BIT.TRIP BEAT

Introduction

Everything comes from something.

We were before we became. From life comes rhythm, and from rhythm comes life.

We are beings of information.

Everything is a conduit for learning.

We communicate in bits and bytes.

And we will return to something once we become nothing.

After our BIT.TRIP is complete.

About BIT.TRIP BEAT

BIT.TRIP BEAT is the first game in the series. BIT.TRIP BEAT is a music-rhythm game with elements of Pong. You deflect the dots called BEATS with a paddle to make music while a chiptune melody plays in the background as you battle for the high score.

Being one of the most definitive games in the series, it was introduced as being 'A clueless plotline depicting nothing but retro nonsense'. However, the view changed as the following games were launched.

HUD

The HUD displays all the information the player needs during the game.

Paddle: The player uses this to deflect BEATS.
Chain Bonus: It gives the player more points as you keep bouncing BEATS consecutively (starting with a 10-point chain). It restarts when failing to deflect them.
BEAT: They must be deflected with the paddle. The colors indicate how they behave, even the transitional beats; they are important. If you miss one, you have to repeat the cutscene again; it will also cause the cutscene changing bars to be reversed.
Mode-up bar: It is filled with the player's successful attempts in deflect BEATS. If the bar is full, the player will go up a MODE.
Mode-down bar: It is filled with the player's failed attempts to deflect the BEATS back. If the bar is full, the player will go down a MODE.
Score: The player's current score.
Multiplier percentage: Each bounced BEAT grants the player 100 points by default. achieving a larger chain (starting with a 10-point chain) will add to the multiplier percentage (100% = each hit will grant 100 points per BEAT, 150% = 150 points per BEAT, and so on).
Base Multiplier: The points won per bounced BEAT will be multiplied by the number shown here, i.e. multiplier percentage is 150%, and the base multiplier will be 10; that means:

(100 points per BEAT)x(1.5 = 150%)x(10) = 1500 for that BEAT only!

Coloured beats

Yellow BEATS/paddles are normal. No effect is shown (except for speed).
Rainbow BEATS indicate that the next phase of the level will begin. Missing one will result in replaying that cutscene and 5 flashing bars will fade in reverse along with the music.
Purple BEAT indicate a swaying movement.
Cerulean BEATS indicate a sign of either pausing, or bouncing.
Orange BEATS will bounce back (depending on what speed) as soon as they hit the paddle.
Pink BEATS appear in lots of any number and move towards the paddle in any direction.
White BEATS tend to be power ups.
- When CHALLENGE is enabled, the player’s paddle will be cut down by half the size and must hit some beats to earn bonus points.
- Another power-up is where the paddle doubles it’s length.
- Finally, the last one is where the another paddle will be seen.
Powder blue BEATS will move as the paddle moves.
The bigger light blue BEATS will either shrink and then grow, or act as the rainbow BEATS.
Pale yellow BEATS will act like the Cerulean BEATS, but they do not bounce.
Green BEATS/paddles act like yellow BEATS and they continuously flash.
Red BEATS will lock your paddle in place for a short period of time.
The big blue BEATS act as yellow and green BEATS, but they will split into 9 smaller BEATS.

Modes

If you want to reach the end of each level, you should try to withstand the barrage of beats that will try to end your game. Being in the higher modes will dramatically multiply your points. (And will keep you far from a GAME OVER)

Mega

The highest mode of this game. The music gets an extra percussion, and special effects are added to gameplay. Hitting beats and Moding up into MULTI+ add to your Multiplier. Miss too many, (3 on Hard Mode) and you mode down into HYPER.

Hyper

You begin the game in this mode. There are no special effects, and the HUD is a simple yellow. Your multiplier is x1. Hit 80 Beats, (40 in Easy), (or 120 in Hard), and you mode up into MEGA. However, miss too many (6 on Hard Mode), and you mode down into NETHER.

Nether

Mode down to here, and you lose all sense of music and color. The HUD is black-and-white, there is no information to show, and each reflect makes a dull beeping sound. This is your last chance to mode up back into HYPER. However, miss too many Beats (6 on Hard Mode), and you receive a GAME OVER. You don't earn anything in this mode ether.

Levels

TRANSITION

The first level. Life begins with the game's opening cutscene, a figure races by the screen, then Commander Video appears. Beats swarm into him and he awakens with new life. TRANSITION is an easy level with slight difficulty spikes and has some nice sugar-sweet tunes.

DESCENT

It begins with Commander Video stepping forward and tripping over. DESCENT has serious and percussion based music with one of the the fastest tempos in the whole series. The background shows a planet and soon begins it's DESCENT. The level features magma filled backgrounds, and a breakout game at the planet's CORE. Houses the one of the hardest CHALLENGE sections in the series. There are two challenges in this level.

GROWTH

Known as one of the hardest levels in the series, GROWTH begins as Commander Video is shown being brained by a mean green beat. The level begins fairly difficult with a background of green fibers. The tempo is slow and the level is heavily precussion based. The level features tons of gimmicky obstacles, making the level challenging. The ability to focus beyond your paddle is vital to completing the level. At the end of the level a game of Pong rages in the audience of a bright-red CORE.

Bosses

TRANSITION:

This giant beat is composed by roughly 100 yellow and orange Beats, which it hurls at the player. To defeat it, the player must repel these Beats. At the end, it will have no more Beats to throw, and, no longer having a body, is defeated.

DESCENT:

Based on Breakout, the player must reflect the same beat over and over again to break the blocks. Actually hitting the beat does nothing but reflect it and you earn points when you hit a brick instead (and add to the combo if you have one going).

GROWTH:

The gameplay composes of bouncing a Beat back against another paddle. You get points by getting the Beat past the enemy paddle. Defeating it requires the player to score 15 points before the boss does. If the boss scores 15 points, the player instantly gets a game over. Each time the player gets 5 points, the boss' paddle will split in order to prevent the player from scoring more points. It first splits into 2, then into 4 paddles. But the boss can only control one paddle at a time, leaving the others still. You may notice that 4 player co-op gameplay makes the paddles smaller; This applies to the boss' paddles as well.

Potato Sack

BEAT was a game featured in Valve's Potato Sack ARG, in which the players would solve puzzles in order to get potatoes. This ARG was a promotion for Portal 2, and BIT.TRIP BEAT was one of the 13 games that were involved. 3 potatoes were featured in this game. The first two could be unlocked after beating the new <TEST> level. The font of the score, the pause menu, and the name of the level would change to Portal's font. Until entering the level, GLaDOS could be heard saying, "You are only human," (this level is now just extra content) The paddle's design was also changed. The scene in the background depicts GLaDOS's awakening and taking interest upon what's happening, as opposed to the usual 8-Bit style. There was no mode up, but there still was NETHER. The song that plays is Science Can Be Fun from Portal 2. At the end, a series of ball connect to form a Aperture Science logo. This level does not have a boss. Beating this level would take the player to one of two alternate Aperture Science login pages, where they could earn two different potatoes.

The other Potato could be unlocked by getting a ball behind the Descent boss in MEGA. They would be taken to an Aperture login page and prompted for a password. Most passwords have something to do with the game it was in and Portal 2. The password was chips challenge.

Best Scores per Level

See the BIT.TRIP BEAT Scoreboard