Somewhere over the Runbow.
Every once in a while, there will come a game that doesn’t actually click for me in the beginning, but after putting some time into it, I see just how fun it really is. Runbow is one of those games. When I first booted the game up, I was a bit down on the game, but after having the controls click with me and experiencing the multiplayer, I now suggest this to pretty much every Wii U owner.
Runbow is a 2D platformer where players control a character as they run, jump, and attack others in their way. The big twist is the environments along with the platforms change depending on the colors that take over the screen. Let’s say I’m coming up on a platform that is light blue. The background is constantly changing colors from green to red to light blue. If the background changes to light blue, the platform I was standing on disappears into the background and is no long available, and if I was standing on it when the color changed, I would fall. The background colors change to the beat of the music being played.
Platforms: Wii U
MSRP: $14.99
Price I’d pay: $14.99
Multiplayer: Local and Online
Solo or with friends, still fun.
Runbow boasts a rather hefty single player game that has players running to a finish line while trying to get the best time possible. Doing so will unlock new levels as well as a ton of visual accessories they can place on their character like hats and even guest character skins like Juan from Guacamelee and Shovel Knight. Another part of the single player is Bowhemoth. This mode is the experts only. With level designs made by what seems like a sadistic demon, players will die, die, and die until they can fully memorize a level.
Multiplayer is where the real fun is. Both co-op and versus are a blast to play. Players can locally play co-op using Wii Remotes, classic controllers, or the Wii U Gamepad. Here, players will navigate levels with friends. The difference is, since players can attack with punches, dash attacks, and other directional, it ends up feeling like New Super Mario Bros., where I didn’t mean to kill my buddies, but a misplaced air dash stunned them into falling off a platform.
Versus is where the game gets hectic in such a fun way. Players can try their hand at standard races, a king of the hill mode, and an all out brawl in the arena. The race mode was the most fun, where having to worry about platforms changing from color shifts along with power ups that allow a player to run faster, cause a lightning strike that stuns others, and even one that switches the position of one player to another. It was frantic, fast, and really fun.
Just a bit too busy sometimes.
The only complaints I do have are the fact that sometimes with a lot of people playing, it was easy for me to lose track of my character. This can be due to both my choice in color for my character as well as the camera being just a bit too far away from the action. The other issue that hit hard a few times was the fact that the game hitched up on me in some instances. During a frantic run while trying to make jumps, a game hitching is the last thing I needed.
Looking past those issues, Runbow is a fantastic game that I believe every Wii U owner should have. It’s great single player and even more fun with some friends, both locally and online. Without a doubt, this is a great party game that has all the makings for a must have Wii U title. I can’t suggest it enough.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
