy: Radbot and Mr. Robotube both.
* {{Roofhopping}}: Present in ''RUNNER''. [[http://www.bitmob.com/articles/origin-stories-bittrip-runner According to this review]], this was going to be the entirety of "Triumph", but the guys at Gaijin discovered ''VideoGame/{{Canabalt}}'' and relocated most of the action to the streets of the capital, only hitting the roofs at the very last level.
* RuleOfThree: There are three songs in each game: ''BEAT'' had "Transition", "Descent", and "Growth"; ''CORE'' had "Discovery", "Exploration", and "Control"; ''VOID'' had "Id", "Ego", and "Super-Ego"; ''RUNNER'' had "Impetus", "Tenacity", and "Triumph"; ''FATE'' has [[ThisIsGonnaSuck "Patience", "Frustration", and "Anger"]]; and ''FLUX'' had "Epiphany", "Perception" and "Catharsis".
* RunningGag: [[http://www.vimeo.com/2576444 "I am only a man!"]] seems to be this:
** Seen in Triumph are posters with cats that read "I am only a cat." It's actually available as fan-made merchandise.
** From the [=PotatoFoolsDay=] level "<test>":
--->[[spoiler:[[VideoGame/{{Portal}} GLaDos]]]]: "You are only human."
** "I Am Only a Man" is a title of one of the songs from ''[=Runner2=]''.
* ScareChord: While you are playing the first two levels in ''FATE'', a startlingly loud sound is heard accompanied by either a bleak message like "NO FUTURE" or "NO MEANING", or the level's boss, and the song itself moves onto its next part. The same thing happens in the other four levels, only the sound isn't abruptly loud.
* SchizophrenicDifficulty: Granted you play multiple times, some parts will become simple, while others will screw you up every damn time. For specific examples of levels, see the BreatherLevel and ThatOneLevel examples.
* ScoringPoints: One of the taglines for ''BEAT'' was "Points matter again". (Though, for rhythm games, didn't they always?)
* SequelDifficultySpike: Thoroughly averted. They're ''all'' hard.
* SequelEscalation: Each game so far adds a new Mode to Mode Up into. Nether, Hyper, and Mega Modes were the first ones featured in ''BEAT'', then ''CORE'' added Super Mode, followed by Ultra Mode in ''VOID'', Extra Mode in ''RUNNER'', Giga Mode in ''FATE'', and finally Meta Mode in ''FLUX''. Yet another instance of the games' IdiosyncraticComboLevels.
* SequelHook:
** The first two games had these as {{Meaningful Background Event}}s, as a Core and a Void both popped up towards the end of the final levels in ''BEAT'' and ''CORE'', respectively. The third game had [=CommanderVideo=] running [[SuperSpeed increasingly fast]] in TheStinger of ''VOID'' to tie into ''RUNNER''. As well as the subsequent "[[LargeHam I..am... READY!!]]" following said running.
** The floating bricks and the flapping birds/bats in the background near the end of ''VOID'' also hold significance to both ''RUNNER'' and ''FATE''. (They're similar to the flies around the garbage seen in Triumph for ''RUNNER''.)
** The fourth game had the FiveManBand shown in TheStinger confronting an angry Mingrawn Timbletot, who flies away screaming "YOU ARE NOT A MAN!"
** And the fifth game has [=CommanderVideo=] becoming a spirit and rising up offscreen, ready to AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence and begin TheHomewardJourney. No dialogue here, unlike the others.
** The sixth game has [[spoiler:a sequence called "Home" played after completing Catharsis, where you are able to, interspersedly, hit the same sequence of Beats from the very beginning of Transition from ''BEAT'', in the same order]]. Seeing as the game's story goes in a circle, this could count as a SequelHook of sorts.
** RUNNER 2 sets up FATE, with Commander Video [[spoiler:becoming increasingly angered at Mingrawn Timbletot]], and having his visor turn red after [[spoiler:escaping the alternate universe he's been trapped in for fifteen months (although it appeared that he was only gone for a split second to everyone else.)]]
* SheatheYourSword: In an incredibly meta example, ''FLUX'' literally makes [[spoiler:the player do this at the end.]]
* ShoutOut: The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arecibo_message Arecibo message]] makes an appearance in the first level in ''BEAT'' (but with [=CommanderVideo=] replacing the human figure). It also makes a brief appearance in the final level of ''FLUX''.
** ''BEAT'''s second and third bosses are games of ''VideoGame/{{Breakout}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Pong}}'' respectively.
** ''CORE'''s second and third bosses are based on ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'' and ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}'' respectively.
** ''VOID'''s first and second bosses are based on ''VideoGame/SpyHunter'' and ''VideoGame/PacMan'' respectively.
** ''RUNNER'' has the level names [[Franchise/TombRaider Crater Raider]] and [[VideoGame/SewerShark Sewer Snark]].
** [=CommanderVideo=]'s form in the cutscenes of ''FLUX'' resembles the freeform pointer of the UsefulNotes/MagnavoxOdyssey.
%%* SilentCredits: ''FLUX''.
* SomeDexterityRequired: While the controls are simple enough, the ''things the game makes you do with them'' can only be described as combos from hell. Add to that the fact that ''BEAT'' and ''FLUX'' use non-optional motion controls- the muscle memory has to be all in your wrists.
* SpecialGuest: Each game has a chiptune artist that provides the menu and credits songs. Both ''BEAT'' and ''FLUX'' have [[http://bit.shifter.net/ Bit Shifter]] (he only made the menu music for the latter, however, as it has SilentCredits instead), ''CORE'' has [[http://www.bubblyfish.com Bubblyfish]], ''VOID'' has [[http://www.nullsleep.com Nullsleep]], ''RUNNER'' has Music/{{Anamanaguchi}}, and ''FATE'' has [[http://www.minusbaby.com/ Minusbaby]].
* {{Spinoff}}: ''[[http://robotubegames.com/bittonik-blip-fest-09-gaijinrobotube-battle-brands BIT.TONIK]]'', a collaboration between Gaijin Games and Robotube Games, made in a single day during Blip Fest 2009 in what was called the "[[http://www.gaijingames.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/blipfestflyer.jpg BATTLE OF THE BRANDS]]". The gameplay is essentially a crossover of ''BIT.TRIP BEAT'' and ''Bloktonik''. The ObviousBeta version available is what they managed to get done in a single day.
* SpringsSpringsEverywhere: In ''RUNNER''.
* SpritePolygonMix: The playing field is simple 2D, the backgrounds are all 3D environments. (Except for ''VOID'', but its cutscenes still feature them.) Averted in ''RUNNER''[='=]s Retro Stages, which are solely 2D.
%%* SuicideAttack: [[spoiler:[=CommaderVideo=]'s FinishingMove on the Mingrawn Timbletot]] in ''FATE''.
%%* TakingYouWithMe
* TertiarySexualCharacteristics: [=CommandgirlVideo=] is a pink [=CommanderVideo=] with a box and mole. That's all for differences between them. This doesn't apply in ''[=Runner2=]'', however.
* TennisBoss:
** The final boss of FLUX has you playing tennis with [[spoiler:a full-screen enemy paddle... or, arguably, fighting ''yourself'' as the final boss.]]
%%** The final boss of ''BEAT'', and the first boss of ''FLUX''.
* ThemeNaming: Every game name except ''RUNNER'' and ''COMPLETE'' is only 4 characters long. In addition, most of them are pretty descriptive of gameplay: ''RUNNER'' is about... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin running]], ''VOID'' has you controlling a movable black hole, and so on.
* TonightSomeoneDies: ''FATE'' seems to have this going on -- even [[http://www.bittripgame.com/images/box-FATE.png the WiiWare icon for the game]] has BlackBlood dripping from it. And for even more credence, ''RUNNER''[='=]s [[TheStinger stinger]] had the BigBad [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI21HtsIzic wishing death upon CommanderVideo]]. And [[spoiler:the Commander does die]] at the end of the game [[spoiler:in a Suicide Attack]].
* UnexpectedGameplayChange: ''BEAT'' has you playing a game of ''VideoGame/BreakOut'' for one boss and an ''authentic game of VideoGame/{{Pong}}'' for another, at which points the rhythm aspect of the game would be completely set aside. Though if you listen closely, the bouncing of the ball from the walls and paddles does kinda follow the rhythm.
* VariableMix:
** The music gets a techno beat if you're in "Mega" mode (and above). If you go down to "Nether" mode, the music is turned off completely.
** In games after ''BEAT'', "Nether" has a metronome to help you out.
** In ''FLUX'', the music doesn't change, but instead the instrument used when Beats hit the paddle and leave the screen change - all the way up to a ''violin'' in Meta mode.
* AlternateRealityGame: The PC version of ''BEAT'' is one of the Potato Sack: 13 indie games that form the bulk of the material of Creator/{{Valve|Software}}'s "[[http://valvearg.com/wiki/Valve_ARG_Wiki PotatoFoolsDay]]" ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'' ARG.
* AscendedGlitch: In ''BEAT'', hitting the pong ball with the corners of Player 2's paddle will cause the ball to gain way too much momentum and go haywire, making the final boss trivial to beat. When the game was patched, Gaijin specifically didn't fix the bug because it was a "cool advanced technique".
* CheckpointStarvation: ''BEAT'' and ''CORE'' completely lack checkpoints, and with each stage being at least 15 minutes long, you'll lose a lot of time if you get a game over. The other games lessen the blow of this; ''VOID'' and ''FLUX'' have checkpoints you can return to, and ''RUNNER'' and ''FATE'' have shorter stages that add up to the same amount of time as the standard three stages do.
* ColorCodedMultiplayer: Played straight in ''BEAT'' and ''CORE'', but averted in ''VOID'' (the players are identified by the number next to their Void instead). There was no multiplayer in ''RUNNER'', but it returns later in the series.
!!CORE:
* CheckpointStarvation: ''BEAT'' and ''CORE'' completely lack checkpoints, and with each stage being at least 15 minutes long, you'll lose a lot of time if you get a game over. The other games lessen the blow of this; ''VOID'' and ''FLUX'' have checkpoints you can return to, and ''RUNNER'' and ''FATE'' have shorter stages that add up to the same amount of time as the standard three stages do.
* ColorCodedMultiplayer: Played straight in ''BEAT'' and ''CORE'', but averted in ''VOID'' (the players are identified by the number next to their Void instead). There was no multiplayer in ''RUNNER'', but it returns later in the series.
!!VOID:
* ContinuingIsPainful: If you die in ''VOID'', you have the choice between accepting your current score for the high score list, or losing all your points to continue.
!!RUNNER:
* BonusStage: Collecting all pieces of gold in a stage in ''RUNNER'' will activate one at the end of said stage.
* ChekhovsGunman: In ''RUNNER'', Junior Melchkin, Radbot, and VideoGame/MeatBoy each appear in the background once (the former two appearing in the levels named after themselves, the latter in "Gall Blaster"). Eventually, they all show up in "The Source", assisting in [=CommanderVideo=]'s RoofHopping. [=CommandgirlVideo=] also shows up in this level, though it isn't until after the level that [=CommanderVideo=] takes notice...
** Mingrawn Timbletot, also introduced in ''RUNNER'', first shows up in Impetus as a normal boss, and most players are probably going to forget about him. Then he shows up as Triumph's boss, and the game's ending makes it clear that he's the BigBad for the rest of the series.
!!FATE:
* BulletHell: ''BEAT'' and ''CORE'' are rare inversions where you must ''hit'' all the dots instead of dodging them. In ''VOID'' and ''FLUX'', you have to do ''both''. The final boss in ''VOID'' is also a textbook example of classic Bullet Hell. ''FATE'' is the straightest example, being an actual shoot 'em up, complete with tiny hitbox.
!!FLUX:
* AWinnerIsYou: Parodied at the end of [[spoiler:''FLUX'']]: You are presented with [[spoiler:a GAME OVER screen]].
* BackForTheFinale: ''FLUX'' has many gameplay elements from all five of the previous games:
** From ''BEAT'': The core gameplay.
** From ''CORE'': Some of the power-ups.
** From ''VOID'': The inclusion of checkpoints and Beats that harm you if you try to repel them.
** From ''RUNNER'': Multiplier based on power level.
** From ''FATE'': Messages that fly by in the background of each stage segment.
* BookEnds:
** The first and last games of the series, ''BEAT'' and ''FLUX'' respectively, have identical controls, but on opposite ends of the screen.
** The last background image seen in ''FLUX'' is [[spoiler:the giant blue ball that represents a heartbeat at the very beginning of ''BEAT'']]. [[spoiler:The comet from said song]] also makes an appearance as [[spoiler:it flies back to the blue ball]].
** The last level in [[spoiler:"FLUX", called Catharsis,]] uses the background from [[spoiler:the first level of "BEAT"]], except the imagery is updated, has some minor changes [[spoiler:(The Giant Ball is moved to the epilogue)]], and the imagery is played backwards.
** Every song in ''FLUX'' is based upon Transition, the first song in ''BEAT'', in some way. The opening theme is based upon Growth, the third song in ''BEAT'', as well as "Move to Intercept", the menu theme of that game (made by the same guy).
* CallBack: In the background of ''FLUX'' are the level names and other statements from previous games in the series, representing [[spoiler:[=CommanderVideo=] reflecting on his experiences]].
!![=RUNNER2=]:
* BonusStage: Collecting all pieces of gold in a stage in ''RUNNER'' will activate one at the end of said stage.
!![=RUNNER3=]:
* BonusStage: Collecting all pieces of gold in a stage in ''RUNNER'' will activate one at the end of said stage.
!!SAGA:
* ArchEnemy: Mingrawn Timbletot is this to [=CommanderVideo=]. [[spoiler:To a point where the commander wants him dead even if he'll also die in the process.]]
* ArcWords: "I am only a man"
%%** CallForward: Some of the names are those of later stages in ''FLUX'', possibly to reinforce the non-linearity of time in the ethereal.
%%* CharacterDevelopment: [=CommanderVideo=] throughout the series.
%%
%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
%%
* CoOpMultiplayer: With four players in ''BEAT'' and ''VOID'' and two players in ''CORE'', ''FATE'', and ''FLUX''. ''BEAT'', ''CORE'', ''VOID'', and ''FLUX'' are all individual-style, while ''FATE'' is assistant-style. Averted in ''RUNNER'' for storyline reasons and averted completely in ''SAGA'', likely out of space concerns.
* CosmeticAward: The "PERFECT!" acknowledgment on the scoreboard. This does extend to real life as getting the elusive title gives you [[http://commandervideo.com/perfects.html name recognition on the official site]].
%%* CrapsackWorld: [[CrapSaccharineWorld Triumph]] in ''RUNNER'', and all of ''FATE''.
%%* {{Crossover}}: VideoGame/MeatBoy and Mr. Robotube.
* DarkerAndEdgier: ''FATE''. The environments are considerably emptier and darker, the music is more sparse and generally deeper and less energetic, the game is more action-based with less rhythm elements, and the plot focuses on [=CommanderVideo=]'s SanitySlippage while trying to fight through Timbletot's forces.
* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: In ''RUNNER'', hitting an obstacle just sends you back to the start of the (rather short) level. You even get an [[CosmeticAward achievement]] for exploiting this:
-->'''EVERYONE.PLAYED [[{{Videogame/Braid}} BRAID]]'''
-->Bonk after missing a Gold Bar to rewind time and try again
* DifficultyLevels: The UsefulNotes/{{iOS|Games}}, PC and ''COMPLETE'' versions have an Easy Mode and a Hard Mode, which influence how fast the meters going both ways fill.
* DistaffCounterpart: [=CommanderVideo=] gets one in ''RUNNER''. She's even named "[=CommandgirlVideo=]".
* DownloadableContent:
** The [=iOS=] version of ''BEAT'' currently has a level pack based on ''VOID''.
** ''[=Runner2=]'' has additional characters from other games in the Good Friends Character Pack, consisting of [[VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}} Razputin]], [[VideoGame/CaveStory Quote]], [[VideoGame/MeatBoy Doctor Fetus]], [[VideoGame/{{Machinarium}} Josef]], [[VideoGame/{{Spelunky}} Spelunky Guy]], and the Steam-exclusive [[VideoGame/{{Portal2}} Atlas]].
* DownerEnding:
** ''FATE'' is the clearest one, ending with [[spoiler:[=CommanderVideo=]'s rage getting the best of him, causing him to sacrifice himself just to finish off Timbletot. The Commander's friends weep as his ghost floats off to start the events of ''FLUX''.]]
** [[spoiler:''FLUX'']] somewhat as well; the final scene [[spoiler:of the series]] has the Commander [[spoiler:forgetting even himself]], but then again there's that bit of [[RecurringRiff "Transition"]] that pops up.
* DroppedABridgeOnHim: In the first cutscene of ''FATE'' alone, [[spoiler:Radbot]] apparently stops working altogether, and his head splits apart, [[spoiler:revealing Mr. Robotube]].
* EasterEgg:
** There's actually a GameOver in ''RUNNER'', though it requires a completely EpicFail on your part. It involves not jumping when you have to [[spoiler:GoombaStomp the final boss]].
** You can play random notes in all the games by pressing a button that isn't used for any purpose in that game.
* EasyLevelsHardBosses: ''VOID'' and ''FATE'' have harder bosses than levels.
* EasyModeMockery: In ''RUNNER'', playing on Easy removes the gold and Retro Challenges, and makes it impossible to get a Perfect.
* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows: ''BIT.TRIP''[='=]s rainbow has a distinctly different color arrangement.
* EverythingsBetterWithSparkles: As you Mode Up in ''RUNNER'', [=CommanderVideo=] will leave behind a trail of sparkles, which eventually becomes his distinctive rainbow trail.
* TheEndOfTheBeginning: Level 1-10 of ''RUNNER'' is titled this. Later in the game, there are also stages titled "Middle of the Middle" and "Beginning of the End"
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: It's like an acid trip. And, somewhere, bits are involved. Made even more hilarious in ''FLUX'', which gets ''binary digits'' involved.
* FadeToWhite: At the end of ''FLUX''. You keep playing but ultimately have to stop because [[spoiler:you can't see (the beats and panel are both white in this game)]]. And then you hear [[spoiler:Transition start]].
* FinalExamBoss: ''CORE'''s final boss is essentially a test of how well you remembered specific patterns in all of the levels.
%%* FiveManBand: TheStinger in ''RUNNER'' pretty much solidifies it.
* FlashOfPain: The enemies in ''FATE'' flash red when hit.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: The explanatory letters in COMPLETE reveal that [[spoiler:the ghostly figures in the first level of ''BEAT'' are dead members of [=CommanderVideo=]'s species, returning to where they came from. This is exactly what he does in ''FLUX''.]]
* GetBackHereBoss: The final boss of ''RUNNER'' has you chasing Timbletot over roof buildings, until you reach a spring at the very end [[spoiler:that allows [=CommanderVideo=] to GoombaStomp him]].
* GoombaStomp: How [=CommanderVideo=] defeats [[spoiler:the final boss in ''RUNNER''.]]
* HardLevelsEasyBosses: ''BEAT'', ''RUNNER'' and ''FLUX'' have easier bosses than levels; ''RUNNER'' even makes it more or less impossible to not get a perfect on them. ''[=Runner3=]'' makes them even easier, giving you a checkpoint each time you hit the boss [[spoiler:except for the Timbletot, whose fight still has multiple checkpoints but is much longer]]. WordOfGod for the last game is that "boss battles should favor spectacle over challenge".
* HardModePerks: In ''FLUX'', playing on Hard increases the amount of Beats missed required to drop a level. This was the result of a bug in ''COMPLETE'', and does not appear in other versions.
%%* TheHeroDies: Commandergirl Video cries for you
* HeWhoFightsMonsters; ''FATE'' focuses on how [=CommanderVideo=]'s increasing anger at Timbletot is causing him to forget his belief in ThePowerOfLove. [[spoiler:By the end of the game, he is hell-bent on killing Timbletot, even if it means killing himself in the process]].
* HitboxDissonance: In ''FATE'', bullets pass through [=CommanderVideo=] unless they hit his Core.
* {{Homage}}:
** The boss of each song simulates an old UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} or Arcade game. ''BEAT'' had a sideways game of ''VideoGame/BreakOut'' and an ''actual game of VideoGame/{{Pong}} against an AI'', and ''CORE'' had strange versions of ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'' and ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}''.
** Each stage in ''RUNNER'' has a respective [[BonusStage "retro stage"]] that resembles VideoGame/{{Pitfall}}.
* TheHomewardJourney: The premise of ''FLUX''; [[spoiler:A dead [=CommanderVideo=] returning to the place where he started life]].
* HundredPercentCompletion:
** It's a little known fact that hitting ''all'' the beats in a single song will get you acknowledgment at the score screen. Though, it's no surprise not many people have seen it.
** ''COMPLETE'' has a hundred and twenty Challenges (twenty in each game) to play through. It also has plenty of unlockables... of which the Songs require you to get Perfects.
* IdiosyncraticComboLevels: The music in each game changes slightly depending on combo, in addition to the names of the extra modes, which banana slamma in sequence based on some level of combo. NETHER is the lowest, HYPER is normal, then MEGA, SUPER, ULTRA, EXTRA, GIGA, and META, with SUPER onwards being added in each subsequent game.
* InterfaceScrew:
** The trippy background images are enough to distract you from the field of play. This is completely intentional.
** In the "Challenge" portions of ''BEAT'', ''CORE'', ''VOID'', and ''FLUX'', your paddle is shrunk down to half-size, your Control Stick is reversed, or you have to ''rotate the actual controller 90 degrees around the Control Pad to match what's onscreen''.
* LargeHam: [=CommanderVideo=] himself. Listen closely in ''RUNNER'' and ''FATE''. [=CommanderVideo=] announces the mode he transitions to.
--->NETHER. HYPER. MEGA! SUPER! ULTRA! EXTRA!! GIGA!!!
* LeitMotif:
** An identical-sounding heartbeat-like bass track is present in many of the series' songs, including Transition, Control, Id, and nearly everything in ''RUNNER''.
** [=CommanderVideo=] has a theme song that plays in the first world of RUNNER, [[spoiler:the end of ''FATE'' and the final level of ''FLUX''.]] The distinctive first four notes play in varying orders in the first level of ''BEAT'' and [[spoiler:in the first cutscene of ''FLUX'']]. All of ''FLUX''[='s=] level songs are based around [[spoiler:''BEAT''[='s=] first level's music]]. On ''FLUX''[='s=] full soundtrack, the notes play in the correct order one last time [[spoiler:at the very, very end.]]
%%* LoveAtFirstSight: [=CommanderVideo=] and [=CommandgirlVideo=].
* MindScrew: The ''whole freaking thing''. The first game's story is about [=CommanderVideo=] flying through space, exploring the inside of a planet, and then... uh... building a brain out of voxels. The second game is about [=CommanderVideo=] meeting other people, exploring a city with them, and then acquiring independence from them. The third game had [=CommanderVideo=] [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever growing in size]] and harassing the populace until they combine themselves into an even bigger giant, at which point the Commander is intimidated down to size and [[DefeatMeansFriendship decides to make amends with the others]]. What does it all mean? Your guess is as good as mine. Fortunately, starting with ''BIT.TRIP RUNNER'', the series stopped messing with people's minds for the most part and showed them what's really going on. At least until ''FLUX'', where the game returns to oblique symbolic metaphors, once again leaving everyone clueless.
* MindScrewdriver:
** The readme files for the soundtracks have some interesting hints: that ''BEAT'' is about [=CommanderVideo=]'s "aural journey from the ethereal to the corporeal", that ''CORE'' is about his "aural soul quest as he transitions into the land of the tactile", that ''VOID'' is about his "aural soul quest as he learns what it means to interact with others", and that ''RUNNER'' is about him "tak[ing] the world by storm." Indeed, if the story is considered to be a chronicle of a man's existence, [[WMG/BitTrip a lot of things suddenly start to make sense.]]
** Alex Neuse, the game's creator, has confirmed that Commander Video's story is about the development of human life.
* MinecartMadness: ''RUNNER'' and [=Runner2=] have continuous moving and obstacles to avoid and things to collect, despite not involving mines or carts.
* MusicalGameplay:
** Hitting the Beats (or doing successful actions in ''RUNNER'' or downing enemies in ''FATE'') makes beeping noises that contributes to the music.
** In ''BEAT'' and ''FLUX'', stereo is utilized by playing one blip on your paddle's side when it hits, then another on the other side when it goes off-screen.
* MusicalNod: "Transition" from ''BEAT'' briefly plays during the opening to ''RUNNER''[='=]s "Triumph" stage. A bit from the "Concept" cutscene from ''BEAT'' also plays in the cutscene after "Triumph".
* NintendoHard:
%%** Hmm, would ''Atari'' Hard count?
** There's a very good reason why they go through the trouble of including everyone who's ever gotten a "PERFECT!" on a stage on their website.
** Of all of the games, ''FATE'' and ''CORE'' are quite a bit harder than the rest.
* OneHitPointWonder:
** Subverted in ''RUNNER'', where [=CommanderVideo=] can only take one hit, but is merely sent to the beginning of the stage.
** Unless you miss the final spring in the last level, after which you get to watch the Commander twitch on the ground until the GameOver screen pops up.
* PixelHunt:
** Happens often with Beats due to the InterfaceScrew. And you only have about half a second to catch sight of that little thing anyways.
** Possibly made worse in ''FLUX'' since every single beat is the same color--white. (However, given that the background gets increasingly bright and colorful with each Mode, this can become a bit of a mercy.) They ''do'' have a faint colored glow around each one, but good luck seeing which one's which.
* PowerOfLove: The Commander and his team believe this fighting Mingrawn Timbletot. During ''FATE'', the Commander [[spoiler:abandons his ideals and kills both himself and Mingrawn Timbletot in a rage]].
* ProductPlacement:
** NULLSLEEP's logo appears as part of Super-Ego's beat pattern in ''VOID'', accompanied by the word NULLSLEEP passing by in the background.
* PunctuatedForEmphasis:
** The end of ''VOID'' has [=CommanderVideo=] exclaiming, "I! Am! READY!"
** Also, Mingrawn Timbletot caps off ''RUNNER'' by darkly declaring, "You... are... not... a... ''man!''"
* RailShooter: Literally in ''FATE'' -- [=CommanderVideo=] is on a rail, and you control both him and a crosshair.
* RayGun: Most prominently in ''FATE'', coming in many forms depending on what wingmate powerup you have and your Mode; (though not with sound effects or (except in a [[FrickinLaserBeams few cases]]) traditional "laser weapon" looks) the enemies use this as well. [[BulletHell Gratuitously.]]
* RecurringBoss: Mingrawn Timbletot is fought twice in ''RUNNER'', and once in ''FATE''.
* {{Retraux}}: The base parts of the game have a pixel are style, and are reminiscent of Atari graphics. Anything not designed like that is made of voxels instead.
* RhythmGame: The games' genre is filed under "Retro Rhythm Action".
* RobotBuddy: Radbot and Mr. Robotube both.
* {{Roofhopping}}: Present in ''RUNNER''. [[http://www.bitmob.com/articles/origin-stories-bittrip-runner According to this review]], this was going to be the entirety of "Triumph", but the guys at Gaijin discovered ''VideoGame/{{Canabalt}}'' and relocated most of the action to the streets of the capital, only hitting the roofs at the very last level.
* RuleOfThree: There are three songs in each game: ''BEAT'' had "Transition", "Descent", and "Growth"; ''CORE'' had "Discovery", "Exploration", and "Control"; ''VOID'' had "Id", "Ego", and "Super-Ego"; ''RUNNER'' had "Impetus", "Tenacity", and "Triumph"; ''FATE'' has [[ThisIsGonnaSuck "Patience", "Frustration", and "Anger"]]; and ''FLUX'' had "Epiphany", "Perception" and "Catharsis".
* RunningGag: [[http://www.vimeo.com/2576444 "I am only a man!"]] seems to be this:
** Seen in Triumph are posters with cats that read "I am only a cat." It's actually available as fan-made merchandise.
** From the [=PotatoFoolsDay=] level "<test>":
--->[[spoiler:[[VideoGame/{{Portal}} GLaDos]]]]: "You are only human."
** "I Am Only a Man" is a title of one of the songs from ''[=Runner2=]''.
* ScareChord: While you are playing the first two levels in ''FATE'', a startlingly loud sound is heard accompanied by either a bleak message like "NO FUTURE" or "NO MEANING", or the level's boss, and the song itself moves onto its next part. The same thing happens in the other four levels, only the sound isn't abruptly loud.
* SchizophrenicDifficulty: Granted you play multiple times, some parts will become simple, while others will screw you up every damn time. For specific examples of levels, see the BreatherLevel and ThatOneLevel examples.
* ScoringPoints: One of the taglines for ''BEAT'' was "Points matter again". (Though, for rhythm games, didn't they always?)
* SequelDifficultySpike: Thoroughly averted. They're ''all'' hard.
* SequelEscalation: Each game so far adds a new Mode to Mode Up into. Nether, Hyper, and Mega Modes were the first ones featured in ''BEAT'', then ''CORE'' added Super Mode, followed by Ultra Mode in ''VOID'', Extra Mode in ''RUNNER'', Giga Mode in ''FATE'', and finally Meta Mode in ''FLUX''. Yet another instance of the games' IdiosyncraticComboLevels.
* SequelHook:
** The first two games had these as {{Meaningful Background Event}}s, as a Core and a Void both popped up towards the end of the final levels in ''BEAT'' and ''CORE'', respectively. The third game had [=CommanderVideo=] running [[SuperSpeed increasingly fast]] in TheStinger of ''VOID'' to tie into ''RUNNER''. As well as the subsequent "[[LargeHam I..am... READY!!]]" following said running.
** The floating bricks and the flapping birds/bats in the background near the end of ''VOID'' also hold significance to both ''RUNNER'' and ''FATE''. (They're similar to the flies around the garbage seen in Triumph for ''RUNNER''.)
** The fourth game had the FiveManBand shown in TheStinger confronting an angry Mingrawn Timbletot, who flies away screaming "YOU ARE NOT A MAN!"
** And the fifth game has [=CommanderVideo=] becoming a spirit and rising up offscreen, ready to AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence and begin TheHomewardJourney. No dialogue here, unlike the others.
** The sixth game has [[spoiler:a sequence called "Home" played after completing Catharsis, where you are able to, interspersedly, hit the same sequence of Beats from the very beginning of Transition from ''BEAT'', in the same order]]. Seeing as the game's story goes in a circle, this could count as a SequelHook of sorts.
** RUNNER 2 sets up FATE, with Commander Video [[spoiler:becoming increasingly angered at Mingrawn Timbletot]], and having his visor turn red after [[spoiler:escaping the alternate universe he's been trapped in for fifteen months (although it appeared that he was only gone for a split second to everyone else.)]]
* SheatheYourSword: In an incredibly meta example, ''FLUX'' literally makes [[spoiler:the player do this at the end.]]
* ShoutOut: The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arecibo_message Arecibo message]] makes an appearance in the first level in ''BEAT'' (but with [=CommanderVideo=] replacing the human figure). It also makes a brief appearance in the final level of ''FLUX''.
** ''BEAT'''s second and third bosses are games of ''VideoGame/{{Breakout}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Pong}}'' respectively.
** ''CORE'''s second and third bosses are based on ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'' and ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}'' respectively.
** ''VOID'''s first and second bosses are based on ''VideoGame/SpyHunter'' and ''VideoGame/PacMan'' respectively.
** ''RUNNER'' has the level names [[Franchise/TombRaider Crater Raider]] and [[VideoGame/SewerShark Sewer Snark]].
** [=CommanderVideo=]'s form in the cutscenes of ''FLUX'' resembles the freeform pointer of the UsefulNotes/MagnavoxOdyssey.
%%* SilentCredits: ''FLUX''.
* SomeDexterityRequired: While the controls are simple enough, the ''things the game makes you do with them'' can only be described as combos from hell. Add to that the fact that ''BEAT'' and ''FLUX'' use non-optional motion controls- the muscle memory has to be all in your wrists.
* SpecialGuest: Each game has a chiptune artist that provides the menu and credits songs. Both ''BEAT'' and ''FLUX'' have [[http://bit.shifter.net/ Bit Shifter]] (he only made the menu music for the latter, however, as it has SilentCredits instead), ''CORE'' has [[http://www.bubblyfish.com Bubblyfish]], ''VOID'' has [[http://www.nullsleep.com Nullsleep]], ''RUNNER'' has Music/{{Anamanaguchi}}, and ''FATE'' has [[http://www.minusbaby.com/ Minusbaby]].
* {{Spinoff}}: ''[[http://robotubegames.com/bittonik-blip-fest-09-gaijinrobotube-battle-brands BIT.TONIK]]'', a collaboration between Gaijin Games and Robotube Games, made in a single day during Blip Fest 2009 in what was called the "[[http://www.gaijingames.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/blipfestflyer.jpg BATTLE OF THE BRANDS]]". The gameplay is essentially a crossover of ''BIT.TRIP BEAT'' and ''Bloktonik''. The ObviousBeta version available is what they managed to get done in a single day.
* SpringsSpringsEverywhere: In ''RUNNER''.
* SpritePolygonMix: The playing field is simple 2D, the backgrounds are all 3D environments. (Except for ''VOID'', but its cutscenes still feature them.) Averted in ''RUNNER''[='=]s Retro Stages, which are solely 2D.
%%* SuicideAttack: [[spoiler:[=CommaderVideo=]'s FinishingMove on the Mingrawn Timbletot]] in ''FATE''.
%%* TakingYouWithMe
* TertiarySexualCharacteristics: [=CommandgirlVideo=] is a pink [=CommanderVideo=] with a box and mole. That's all for differences between them. This doesn't apply in ''[=Runner2=]'', however.
* TennisBoss:
** The final boss of FLUX has you playing tennis with [[spoiler:a full-screen enemy paddle... or, arguably, fighting ''yourself'' as the final boss.]]
%%** The final boss of ''BEAT'', and the first boss of ''FLUX''.
* ThemeNaming: Every game name except ''RUNNER'' and ''COMPLETE'' is only 4 characters long. In addition, most of them are pretty descriptive of gameplay: ''RUNNER'' is about... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin running]], ''VOID'' has you controlling a movable black hole, and so on.
* TonightSomeoneDies: ''FATE'' seems to have this going on -- even [[http://www.bittripgame.com/images/box-FATE.png the WiiWare icon for the game]] has BlackBlood dripping from it. And for even more credence, ''RUNNER''[='=]s [[TheStinger stinger]] had the BigBad [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI21HtsIzic wishing death upon CommanderVideo]]. And [[spoiler:the Commander does die]] at the end of the game [[spoiler:in a Suicide Attack]].
* UnexpectedGameplayChange: ''BEAT'' has you playing a game of ''VideoGame/BreakOut'' for one boss and an ''authentic game of VideoGame/{{Pong}}'' for another, at which points the rhythm aspect of the game would be completely set aside. Though if you listen closely, the bouncing of the ball from the walls and paddles does kinda follow the rhythm.
* VariableMix:
** The music gets a techno beat if you're in "Mega" mode (and above). If you go down to "Nether" mode, the music is turned off completely.
** In games after ''BEAT'', "Nether" has a metronome to help you out.
** In ''FLUX'', the music doesn't change, but instead the instrument used when Beats hit the paddle and leave the screen change - all the way up to a ''violin'' in Meta mode.
