photo by Astro; photo courtesy of Knyvet

Single Review of Battlemode: “Game Over”

Boston’s chiptune gurus were at it again last summer. Shortly after I reviewed the band’s singles “Playlist” and “Just Pretend,” the trio dropped equally-hooky “Game Over,” which I’m reviewing today, because when a song’s this catchy, I can’t let you – anyone who reads the blog – miss hearing about it (and enjoying it). I assume if you saw my review last year you’ve been following these guys and have been keeping up with their music, but what if you haven’t been? Or what if you were so busy – let’s say, on your classic Game Boy, for example – that you totally missed the last review? I’mma rectify that right now.

cover art by Narvicto DeJesus; image courtesy of Knyvet

Battlemode is comprised of Biff (vocals, violin, keyboard, aerophone), Astro (vocals, Game Boy), and Sam Mulligan (vocals, guitar). And these dudes are chiptune maestros.

Like its predecessors, “Game Over” is an infectious, dancefloor-ready, electronic-based, hook-laden earworm. In this song, a steady, punchy rhythm, classic recurring supporting electro-riff, and a floaty, atmospheric musical background support a digital-sounding chorus fed by a distorted first verse and a fast-spoken, not-quite-rap second verse. But the key to “Game Over” – as was the case with “Playlist” and “Just Pretend” – is simple: It’s memorable and fun to listen to. It’ll get you bouncing to its energy all the way up to it’s all-too-abrupt end at 2:00. And do you know what that means? Yeah, it ends too soon, so you’re gonna have to play it again.

More Recently

Proof that I can’t possibly keep up with these guys’ prolific output, there have been several releases since “Game Over.” Battlemode also dropped “NVR KNOW” and “Sw33ttooth” later in 2025, followed by the EP DON’T PANIC!, which counts “Sw33ttooth” as one of its three tracks, earlier this year.