VVVVVV 3DS preview A hardcore platformer for everyone

Those aren't letter Vs you're looking at in VVVVVV's title – they're deadly spikes ready to impale you at the slightest mistep. You'll quickly become acquainted with them while playing through VVVVVV, and by that we mean you'll soon lose count of the number of times you've been skewered upon their unfeeling pointy pixels. But don't be scared – VVVVVV may be among of the most hardcore platformers of the modern era, but it's a happy kind of hardcore. With a checkpoint on nearly every screen and unlimited lives, you can get the ultra-challenging experience without the frustration typically associated with games of its ilk.

There's not much to say about VVVVVV on 3DS that hasn't already been said about the PC version (read our glowing review here), but to recap, VVVVVV is a Commodore 64-esque platformer where you play as a captain trying to find and rescue the crew of your crashed spaceship. Unlike a typical platformer though, you can't jump. Instead, you flip gravity to fall upwards and walk along the ceiling (or on the underside of any other walkable surface) to avoid hazards and progress through each screen.

One advantage to VVVVVV on 3DS (aside from the obvious portability) is that the map is now displayed on the bottom screen, so you don't need to toggle between the main screen and the map when you need to get your bearings. Look for VVVVVV on the 3DS eShop, along with our full review, early next year.