Mighty Flip Champs
Encyclopedia
Mighty Flip Champs! is a puzzle
platform
video game, developed and published by WayForward Technologies
for the Nintendo DSi
's DSiWare digital download
service. It was first announced on March 9, 2009, and was released on June 1, 2009 in North America and on November 27, 2009 in the PAL regions. The developers took inspiration from multiple sources, including the video games Wendy: Every Witch Way and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
. In it, players control Alta, a girl who has to reach a fishman by flipping between areas until she can reach him. Since its release, Mighty Flip Champs! has received all-around positive reception. It holds an aggregate score of 83/100 and 83.50% from Metacritic
and Game Rankings
respectively, while also being called one of the best video games for the DSiWare service. It is the first game in the Mighty series, and is followed by Mighty Milky Way and Mighty Switch Force
.
The game has been ported to PlayStation 3
and PlayStation Portable
via the PlayStation Network as a PlayStation Mini under the title Mighty Flip Champs! DX. It was released in North America on July 12, 2011.
's DSiWare download service. It was developed by WayForward Technologies
, using only five developers, the lead designer being Matt Bozon. It was designed for the sake of taking advantage of the Nintendo DS' features, though scaled to work with the DSiWare. Initially, the developers were contemplating the inclusion of enemies and items. The developers chose to leave enemies out of the game, feeling that if they had enemies, it would make the game too complicated. However, Matt commented that if players responded well to the game, they may implement enemies in a clever way next time. While the difficulty level was not designed to cater to younger or inexperienced players, the developers designed earlier levels to be more forgiving. They had younger players play it, and were surprised as to how far they could make it through. One of the developers, Mark Bozon, commented that it was as difficult to create the levels as it was for players to beat them, adding that they have to build the concept, account for player movements, and then ensure that players cannot exploit any mistakes in the level design.
The developers used very little storage space in developing the game, attributing this to the small sprites, which allowed them to have improved audio and cutscenes. The developers took inspiration from multiple other video games, such as Wendy: Every Witch Way, which was developed by Mark and Matt Bozon, the former describing Mighty Flip Champs! as a spiritual successor to it. They also took inspiration from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
for the idea of dimension traveling. Mark called it the "grand daddy" of the concept. Development took a total of two months, while testing and the publishing process taking a month. It was released in North America on June 1, 2009 and in the PAL regions on November 27, 2009 for the price of 800 DSi Points. The developers described Mighty Flip Champs! as a way to gauge fan interest in the possibility of a Shantae
sequel for the DSiWare, in order to see how well it could perform. A sequel to Shantae was later announced for the DSiWare service, titled Shantae: Risky's Revenge
. When asked if they would ever use the DSiWare service's ability to add new content to games, Matt stated that he would rather do a sequel with new ideas. Mark concurred, adding that if they have the time, money, and fan support, he would like to do a sequel, stating that they have some great ideas for a sequel.
and Game Rankings
respectively. On June 10, 2009, Mighty Flip Champs! ranked ninth on the top 20 best-selling DSiWare games of that week. It stayed at that ranking in the week of June 17, 2009, falling to 13th on the week of June 25, 2009. It ranked at 18 on July 2, and its last appearance on the list was on July 9 in the 20th place. Official Nintendo Magazine praised it as a "charming, addictive and original addition to the growing DSiWare library". IGN
praised its unique design and retro style, describing it as a top notch package and highly recommended. They also gave it their "Editor's Choice" award. Edge Online
described it as being both a "cold study in design brilliance" and a "speed-runner's dream" in certain points, comparing it to video game developer Treasure's Gunstar Heroes
. UGO.com praised it for being easily picked-up-and-played, as well as praising its solid music. However, they found fault in its frustrating difficulty, which they state rises quickly. Cheat Code Central
agreed that it was one of the best games for the DSiWare, describing it as "super-fun and challenging". Nintendo Life praised both the overall quality of the gameplay as well as describing the music and artwork as high quality.
Mighty Flip Champs! has been nominated for multiple awards, and has been listed as one of the best DSiWare games by several publications. Nintendo Life named it the runner-up for best DSiWare game of 2009, GamesRadar
included it as one of the best DSiWare games, calling it an interesting puzzler and one of the most ambitious titles on the DSiWare. IGN ranked it as the ninth best DSiWare game, calling it one of the first must-have games for the service. Mighty Flip Champs! was a nominee for best downloadable game of 2009 by GameSpy
.
PSPMinis.com gave Mighty Flip Champs! DX a 7.5/10.
Computer puzzle game
Puzzle video games are a genre of video games that emphasize puzzle solving. The types of puzzles to be solved can test many problem solving skills including logic, strategy, pattern recognition, sequence solving, and word completion....
platform
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game, developed and published by WayForward Technologies
WayForward Technologies
WayForward Technologies is a game development company based in Valencia, California. Founded in 1990 by technology entrepreneur Voldi Way, WayForward started by developing games for consoles such as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis, as well as TV games and PC educational...
for the Nintendo DSi
Nintendo DSi
The is a handheld game system created by Nintendo and launched in 2008 and 2009 in Japan, North America, PAL territories, and other regions. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's PlayStation Portable...
's DSiWare digital download
Digital distribution
Online distribution, digital distribution, or electronic software distribution is the practice of delivering content without the use of physical media, typically by downloading via the internet directly to a consumer's device. Online distribution bypasses conventional physical distribution media,...
service. It was first announced on March 9, 2009, and was released on June 1, 2009 in North America and on November 27, 2009 in the PAL regions. The developers took inspiration from multiple sources, including the video games Wendy: Every Witch Way and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, known as in Japan, is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console, and the third installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was first released in Japan in 1991, and was...
. In it, players control Alta, a girl who has to reach a fishman by flipping between areas until she can reach him. Since its release, Mighty Flip Champs! has received all-around positive reception. It holds an aggregate score of 83/100 and 83.50% from Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
and Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
respectively, while also being called one of the best video games for the DSiWare service. It is the first game in the Mighty series, and is followed by Mighty Milky Way and Mighty Switch Force
Mighty Switch Force
Mighty Switch Force, the spiritual successor to Mighty Milky Way and Mighty Flip Champs was recently announced for the Nintendo 3DS' eShop in the July issue of Nintendo Power. The game is like the other titles in the series, but focuses more on action than puzzle solving...
.
The game has been ported to PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
via the PlayStation Network as a PlayStation Mini under the title Mighty Flip Champs! DX. It was released in North America on July 12, 2011.
Gameplay
Mighty Flip Champs! is a puzzle/platform game hybrid, requiring players to explore stages that vary from having two areas to up to eight areas. The objective is to get the player-character, Alta, through the stage and to find the Fishman. Later in the game, levels will add characters that Alta must find before she may exit the stage. Alta has only two abilities: movement and flipping. Movement requires use of the Nintendo DS' directional pad, allowing Alta to move only left or right. The player controls Alta on the top screen, with another area being shown on the bottom screen with a mirror image of Alta shown. Players are able to flip to a different screen by pushing a button. When these screens are flipped, the area on the bottom screen will appear on the top screen; depending on the number of areas, the top area will be moved to the bottom area, or a new area will be revealed. If Alta does not have any footing to land on, she will fall, though uninjured. If there is an obstacle in the way while flipping, she will lose and the level will end. Some special stages exist where Alta cannot flip the screen, and is at the whim of a clock which flips the screen every so often. Once a stage is completed, the players are shown their time and an accompanying rank, the highest being an "S".Development
Mighty Flip Champs! was announced on March 9, 2009 for the Nintendo DSiNintendo DSi
The is a handheld game system created by Nintendo and launched in 2008 and 2009 in Japan, North America, PAL territories, and other regions. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's PlayStation Portable...
's DSiWare download service. It was developed by WayForward Technologies
WayForward Technologies
WayForward Technologies is a game development company based in Valencia, California. Founded in 1990 by technology entrepreneur Voldi Way, WayForward started by developing games for consoles such as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis, as well as TV games and PC educational...
, using only five developers, the lead designer being Matt Bozon. It was designed for the sake of taking advantage of the Nintendo DS' features, though scaled to work with the DSiWare. Initially, the developers were contemplating the inclusion of enemies and items. The developers chose to leave enemies out of the game, feeling that if they had enemies, it would make the game too complicated. However, Matt commented that if players responded well to the game, they may implement enemies in a clever way next time. While the difficulty level was not designed to cater to younger or inexperienced players, the developers designed earlier levels to be more forgiving. They had younger players play it, and were surprised as to how far they could make it through. One of the developers, Mark Bozon, commented that it was as difficult to create the levels as it was for players to beat them, adding that they have to build the concept, account for player movements, and then ensure that players cannot exploit any mistakes in the level design.
The developers used very little storage space in developing the game, attributing this to the small sprites, which allowed them to have improved audio and cutscenes. The developers took inspiration from multiple other video games, such as Wendy: Every Witch Way, which was developed by Mark and Matt Bozon, the former describing Mighty Flip Champs! as a spiritual successor to it. They also took inspiration from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, known as in Japan, is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console, and the third installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was first released in Japan in 1991, and was...
for the idea of dimension traveling. Mark called it the "grand daddy" of the concept. Development took a total of two months, while testing and the publishing process taking a month. It was released in North America on June 1, 2009 and in the PAL regions on November 27, 2009 for the price of 800 DSi Points. The developers described Mighty Flip Champs! as a way to gauge fan interest in the possibility of a Shantae
Shantae
Shantae is a platform video game developed by WayForward Technologies and published by Capcom for the Game Boy Color.-Plot:From the official website:...
sequel for the DSiWare, in order to see how well it could perform. A sequel to Shantae was later announced for the DSiWare service, titled Shantae: Risky's Revenge
Shantae: Risky's Revenge
Shantae: Risky's Revenge is a platform video game developed by WayForward Technologies for DSiWare digital distribution service. It was released in North America on October 4, 2010 and later in all PAL regions barring Australia and New Zealand on February 11, 2011...
. When asked if they would ever use the DSiWare service's ability to add new content to games, Matt stated that he would rather do a sequel with new ideas. Mark concurred, adding that if they have the time, money, and fan support, he would like to do a sequel, stating that they have some great ideas for a sequel.
Reception
Since its release, Mighty Flip Champs! has received positive reception, holding an aggregate score of 83/100 and 83.50% from MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
and Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
respectively. On June 10, 2009, Mighty Flip Champs! ranked ninth on the top 20 best-selling DSiWare games of that week. It stayed at that ranking in the week of June 17, 2009, falling to 13th on the week of June 25, 2009. It ranked at 18 on July 2, and its last appearance on the list was on July 9 in the 20th place. Official Nintendo Magazine praised it as a "charming, addictive and original addition to the growing DSiWare library". IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
praised its unique design and retro style, describing it as a top notch package and highly recommended. They also gave it their "Editor's Choice" award. Edge Online
Edge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
described it as being both a "cold study in design brilliance" and a "speed-runner's dream" in certain points, comparing it to video game developer Treasure's Gunstar Heroes
Gunstar Heroes
is a run and gun video game developed by Treasure and published by Sega.Treasure's debut game was originally released on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in late 1993, and later on, ported to the Game Gear by M2. On February 23, 2006, Gunstar Heroes was released as part of the Gunstar Heroes: Treasure...
. UGO.com praised it for being easily picked-up-and-played, as well as praising its solid music. However, they found fault in its frustrating difficulty, which they state rises quickly. Cheat Code Central
Cheat Code Central
Cheat Code Central is a video game website primarily known for its extensive list of cheat codes. Cheat Code Central, also known as CCC and CheatCC, offers previews, reviews, news, and various articles on the gaming industry...
agreed that it was one of the best games for the DSiWare, describing it as "super-fun and challenging". Nintendo Life praised both the overall quality of the gameplay as well as describing the music and artwork as high quality.
Mighty Flip Champs! has been nominated for multiple awards, and has been listed as one of the best DSiWare games by several publications. Nintendo Life named it the runner-up for best DSiWare game of 2009, GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
included it as one of the best DSiWare games, calling it an interesting puzzler and one of the most ambitious titles on the DSiWare. IGN ranked it as the ninth best DSiWare game, calling it one of the first must-have games for the service. Mighty Flip Champs! was a nominee for best downloadable game of 2009 by GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
.
PSPMinis.com gave Mighty Flip Champs! DX a 7.5/10.