Do you own Runbow yet? Wait, why not?!
In previous years, we’ve reported on Runbow for the Wii U as it was showcased in the indie area at PAX events, and now the team at 13AM Games is bringing this retro, scrolling, slightly-frantic game from your TV to your handheld system. The world exists in swipes of color that change by the moment, and if you can’t see something, it doesn’t exist—even if it was there a moment ago when the background color was different. It’s a game that requires quick thinking both in the solo and group play!
Coming in 2016, the pocket version of Runbow might having you wondering if it’s possible to recreate that silly, couch-play feeling that made the Wii U version of the game so much fun. On a smaller screen, can it really be the same experience?
From what was shown at the Nindies@Night (and the Nindies Lounge, don’t forget that these games were also playable inside PAX and not just this one night at the EMP Museum!), the game is just as smooth, just as colorful, and nearly as ridiculous.
The game offers 19 additional guest characters from other Nintendo games, including one who also attended the Nindies event—yep, that’s Shantae, from Shantae: Half-Genie Hero—plus a whole heaping pile of costumes and items to unlock.
Runbow Pocket brings all the levels from the first game to the 3DS edition, meaning that there are still hundreds of platforming puzzles to enjoy, giving you hours and hours of fun (and frustration?). The one downside was that we didn’t get to experience the recreation of that frantic feeling when you’re playing multiplayer, with 8 people on the screen all running around at the same time. We’re assuming that there will be some way to play with others—not just a Streetpass feature—but we weren’t able to get that information from the team at this event.
It still looks great, however, so new and returning Runbow fans might want to give this one a shot.
