We sure like to toot our own horn around here but I think in this case this is a well-deserved honor for Commander Video.

“As a whole, the Bit.Trip series is an amazingly well designed throwback to the days of Atari and 1980s game design. Our favorite of the bunch so far, Bit.Trip Runner, features the franchise mascot, “Commander Video,” in a series of platforming levels that span over an amazing 50 challenges. It’s also a pretty fast-paced experience, as you’ll race through several worlds crammed with retro-styled enemies and obstacles, all set to an impressively catchy soundtrack supplied by famous chiptune punk band Anamanaguchi.”

See the full article here.

A Bit.Trip-themed party at LA’s GR2 gallery/store served as an E3 kickoff of sorts for us, as we prepared to be dazzled by new games with a night of dazzling Bit.Trip games projected on the walls outside the store.

Gaijin Games CEO Alex Neuse took a break from watching attendees’ minds be blown by the magnificence of gigantic Bit.Trip Runner to speak to Joystiq about the future of the Bit.Trip series, the successs of Runner, and being in awe of Tetsuya Mizuguchi. A note: the wink at the end will make more sense after you read that Gaijin announced an iPhone version of Bit.Trip Beat two days after we conducted this interview.

See full interview here

So our guys at Gaijin Games are throwing a pretty awesome game night over there at Giant Robot in Los Angeles! Go and support them! They’ll feed you, entertainment you and wash away those Monday blues!

For address and showtimes click here!

Gaijin Games’ Bit.Trip series has been one of my favorite bundles of fun to come out of Nintendo’s WiiWare service. By marrying minimalist gameplay mechanics with charming retro vibes, each of the three previous titles has turned blocky graphics and bleep-blooping chiptunes into addictive affairs. Bit.Trip Runner carries on this torch, but for the first time puts you in direct control of the rectangular, gold-grabbin’ CommanderVideo. Does this frantic platformer have the stamina to keep up with the quality of its predecessors, or should our pixelated hero have spent more time carbo-loading?

Click here for the full review.

Tired of rhythm games filled with glitz and glam, high-priced plastic instruments, and licensed music you may or may not enjoy? Commander Video comes to the rescue with Gaijin Games’ latest WiiWare title, Bit.Trip Runner.

Read the full review here.

Alex Neuse: So basically, the initial concept behind Bit.Trip Runner in particular is that we wanted a sort of run-and-jump platforming game, kind of on par with some of those older games on the Atari 2600 like Pitfall!, Jungle Hunt, or even H.E.R.O., if you remember that one.

We also needed to evolve the character and story a bit by game four. It was a very deliberate move that we built up the abstract stuff in the first three games, which kind of represents the abstraction of what it means to be a human. And then we explore what it means to actually play as a human in game number four, with Bit.Trip Runner.

This is what NintendoLife thinks anyway. Read the full review!

Commander Video has descended onto Wiiware today! To celebrate Gaijin Games has created wall graphics in all different sizes so you can pimp out your pad’s walls, make your ride all siq, or keep it real on your laptop! Check’em out here!

But fans of the Commander never go empty handed! Here’s a free music download of Precious Hero’s Only A Man track from the video above.

BIT.TRIP RUNNER marks the first fully-character-based adventure for Commander Video with:

• Rhythm-based Action Platforming!
• Boss Battles Against Robotic Terrors!
• 50+ Challenges!
• Classic NES-Style Controls!
• A Pounding Chiptune-Inspired Soundtrack!
• Special Chiptune Guest Star Anamanaguchi!
• New Friends for Commander Video!

BIT.TRIP RUNNER is coming to the WiiWare Service on 5/17/2010!

So get some Wii Points and great ready for the awesomeness! And if you’re wondering about the picture, we have one more Commander Video Lego Dude left… I wonder…perhaps we’ll give it away.

‘Nuff Said.

“We cannot hide the fact that even after our brief time with it, we think this is shaping up to be the best of the series so far; Gaijin Games have outdone themselves by creating a good balance between challenge and accessibility that will have players thinking “next time I’ll time that jump better” rather than throwing down the controller in frustration. Even gamers who don’t like platform games will find themselves unable to put down the controller until long past bedtime for one more go – yes, it’s that kind of game.”

The full article can be found on NintendoLife.

Screenshot gallery after the jump.

IGN has written up an awesomely positive preview on Commander Video’s latest adventure.

“Gaijin Games has three Bit.Trip titles under its belt and they’re some of the best, most artful titles available on WiiWare. The next installment in the series, Bit.Trip Runner is more ambitious than the first three in every way. An onrails platformer much like the recent indie hit Canabalt, Runner combines retro game nostalgia, catchy chiptunes, and hardcore twitch gameplay into one impressive package.”

Click here for the full article.

“RUNNER is closest to BEAT in terms of player/music interaction, Neuse said, being that you traverse the environment to the beat of the music and interact with the music in a more passive manner than the on-beat precision of CORE or the looseness of VOID. And while you have always been in control of Commander Video, this marks the first time his corporeal body is directly in your hands.”

Read the full article at NintendoLife.com.

And the name of forth BIT.TRIP title is BIT.TRIP RUNNER~! @Benoit Robert Raniere, guessed it first on the BIT.TRIP Facebook page! He’ll be getting his initials in the high scores for this game. Now the name kinda gives some things away about the gameplay. Screens are coming!