When I was 12, I got my first guitar. At first, my parents didn't want to pay for lessons for fear that, like my piano playing, it wouldn't stick. So I sat in my room, headphones on, and attempted to teach myself Ramones, Green Day, and Beatles songs. The first time I managed to teach myself to play Blitzkrieg Bop, I knew I was on to something special. More than a decade later, I felt the same spark, the same love, while learning to play BIT.TRIP Presents Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien

When I say I was “learning to play” Runner 2, I don't mean it's inaccessible. Whether hero Commander Video is jumping over, sliding under, kicking through, deflecting, spinning around, or diving through whatever obstacles he runs into, it's all done with a press of a button or a flick of the stick. Just like simple guitar tunes designed to teach you open major chords or scales, early levels in Runner 2 focus on one or two skills, laying the groundwork for what's to come.And with each successful skill learned and impediment crossed, you're rewarded. Nail a jump, and a note is added to the Petrified Productions (and occasionally featuring the brilliant Disasterpeace), soundtrack. Collect all the gold bars and plus signs and the music rises to a crescendo. You can choose to not grab any of the goodies, but why would you deprive yourself of “playing” such excellent tunes?Eventually, levels throw every move possible at you at rapid speed, filling the background music with the notes of success. Failure throws you back to the beginning of the level or to a checkpoint, only to try again and again. It feels just like learning a particularly difficult guitar solo. With enough attempts, muscle memory kicks in, and those notes come flying in. There's no beating around the bush; this is practice. But with practice comes a payoff, and Runner 2's music is more than generous with the handouts. Those that don't like repetition could be annoyed, however.If you played the first BIT.TRIP Runner (or any of the other BIT.TRIP games, for that matter), Runner 2 may look a bit different than you're expecting. The first game featured pixelated characters with 3D backgrounds, whereas here we've got a fully 3D world. What's more, the sequel delivers fully narrated cutscenes, featuring the ever-charming Charles Martinet (you may know him better as the voice of Mario). Cheeky little advertisements for fake products like Mouth Burgers on the start screen also elicit smiles. Perhaps the developers just wanted to get Martinet to say funny things, but whatever the case, I was clearly amusedEach of the five worlds has its own distinct look, bringing us from a crazy forest called The Supernature to the docks of the Emerald Brine to the Mounting Sadds, a continent seemingly comprised of nothing but factories and lava. You'll spend most of your time staring at the obstacles ahead, trying desperately not to die, but there's some genuinely charming and funny stuff going on in the background.Look for a bunch of optional paths, too, some leading to much more difficult sections of the levels. Often, they came accompanied with new costumes or entrances to secret areas, but the very idea of challenging myself to pull of some complex maneuvers was enough to draw me down those darker paths. I wanted to push myself further. I needed to learn each and every intricacy of Runner 2's world. And that individual challenge made it a very personal experience. Of course, a dash of love for music and memories of my first guitar didn't hurt, either.Occasionally, I found myself in a bit of a trance. I saw the enemies and walls coming at me, only to be easily slid past as my fingers played in perfect time, my tapping toe keeping the beat of the song. I had gotten good enough to essentially sight-read levels. I felt comfortable throwing in the optional dance button for extra points. I was improvising. I had, in the few hours that I had been playing, learned a new instrument. It was hard, and required a fair amount of practice and perseverance, but being good was my reward.