Gaijin Games tops its Bit.Trip experience, exceedingly well.
The more you collect, the better your score, and the more you unlock over the course of the game, including secret levels and hidden movies. You can also unlock cheat codes, but, honestly, if you're good enough to earn them, you don't need them in the first place. Silly fools.
The controls are simple enough, with one-button context used throughout, but, honestly, it's so addictive that it doesn't really matter, as you attempt to complete levels getting everything in one shot, without mistakes, and then take part in the cannon-shooting mini-game for bonus points. It's good, challenging fun.
But it's the presentation that's a real surprise here. The graphics are wonderful, with Gaijin abandoning the old-school appearance in favor of creative, colorful worlds that are a joy to run through. The hidden levels offer their own humorous touches as well, especially the one that introduces the team during the credits. And backing it all up is a solid music score, featuring selections by Disasterpeace, as well as a strong, light-hearted narration by Mario himself, Charles Martinet. (Note: he uses his actual voice, not Mario's. But he's awesome.)
Runner2 is a bit higher priced than we would've preferred – why this game isn't selling for $10 is beyond us – but it's a rewarding experience, one prolonged by the long list of unlockables and the online leaderboards, where you can challenge your friends' best scores. Add this to your library and enjoy this little sprint for yourself.
Score: 9 / 10
