Nintendo Okie

There are games out there that are designed to test your reflexes while platforming. Games like Canabalt and Bit.Trip Runner are prime examples of that. The DSiWare library was recently made available on the Nintendo 3DS and I took advantage of it to try out some DSiWare games that I hadn’t had the chance to before. 10 Second Run is a platforming game, from Gamebridge, that’s not designed necessarily to test your reflexes, but more to test your precision while platforming.

What You Need To Know

10 Second Run is a platforming game that might appear pretty basic on the surface, but after spending some time with it you’ll find out just how devilish it can be. The game is broken up into 50 levels that require you to finish them in 10 seconds or less, hence the catchy name. There are three modes to test your skills. Trial is the basic progression through the levels where you’re limited to 10 seconds. Marathon has you string all of the levels together to see how long it can take you to finish the entire game and Practice allows you to practice each of the levels without the worry of the clock.

Location, Location, Location

Timing and precision are everything in this game. Every level is going to require you to make tricky jumps or scurry along platforms that are disappearing behind you. I’m a big fan of platformers and this is a game designed for people who really want to test their skills in the genre. Luckily the controls in 10 Second Run are spot on precise. The character responds to every moment of the d-pad quickly. Jumps in the game are very tight and easy to control and that’s key in a game like this. Floaty controls could mean certain death and you just don’t have that here.

Many of the levels also have multiple paths. There’s a relatively safe path that will not tax your ability as much, but it’s going to take you longer to finish. If you want to get the fastest time possible you’re going to have to take the shorter route, which generally means wading through eel infested waters. Okay, no eels, just flames and electricity. It takes considerably less time to take that path, but you’re also in a much more dangerous situation.

Minimalist Visuals

Another thing that some games of this type are guilty of is trying to clutter it with pretty things to look at that only serve to distract you from your purpose. 10 Second Run gets rid of anything unnecessary allowing you to focus on your goal at hand. Get from point A to point B as quickly as you can. Levels consist of basic square and rectangles for your stick figure main character to jump on. Obstacles consist of things like little blue tufts of flame or floating balls of electricity. That’s it. There’s no clutter, just a stark white background that sets everything apart from it very nicely. Sometimes less is more and that’s really the case with this game.

No Time Sharing

Time attacks games, which is essentially what this is, are the prime targets for the ability to share and compare your times to those of your friends. Unfortunately you don’t get any of that here. If you want to find out how you stack up against your friends you’re going to have to do so with an outside source, which is a shame. It would be great to see how well you fare and then try to shave hundredths of a second off of your time to rise on a leaderboard. Maybe with the release of the 3DS we’ll see the developers revisit this game and allow people to share ghost data through StreetPass or over the Wi-Fi Connection with friends. As it stands right now you’re only going to better your time against the time you’ve already set.

You’re Going to Finish This Game Fast

Yes, there are 50 levels for you to complete in the game and multiple ways to do them. The thing is you’re required to finish each level in less than 10 seconds. Even with sometimes a dozen or more deaths on a level I was able to finish the game in just a couple of hours. Unless you’re one of those people that’s dead set on getting the fastest possible time you’re going to be done with the game over the course of a lunch break or two. The addition of a level editor or level sharing could have considerable lengthened this game almost infinitely.

Conclusion

Fans of platformers, or time attack style games, are absolutely going to enjoy 10 Second Run. The platforming is great; the challenge is just about perfect. Much like when I played Bit.Trip Runner I never felt like the game was cheating me. If I died it was because I misjudged a jump, not because the game did anything to slight me. You’re going to finish it quick, but at just $2 you’re getting a lot of content for the price. If you’ve owned a DSi for a while and just passed on the game, or you’ve just been introduced to the rather sizeable downloadable library this might be one you want to check out. It’s a perfect game when you’re waiting in line, or you’ve only got a minute or two to spare.

Final Score: 4/5 Above Average

Review copy of the game purchased through the Nintendo 3DS eShop.
Completed every level on Trial, made it to level 28 in Marathon.
Total Play Time: 3 hours