A Very Timely Review of VVVVVV

[@legomeaker101potato]

i remember beating this game... then seeing the achievements: deathless and nopeing straight out of there

[@TheGemsbok]

Ah haha. Yeah, well said. I've got all the way down to the achievement for beating it in less than 50 deaths . . . but I currently have no intention of trying to get the one for zero deaths.

[@vladi3862]

i did everything in this game, surviving 1 minute in the super gravitron, getting all V ranks in the time trials, but no death mode was too hard for me so i just learned the big viridian speedrun category 💀

[@1gnore_me.]

VVVVVV is great for the same reasons as Shovel Knight -- it makes it look easy. the reality, is that making a retro throwback game that is still fun & accessible is actually really REALLY hard, and a huge achievement for anyone who can do it.

[@auri8810]

I got this game on my old 3ds and oh boy the memories I have with this game are amazing I love this game so much

[@JZSNooB]

another great video essay! keep up the awesome content

[@TheGemsbok]

Thanks so much! I'm definitely keeping at it, aiming for at least a video every month for now.

[@mr.beamless1609]

They just don't make them like they used to. Oh nvm I guess they do actually lmao.

[@TheGemsbok]

Ah, but between the late 90s and the late 00s, they, uh . . . briefly didn't make them like they used to?

[@christiangasior4244]

This game is perfect. It doesn’t overstay it’s welcome, you instantly respawn ala celeste and super meat boy to keep the frustration down, the art style is amazing and makes it look great, if not fancy. Finally, the chiptunes soundtrack is among the best I’ve ever heard. Every track is a banger here. Nothing goes to waste in this game. I also highly recommend Super Hexagon, and Don’t Look Back is worth a quick play.

[@TheGemsbok]

Very well said. I haven't played Don't Look Back, but I've liked everything else I've played by Cavanagh so it's probably a safe bet.

[@Teedyan]

Nice review there mate! I was thinking about doing a review myself of this game for my own channel, but seeing this one here... I just think you did it so well that I don't really see the need for it. Lovin' the game just as much!

[@TheGemsbok]

Wow, high praise there. Thanks for the kind comment; I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@horeckilarion3310]

This game is GOAT, after i beat the main game i spent ridiculously long time trying master the super gravitron

[@pixelator5312]

ok you are now required to cover vvvvvv's custom level meta

[@TheGemsbok]

Whoa, required, huh? Then I guess I better get to work.

[@EndermanPierce]

Dang, I still remember being introduced to this game from a popular showing of a App Store game in a store

[@Nabrashaa]

Just started playing this game because of this video - and it does feel contemporary! Very fun, thanks for the recommendation.

[@TheGemsbok]

You are very welcome. I'm glad to hear you like it; thank you for the comment!

[@Frish__]

Great video man

[@dahdumbguy]

Vvvvvv is a absolute masterpiece that I cant believe I didnt know about when I bought it on sale

[@Azagthoth12]

Still a great game all these years later. Great review.

[@existant1]

I played this a long time ago. So nostalgic for me.

[@TheGemsbok]

Funny thing is, if someone played early computer games in the 80s, then played VVVVVV when it released, then playing it now could be double-nostalgic.

[@thedudedoesntabide]

Same I miss this make a sequel

[@kingofthesharks]

Got this game for the price of 50cents in 2014 new year's steam deal. Finally got around to it today thanks to shelter-in-place boredom. Just finished it! What a clever central mechanic. I think the best aspect is the soundtrack but the gameplay was hot too! Reminds me of those later Sonic levels with the gravity switching or some moments in Super Mario Galaxy, but with an indie charm twist. Time to listen to that OST on repeat and check out some inhuman speed runs !

[@TheGemsbok]

Perfect assessment. Hard to overstate how much the music elevates the feel of this particular game.

[@Magenitech]

ever since my dad got it on his iPad (which wasn’t so old it couldn’t update back then) I always called it VuH-VuH-VuH-VuH-VuH-VuH just because A, I didn’t know what else to call it and b, it just felt right. And I still call it that to this day.

[@TheGemsbok]

A very respectable pronunciation choice, in my opinion.

[@zekebrunt]

I wish you could make videos more, I'm sure if you focused a bit more on consistent content and getting your channel out there you could gain a much larger audience. I will definitely be sharing some of these videos with my friends!

[@TheGemsbok]

Thank you very much! My current schedule is aiming to release one video in every calendar month. As a matter of fact, my next video (the biggest vid ever for this channel) launches tomorrow!

[@olivergaar9276]

Got this because of this review! Amazing game!

[@TheGemsbok]

Awesome! Very glad to hear that. Makes me feel good about having made the video.

[@joaomellin]

excelent video!

[@TheGemsbok]

Thank you for saying so!

[@therealseanw.stewart2071]

Love this game, it really brings me back to a different era of indie games. But the soundtrack really made this game for me.

[@TheGemsbok]

One of the best soundtracks in all of gaming, for sure.

[@annepodgorski4437]

So I think that's enough said about that. Very well said.

[@TheGemsbok]

Thank you! I tried to say it well.

[@SolarOddity143]

This is an extremely good game. I’m currently trying to beat this game in no death mode, the farthest I’ve made it is the final level. It was an extremely sad and disappointing death lol.

[@TheGemsbok]

Ouch, man . . . sorry to hear that. It is a terrific game. I made it to the achievement for fewer than 50 deaths, but currently I'm content to leave the 'no deaths' box unchecked.

[@journeration1]

Nice.

[@l.e.a.d.761]

I got it on my New 3DS XL, It looks fantastic even on a TN screen.

[@Pizza21002]

played this on my ipod touch about 10 years ago lol kinda wanna replay it

[@michaelgould1706]

Why is it not on the PS4 store?

[@arthur78]

Instant sub

[@icarus3692]

I love this game

[@taari1]

Veni Vidi Vici is the only achievement I have not gotten. I still feel incomplete to this very day. But I needed to give up after 2 days and like 10 hours.

[@TheGemsbok]

So, true story: the first time I played this game back in 2014, getting that one trinket took me two hours on its own. When getting the footage for this video a year ago, though, it took me not two hours, but instead two tries. I think it's fair to say I've gotten a lot better at games in general, and platformers in particular, in the intervening years. Maybe the same will be true for you, if you revisit it at some point?

[@taari1]

@@TheGemsbok I might give it a try again. But I haven't played a lot of platformers in recent years aside of Ori. But still hold them dear and near to my heart.

[@chickenbonelives]

This game is a banger.

[@TheGemsbok]

Game's a banger, game soundtrack's full o' bangers---it's just a bangin' experience.

[@mrickard3621]

ENTHUSIASTIC TRANCE - MISSED OPPORTUNITY TO NAME IT VVVVVVV

[@TheGemsbok]

You joke, and yet, back in 2009 . . . twitter.com/terrycavanagh/status/2444488076

[@ShinoSarna]

VVVVVV doesn't actually look like a C64 game. C64 games usually had 3 colors per sprite and 4 colors for background tiles, but VVVVVV has 1 color per sprite and 2 colors per background tile. THat comes much closer to describing ZX Spectrum (more or less) than C64. However, the color palette is clearly inspired by C64. That's what's unique about VVVVVV - that it's clearly retro styled, but it doesn't emulate any *specific* platform. It evokes old microcomputers like Vic20, C64 and Speccy, but doesn't follow any of them exactly. It's intentionally vague.

[@TheGemsbok]

Very well said! Cavanagh did not limit himself to the specific hardware/visual constraints of the Commodore 64---although it is the library of games on the Commodore 64 that he has repeatedly referenced as his main inspiration for the visuals of the game. (In the following interview, for example, he specifies being inspired by the C64 versions of the Dizzy series and Monty on the Run that he grew up playing: www.gamasutra.com/view/news/117793/Intervvvvvview_VVVVVV_Developer_Terry_Cavanagh.php ).

[@freshNfuzzy]

Its short enough to stop me from going completely mad. I should try enjoying these games instead of being stressed

[@TheGemsbok]

Haha, well said. Between the low overall game length, the low distance between checkpoints, and the instant respawns---it's surprisingly hard to get mad at this particular game, even in its most difficult segments.

[@wooloo4473]

7:29 i just got the game the other day on switch to get some nostalgia in and i can confirm that the game holds up. 100 percented the main game by getting all 20 trinkets and fully completed the map and now im playing the player levels to 100% those too.

[@Alianger]

Did this have any locked doors or ability gates?

[@TheGemsbok]

Nope, none! Objectives on the map can be accomplished in any order, and no new abilities are unlocked across the game's (short) runtime. New mechanics are always tied to level design instead.

[@nabeelbox7397]

What was the CRT shader/filter used at 2:28?

[@TheGemsbok]

That's just crt-easymode.cg in Retroarch with no modifications (core/emulator is Mesen).

[@nabeelbox7397]

@@TheGemsbok Thanks

[@toddpacker4683]

I always get lost

[@craigconway4093]

I still have not tried it :)