The first of Aksys' Bit.Trip games, Beat is like psychedelic musical Pong. Each Bit.Trip game seemingly builds on the ones before it, and each one is deliciously retro in its look and feel.

Grant Buell: This simplistic and addictive retro-styled rhythm game is the sort of thing that WiiWare is perfect for - experimental games that would almost certainly fail if placed in retail stores, at retail store prices. Beat is an absolute gem if you are into Atari-era aesthetics, catchy chip-tune music, and brutally difficult, twitch-based gameplay. Moving your paddle up and down to catch pellets that move across the screen in time with the music becomes an almost Zen-like experience, and as the difficulty ramps up, completing difficult sections of the game feels increasingly rewarding. The music alone is worth the purchase, and the graphics are super-charming, especially for retro game fans. This is one of the best games released on WiiWare to date.

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Andy Goergen: The Bit.Trip series has really come into its own as one of the best things going on any digital platform. Featuring simple, retro-styled graphics with elements of modern style, Bit.Trip Beat kicks off the series with a fantastic take on the classic game of Pong, and in doing so gives a master class on how to appropriately use the motion sensing capabilities of the Wii Remote.

The end result is a game that feels like it absolutely could not exist on any other platform, as the precision and quick movements needed to play the game are only achievable through the quick tilting of the remote. It's accurate, responsive, and feels great when you're playing. The music gets repetitive, but that's never an issue because the gameplay draws you in and doesn't let you concentrate on anything else. Bit.Trip Beat grabs you and doesn't let go, making it my choice as one of of the best titles of 2009.