Bplus' latest Nintendo 3DS eShop creation, Bit Boy!! Arcade is well underway, and I had the chance to get a good look at it. The game will, if the developers are to be believed, offer up to 15 hours of solid playing time, with more than 200 levels to go through and four visual styles to explore. My first moments with the game were certainly rough, as enemies blocked my every step and I made mistakes left, right and center. 

Bit Boy!! Arcade promises to be an approachable experience, despite my initial issues with the difficulty. The game uses an interactive and playful environment to introduce players to the process of game development. It teaches them about 3D objects, animation, textures, camera control, and lighting, as well as other elements that developers include in their games. Its execution certainly brought a smile to my face. If you manage to fail a puzzle three times after the lengthy introduction, the game will give you an easy option that reduces the difficulty for more casual players. The game can also be picked up at any time, due to the quick start and permanent quick save functionalities.

In the game you play as Kubi, who is this small cube person with an irritable personality. Every level in the game consists of 20 phases, which you will have to play through to finish up and venture into Kubi's world. Every single one of these stages becomes more and more difficult as you go along. The enemies certainly kept me on my toes. Kubi's goal is to use his abilities to avoid obstacles and collect his friends along the way. By doing so, he becomes more powerful and can destroy all of the enemies in his path. It is certainly fun to destroy these baddies, but I just liked to go to the goals as soon as possible. The first ten stages follow a similar set of rules, but the last ten are special action phases that change up the rules. You can use special item blocks, which transform Kubi into a bomb or even a speedy rocket. This allows you to interact with enemies in new ways and lets you destroy rougher obstacles. I also had a go at the boss battles, which offer greater challenges. Being steamrolled by gigantic pillars or having squares shot at you in an Andross style fashion are just a few of the things you can expect.

Interestingly, when you use up all of your lives, you will be greeted by a Game Over/Continue screen. Of course, you can still shoot for high scores, but if you don't feel like playing that way, you can use two Play Coins to return to where you left off. Additionally, Bplus offers more fun if your friends are also playing the game, as you will be able to see their progress through the Nintendo 3DS friends list. This is all sounds very promising, but we still have to wait a little while longer to see everything. The game is expected to launch in October 2013 for a price of €7.99/$7.99.

Check below for some direct-feed gameplay, which Bplus has kindly sent our way!