Inside My Radio (Wii U) Review

Taking place - where else - inside a radio, the game is a basic 2D platformer with a huge twist: with the exception of basic movement, all actions, including jumping and dashing, must be performed in time to the beat. It's a marriage of action and rhythm that is rarely seen in videogames - even the aforementioned Rayman and Bit.Trip titles use rhythm as a simple guide, rather than as a restriction - and it's one that may turn away those with an innate lack of rhythm.

Fortunately, there are plenty of audio cues that should keep even the most tuneless of players on the right track (the more musically-minded will, of course, still survive with much more ease), and a wealth of checkpoints keeps the action pregnable for any audience; Inside My Radio feels responsive, accessible, and genuinely fun from start to finish.

So far so good, but where Inside My Radio starts to fall down is in its overall package. Presentation-wise, it lacks much of a unique identity; the futuristic backdrop feels run-of-the-mill in the current indie game climate and there's very little to suggest that the game actually takes place inside a radio at all. The characters themselves are mere half-baked geometric designs, turning the plot into a Thomas Was Alone lookalike without the charm or story to uphold it - the plot here is similarly incompletely formed, feeling pointless and off-the-cuff, with neither humour, nor high stakes to retain any kind of attention.

Crucially, too, the music isn't all there. Integral as it is to the gameplay, you might expect some particularly memorable tracks, but nothing here stands out. Thankfully, the mixing itself is particularly impressive and lends itself well to a headphones - meaning that the Wii U's GamePad is a particularly strong way to play, giving it the edge over Inside My Radio's other console ports.

The soundtrack itself comes in three different flavours, one for each world: electronica, disco, and dub. Each world does at least feel distinct, but the lack of more variety makes the entire thing feel much smaller, especially with such a disappointing run-time (a couple of hours, at most). There are a few bosses here and there to pad out the experience, but whereas the regular platforming is responsive and satisfying, these are frustrating to play and represent an uncomfortable spike in difficulty.