Terry Cavanagh’s independent game, “VVVVVV,” was released a few weeks ago and it is great. If you don’t already have it, buy it. I known January’s been a great month for console gaming, with Mass Effect 2, MAG, No More Heroes 2, and Bayonetta, but in several months those games are going to drop down in price and even when sitting next to such a strong library of releases, Cavanagh’s game still looks damn good, and plays even better. So if you want to play something great (and only fifteen dollars) then this game is a exactly what you need.
I think the name, “VVVVVV” is an interesting title for a game, maybe not the most marketable, but definitely one of the most thought provoking, and I’ve come up with a few of theories as to it’s meaning. This can be chalked up to two things really: I probably think too much, and I really loved the game. So here goes…
The goal of the game is to find your allies, each one with a name that starts with V, as does your characters. And in all there are six of you. That alone should probably act as the most obvious reason for the name. But for me, that’s too simple and not enough fun. The second reason why the game could be titled “VVVVVV” is because V is the Roman numeral for 5. You are looking for 5 allies and have to search through 5 different colorful dimensions to locate them.
Then there is the gravity controlling mechanic of the game. The “5 = V” theory works well here too. The ship your character captains has crashed into another dimension, and that combined with the gravity controlling mechanic the game is based around could be a reference to the 5th dimension (which I really don’t know much about but I think is), the dimension of gravity.
I wouldn’t say that this theory falls apart, but it certainly doesn’t explain the sixth V in the title, which could be attributed to the main character (the player), Viridian. Therefor the title could have also been called “The Fifth Dimension and I.” The two theories of six characters with V names and traveling through the 5th dimension could actually be compatible. So it may mean “Six characters named V traveling through the 5th dimension.”
The final, and dumbest, theory I have is that due to the mechanics of the game the player does a lot of running and bouncing off the walls. Making essentially V shapes. It’s a forward momentum/jumping based title, which would actually accurately describe gameplay with the title. And the gameplay is one of the core reasons why it’s such a great game. But, I doubt this logic had much to do with the creation of the name.
I wanted to sing the praises of the game here, and I think I have. It’s a simple game on the outside, that anyone can pick up and play, but once you really start thinking, there’s a lot more to it. There’s no real way to not have fun with “VVVVVV.” Viridian’s permanent smile, the bright-neon colors against black, and the energetic retro music keep you in a suspended state of enjoyment. Even when you find yourself thrown against a frustrating puzzle, you’ll still keep up the hope, thanks to all the efforts gone into making this friendly, accessible, and challenging experience. I definitely encourage everyone to purchase the full game. But if you’re curious how it plays you can tests out the demo right over on Kongregate.
[...] People’s Games, playing Sunshine and Trundle, as well as indie titles, Guru Meditation and VVVVVV. He was also playing Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes and Sonic [...]