Code Shifter

{{Infobox video game

| title = Code Shifter

| developer = Arc System Works{{efn|name=ad|Additional development by Land Ho! for the Microsoft Windows version.}}

| publisher = Arc System Works

| platforms = Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 4
Windows
Xbox One

| released = PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One{{Video game release|WW|January 30, 2020}}Nintendo Switch{{Video game release|NA|January 29, 2020|EU|January 30, 2020}}

| genre = Action
Platform
Side-scrolling

| modes = Single-player, multiplayer

| image = Code Shifter Coverart.jpg

| caption = Nintendo Switch cover art, featuring characters in the game, from left to right, Hudson, Stella, Rudy, Greig (above), and Mozzie (below)

}}

Code Shifter is a 2020 action-platform video game both developed and published by Arc System Works.{{Efn|name=ad}} The game was released worldwide on January 30, 2020, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.{{Cite web |last=Clementoss |date=January 9, 2020 |title=Code Shifter : un jeu d'action 2D réunissant les personnages de Guilty Gear, BlazBlue et River City |url=https://www.jeuxvideo.com/news/1168291/code-shifter-un-jeu-d-action-2d-reunissant-les-personnages-de-guilty-gear-blazblue-et-river-city.htm |access-date=September 12, 2024 |website=Jeuxvideo.com |publisher=Webedia}} It was released on January 29, 2020 in North America, and a day later in Europe, for the Nintendo Switch.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-02-11 |title=Code Shifter (Nintendo Switch) |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/games/switch-eshop/code_shifter |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=Nintendo Life |publisher=Gamer Network |language=en-GB}}

Plot

The story takes place in a video game development studio named 'Awesome Rainbow Corp.', with initials spelling 'ARC', referencing the developers of the game. In the game, you play as Stella, a video game developer working for said studio. Stella is currently developing a new fighting game. As Stella is about to finish developing the game, she discovers newly-found glitches in the game. Stella develops a debug program called Code Shifter.{{Cite web |last=Greenwald |first=Will |date=February 21, 2020 |title=Code Shifter (for Nintendo Switch) Review |url=https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/code-shifter-for-nintendo-switch |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=PCMag |publisher=Ziff Davis |language=en |archive-date=September 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240909142826/https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/code-shifter-for-nintendo-switch |url-status=live }} You send Stella's debugger avatar, Sera, into various files through Code Shifter to combat flaws that appear as platforming stages in order to fix the glitches in your game. The goal is to eliminate all glitches before the game's release date arrives.{{Cite web |last=Romano |first=Sal |date=2020-01-09 |title=Arc System Works announces 2D pixel art action game Code Shifter for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2020/01/arc-system-works-announces-2d-pixel-art-action-game-code-shifter-for-ps4-xbox-one-switch-and-pc |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=Gematsu |language=en-US |archive-date=August 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240812165806/https://www.gematsu.com/2020/01/arc-system-works-announces-2d-pixel-art-action-game-code-shifter-for-ps4-xbox-one-switch-and-pc |url-status=live }}

Gameplay

File:Code Shifter Screenshot1.webp

In the game, you control Sera, Stella's debugger avatar, inside her new fighting game, to combat flaws and fix glitches in the game. The game appears as an action side-scrolling video game. In these stages, you find data on other fighters (from Ark System Works' other works) which you can use to turn yourself into 2D 8-bit versions of them. The game also has a 'Colorful Fighters' game mode featuring a brawler mini-game that allows up to 4 players to fight against each other. After every stage, the player is allowed to roam around the studio as Stella. Here, the player can talk to other developers which appear as non-player characters.File:Code Shifter Characters.png, with Sol Badguy selected as Player 1.]]

= Characters =

The game uses 30 characters from 13 of Arc System Works' other works, consisting of:{{Cite web |last=Schmid |first=Matthias |date=2020-02-12 |title=Code Shifter (Plattformer) - Kampf gegen verbuggte Spiele |url=https://www.4p.de/test/code_shifter/84240/2 |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=4Players |publisher=4Players GmbH |language=de-DE}}{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Donghun |date=2020-02-11 |title='코드 시프터' 리뷰 |url=https://kr.ign.com/code-shifter-ps4/8406/review/kodeu-sipeuteo-ribyu |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=IGN Korea |publisher=Ziff Davis |language=ko |archive-date=September 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911185045/https://kr.ign.com/code-shifter-ps4/8406/review/kodeu-sipeuteo-ribyu |url-status=live }}

Birthdays the Beginning
BlazBlue
Damascus Gear: Operation Tokyo
Double Dragon
Guilty Gear
Inferno Climber
Jake Hunter
Kunio-kun
Of Mice and Sand
Prism of Eyes
River City Girls
Stay Cool, Kobayashi-San!: A River City Ransom Story
Wizard's Symphony

{{div col end}}The game also has 70 characters from Arc System Works' other works, appearing as non-player characters.

Development

The game was first announced at the start of January 2020, with a confirmed release in the first quarter of 2020.{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Chris |date=2020-01-10 |title=Arc System Works' Code Shifter looks like a wild trip through multiple generations of gaming |url=https://www.destructoid.com/arc-system-works-code-shifter-looks-like-a-wild-trip-through-multiple-generations-of-gaming/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240912080645/https://www.destructoid.com/arc-system-works-code-shifter-looks-like-a-wild-trip-through-multiple-generations-of-gaming/ |archive-date=September 12, 2024 |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=Destructoid |publisher=Gamurs |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Doke |first=Shunal |date=2020-01-13 |title=ArcSys Announces New Side-Scrolling Action Game Code Shifter |url=https://in.ign.com/ps4/143635/news/arcsys-announces-new-side-scrolling-action-game-code-shifter |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=IGN India |publisher=Ziff Davis |language=en-in}}

Reception

{{Video game reviews

| title = Reception

| MC = NS: 55/100{{Cite web |title=Code Shifter Nintendo Switch critic reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/code-shifter/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=Metacritic |publisher=Fandom, Inc. |language=en}}

| OC = 19%

| 4P = 5/10

| Destruct = 5/10

| IGN = 6/10

| NLife = 5/10

| PCM = (NS) {{Rating|2.5|5}}

}}

The Nintendo Switch version of Code Shifter received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregation website Metacritic.{{Cite web |title=Code Shifter |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/code-shifter/ |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=Metacritic |publisher=Fandom, Inc. |language=en}} The game also received a 19% critic recommendation average from review aggregation website OpenCritic.{{Cite web |title=Code Shifter Reviews |url=https://opencritic.com/game/8943/code-shifter |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=OpenCritic |publisher=Valnet |language=en |archive-date=September 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911185045/https://opencritic.com/game/8943/code-shifter |url-status=live }}

A few critics stated that the levels were dully or poorly staged, condemning the repetition of designs and backgrounds.{{Cite web |last=Andriessen |first=CJ |date=February 16, 2020 |title=Review: Code Shifter |url=https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-code-shifter/ |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=Destructoid |publisher=Gamurs |language=en-US}} Many critics compared the Nintendo Switch version of Code Shifter to another Nintendo Switch game, namely Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.{{Cite web |last=Vogel |first=Mitch |date=2020-02-11 |title=Review: Code Shifter (Switch) - This Forgettable Franchise Crossover Is A Missed Opportunity |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/code_shifter |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=Nintendo Life |publisher=Gamer Network |language=en-GB |archive-date=September 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240909142826/https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/code_shifter |url-status=live }} One critic compares the development studio in the game to two animated series, namely 6teen and Total Drama Island.

A few critics criticized the 'Colorful Fighter' game mode, stating that it has "rigid controls and stiff movement", one found it "boring", whereas one critic stated that it was "funky" and "turbulent". Matthias Schmid for 4Players complemented the absence of microtransactions within the game.

Many critics also condemn the story of the game, stating that it is "poorly written" and "overbearing". Will Greenwald for PCMag criticized the mechanics of the game, stating that it is "poor." Many critics condemn the way Arc System Works' characters have been used in Code Shifter, stating that the game "does nothing really interesting with them" and that it "feels like a massively missed opportunity".