Review: I’ve Got to Run: Complete Edition!

Runs out of steam pretty quickly.

By Marc Deschamps. Posted 11/19/2014 09:00 Comment on this     ShareThis
The Final Grade
C
Decent
grade/score info
1up
1-Up Mushroom for...
Diverse characters and settings; Quick Start-up
1up
Poison Mushroom for...
Ease of unlocking bonuses; Lack of variety

The rise of mobile phone gaming has resulted in a demand for games that offer short, time-killing experiences. As a result, genres like the endless runner games have quickly grown in popularity, with a number of options available on iPhone and Android. I’ve Got to Run: Complete Edition! from 4 Corner Games brings the genre to the 3DS eShop. It’s a fairly enjoyable experience that could use a little more heft to the overall package.

I’ve Got to Run: Complete Edition! kicks things off really quickly. In fact, it kicks off so quickly that it’s easy to be caught unaware. You won’t sit through ten screens of developer logos or even a menu; instead the game throws you into Classic mode at the very start. It’s a little jarring, but there’s something refreshing about it at the same time. A recent article on Cracked.com made the argument that modern games don’t start quickly enough, and seeing the opposite in practice certainly made me agree with the writer. I wish more games kicked off this quickly. For a genre that’s tailored for quick gameplay sessions, this is a really nice addition.

I’ve Got to Run is an endless runner game from a side-scrolling perspective. Your character runs from left to right without stopping until you find one particular pitfall that’s simply too far to reach. Some levels will allow your character increased jumping abilities, but even that leads to its own source of difficulty. Like most endless runners, there really isn’t much more to the gameplay than that. The game’s various modes each offer some form of change from the norm, however. Some levels offer multiple jumps, while the Special mode features a space setting that messes with the game’s gravity. Every level still follows the same “run left to right” premise (except for Flip mode), but these little changes do manage to squeeze an extra bit of variety out of the overall package.

The more you play I’ve Got to Run, the more modes and characters you’ll unlock. In total, the game offers six different playable characters and six different modes across five levels. Some of the characters handle very similarly to one another (most notably the initial three), but others are a bit more unique. The game even has a few characters from other eShop games, such as Kubi from Bit Boy!! Arcade. If you’re wondering how a cube works as a playable character in an endless runner, that’s really part of the charm. Using different characters on each stage provides a bit of entertainment, as some are clearly more suited for each level than others. In a genre consumed by Pay to Play extras, I did appreciate that the developer added so many unlockable extras.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest issues I found with I’ve Got to Run is the fact that it takes very little effort to unlock everything available in the game. My experience with the endless runner genre is fairly limited, but I managed to obtain everything in the game within a half an hour, and that’s a very conservative estimate. It’s great that the game offers these extras, but a little more effort to obtain each would have been appreciated. Once you’ve gotten everything, all you’re really left with is the ability to post high scores on Miiverse. While I do appreciate the feature’s inclusion, I have to question just how much replay value it will add for the average player.

I’ve Got to Run: Complete Edition! offers more modes and options than a lot of other games in the endless runner genre. Unfortunately, most players will probably find themselves over this one pretty quickly. $4.99 isn’t a bad asking price if you’re looking for a brief time killer, but most players will quickly find themselves running out of things to keep them entertained.


Nintendojo was provided a copy of this game for review by a third party, though that does not affect our recommendation. For every review, Nintendojo uses a standard criteria.

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