Bzzzt is a 2D precision platformer created by the Indie Developer KO.DLL and released in 2023.
Bzzzt’s gameplay offers a fun, fast-paced precision platformer great for players new to the genre and veterans looking for a fresh take on the genre. The game builds up the player’s skills and introduces increasingly complex levels building to an exciting skill-testing boss battle.
By the end of Bzzzt you will feel as if you just finished a great book leaving you wanting more – in the best way possible! From the highly polished mechanics, excellent soundtrack, and stunning pixel graphics, I would highly recommend checking out Bzzzt. Play it in voice chat with a friend and you will have one fun night ahead of you!
Check out our full playthrough with commentary here!
Story
The story of Bzzzt starts with Doctor Emily and Professor Norbert who create an AI robot, ZX 8000 (the player – you!). They run through different experiments to see what ZX 8000 is capable of, but then you are interrupted by ex-employee, Badbert. Badbert has hacked the lab’s systems and has come back to try and take back his project, the final weapon of destruction. It’s now your goal to reboot the lab’s defensive systems to stop Badbert.
The name of the game pays tribute to the game Pssst! which was originally released for the ZX Spectrum.
The game has in-game cut scenes to progress the story and they did an excellent job at giving each character personality and giving purpose to moving you forward. What I enjoyed most about the story was how it started to affect the levels and events going on around the player.
Bzzzt blends the gameplay and story smoothly into each other where the events actually have an impact on the environment.
Gameplay
Bzzzt offers a fun fast-paced precision platforming with many positive gameplay aspects. This section will be broken into the pieces of the game that really stand out and some wishful thinking that occurred while playing/finishing up the game.
Beginner Friendly
Bzzzt is definitely the precision platformer I’d recommend to anyone looking to get into the genre or is unfamiliar with it. Many precision platformers can become frustrating very quickly and can be very tedious to progress through the game.
Not only does Bzzzt build in difficulty nicely it also allows newer players to select the easier difficulty which lets the player make mistakes within the level and not have to start again. This feature works really well and I personally like it much more than a checkpoint system.
When it comes to veterans of the genre, I would still recommend it for its gameplay and fun factor; however, I think it may be on the easier side for players more experienced in the genre. I felt like I could get through the game relatively easily (I was in normal mode; however, this could be because of how well the game introduced and built my skills up before introducing something new.
Level Goals
Each level in Bzzzt has a set number of bolts that the player can collect and a time to try to beat. Neither of these have to be done to progress through the game – which I like – but these extra challenges to strive for when playing is a lot of fun!
When playing with a friend at the same time it can be a lot of fun trying to compete with each other for either time, collecting the bolts, or both!
I also like how you get rewarded for completing the level by collecting all the bolts, beating the trophy time, or both in one run!
Unlockable Move Sets
Many games take players through an introduction level which essentially is an obstacle course to get the player to use each ability, then throw them into the to use every ability.
Bzzzt introduced the move sets over time and allowed the player to gain experience with each move before introducing a new one. This method worked so well because the level design challenged the player knowing they had a limited move set.
Boss Battles
I wasn’t expecting this to occur in Bzzzt, but there were mini-boss battles throughout! Even when introducing a new tricky enemy to destroy it was introduced as a boss battle which felt great! I enjoy this aspect of Bzzzt a lot!
Final Boss
I won’t spoil anything here, but all I can say is I really enjoyed how the final boss level tied everything we learned when playing the game into one exciting battle!
Space Shooter Surprise
One of my favorite levels in Bzzzt is when ZX 8000 flies a spaceship introducing a space shooter level which is a sidescrolling, ‘run n’ gun’ style version of the game.
This one level could have spawned its own game entirely which is why I was also surprised to never see another level like it in the game!?
As far as the story mode goes, it does make sense not to see it again, but not having any extra levels featuring more of this makes me wish for a future update of a series of levels exploring this side of the game more – unless – maybe KO.DLL is planning an entire game like this? I can hope!
Energy Orb Move Set
The energy orb move set that was introduced to the game was very interesting to encounter. To me, when this was introduced it slowed the gameplay down compared to what we were used to.
But, what it brought were levels with puzzle elements to them. To me, the energy orb gave a unique twist to the genre and really made the game come to life, albeit at a slightly slower pace. I found it a lot of fun to figure out the puzzles while trying to traverse the more complex levels!
This feature and the levels that came with it made me think there was so much more that could be done with the levels and made me want more after beating the game. Introducing a dash while in orb from could bring the pace and difficulty up too and the levels we could see could be simply amazing!
Wishful Thinking
This section is gameplay features I would have liked to see in the game or feelings towards the gameplay in general what I think could be improved in the future or for other developers to note if they are making their own game similar to Bzzzt.
Just Getting Started
During the last 10 levels, the complexity and how the levels started utilizing every ability we learned so far really made the game feel great.. and then it was over – and I want more!
The game was so well done and built up so perfectly that when it ended it left you wishing it didn’t have to end – just like a favorite book or TV show.
So when I said it felt like it was just getting started, I was thinking back to how the level complexity was building and how many more puzzle levels could be created with the orb or a few more space shooter levels.
That being said, I would want more bonus levels that are unlocked after completing the story because to me the story mode was the perfect length!
Player-Made Maps
To expand upon my thoughts from above, if the popularity of the game grows, it would be great to see the ability to make our own maps that could be uploaded for others to play. This would definitely save the developer time designing more levels as it is very time-consuming!
Replay System
One feature I would love to see added to the game is a replay feature, similar to Super Meat Boy, that would allow the player to watch a replay of the level seeing all of their attempts.
Level Design
The level design in Bzzzt is fantastic! It’s designed so beginners can ease their way into precision and get the hang of the genre before it ramps up in difficulty. But where Bzzzt really shines is for veterans of the genres going for that trophy time. Each level is carefully crafted so that the enemy and object are timed for the player to be able to speedrun the level – if their skill permits.
The name ZX 8000 is actually a reference to the ZX Spectrum, which is a 8-bit home computer!
Throughout the game, the levels slowly increase in difficulty while also introducing additional move-set upgrades like double jump and dash to create more complex levels. I really enjoyed the progression of the levels and it never felt too frustrating or impossible to complete leaving me wanting to play more.
I feel like the game really came alive at around level 45+. The levels started incorporating everything you have learned and mastered while introducing puzzle elements to complete the level.
Now, while some puzzle elements slowed the speed factor of the game, I feel like the orb mode could be given a dash at some point to make those sections feel faster, less tedious, and have the potential to become harder.
Controls
The controls of Bzzt feel really good and make controlling the character feel natural and intuitive. And best of all, there are not many buttons to remember: move, jump, dash, and respawn!
Controlling ZX 8000 through the many levels is a rewarding experience as the controls never feel as if they betrayed you. It never feels like it was the controller’s fault, for instance, when you jump into a saw blade, it feels like it was your fault.
When starting the game ZX 8000 lacks a few abilities, such as double jump and dash. The game does a great job at introducing these abilities while keeping the more intro levels still interesting with the abilities ZX 8000 has at the time. However, the game really comes alive when you get a double jump and dash.
Jumping in Bzzzt reacts perfectly, light button presses are small jumps, and longer button holds are higher jumps. Once ZX 8000 unlocks the double jump, the double jump works great and works exactly as expected. Whether it’s a low-low, low-high, high-low, or high-high jump, all jump combinations work and react as expected.
Where the real fun begins is when ZX 8000 unlocks Dash! Typically dashes are limited in games, but in Bzzzt, you can dash as many times as you want! The game introduces and teaches the player how to combo jumping and dashing very well too – which is needed as the levels become more complex!
Graphics
The graphics for Bzzzt are simply stunning. The retro-styled pixel art uses a colorful palette that achieves the 80s vibe perfectly and each object, background, and character is crafted with such detail and polish that you can’t help but admire them!
The finer details were not overlooked in Bzzzt. When the player runs there are particles created to give the sense of speed and when the player jumps there are particles for impact.
My favorite graphic effect in Bzzzt is actually when you die in energy form! The way the binary blows out in combination with the sound effects – I died a few times on purpose just to see the effect!
Sound
The game features upbeat, synth music mixed with a bit of chiptune that fits the retro 80’s vibe perfectly. The upbeat music matches the fast pace of the game and encourages the player to keep moving and speed run each level. Furthermore, the sound effects fit perfectly into the game and really give impact and life to ZX 8000 and the enemies around.
I’ll note that prior to launching the game I suggest turning down your volume as the game volume initially is rather loud. Once I opened the game I went into the options and turned the music volume down to 2. For me, this volume allows me to hear the game music in the background while still being able to interact with friends if I’m in voice chat.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack in Bzzzt is awesome! The songs are melodic, and upbeat, while not becoming repetitive when playing the same stage multiple times. The game’s soundtrack could have easily been released as its own album and would be perfect to listen to during a run or intense session in the gym!
Now, I know I mentioned I turned down the music so I could talk in voice chat, but if I’m going for 100% completion in the game I am turning up the music and jamming out to it! I am pretty sure the music adds 11% to player skills – but don’t quote me on that!
Finally, the music fits the vibe and feel the game is going for, it doesn’t feel out of place and captures the fast-paced, robot-inspired theme.
Sound effects
The sound effects in Bzzzt fit in with the game and don’t overpower or distract from the experience. They blend into the feel and vibe of the game perfectly.
The sound effects from enemies sound great, although I wish some of the lasers had some more oomph to them, however, this did not take anything away from the game and was only a nitpick and personal preference.
ZX 8000’s double jumping sound effect gives a sense of power which I was very pleased about as it matched the booster animation so well!
Final Impressions
Overall, Bzzzt is a very polished game, from the tight responsive controls to stunning graphics, the game really gives us a great precision platformer experience. The game may take 3-6+ hours to complete the story depending on your skill level and experience in the genre.
The levels are designed to reward players who have mastered the controls to flow through the level, while still being player-friendly enough to allow for slower, more careful movement. There was never a point that I felt frustrated or that I wanted to rage quit which I enjoyed and was thankful for.
While playing through the game you will have upbeat, retro sounding, synth music to enjoy. I am a big fan of the music and it was so tastefully done and matches the vibe of the game perfectly. On top of that, the sound effects blend seamlessly into the game giving additional immersion.
I recommend checking out Bzzzt and giving it a play!
Let us know your thoughts about Bzzzt in Discord!