Boom Boom Rocket carried a lot of hype among hardcore gamers itching for another challenge. Unfortunately, this game does little to distinguish itself from the competition. As a simple rhythm game where players timing fireworks explosions in tune with music, it plays well and has its share of fun moments, but it won't take long to plow through the play list..

Developer Bizarre Creations utilized the standard "timed button press as objects scroll past a line" design, similar to Dance Dance Revolution, where perfect timing earns the most points and the coveted "A" score. Three difficulty settings adds to the challenge, with the hardest of them being nearly impossible for any casual player.

Triggering explosions can be assigned to the directional pad or to the face buttons, with on-screen symbols indicating which button to press or, for added challenge, the display of symbols can be turned off, allowing players to rely on colors corresponding to the face buttons. All of these options provide incentive for those dedicated to climbing to the top of the online leader boards. The game's achievement list, although not a large offering, serves some decent challenges if players want to nab them all.

Visually, while not stunning, the game looks sharp. Yet, with the same cityscape backdrop for every level, and only so many types of fireworks available, the visual flair wears thin after only a few songs. The game rewards players with a bonus multiplier for stringing many explosions together, which switches the backdrop into a sort of negative version of itself and greatly amplifies the explosiveness of the fireworks. This all looks great, but it's hard to appreciate the visuals when having to concentrate on not making mistakes. The Freestyle mode allows players to take in the scenery, but also strips out every ounce of the challenge.

Resembling something Manheim Steamroller might have put together, all ten songs in the game's bland soundtrack are best described as famous classical pieces recreated with techno beats. Some with have some potential, yet only a handful of songs (Tail Light Sonata, Hall of the Mountain Dude) really translate well.

Beyond the standard single player fare, the game's other modes, offer little variation. Endurance mode plays just like the regular game except that every few seconds, the BPM increases and the song repeats at increasing speeds until too many mistakes causes the game to end. It essentially functions to allow for really high scores and extra opportunities for leader board bragging rights. There is a multiplayer component, but no online play. Head-to-head local matches provide a pretty fireworks show, but it is nowhere near as robust or exciting as, say, the multiplayer in Guitar Hero II.

Finally, the Visualizer mode shoots off a fireworks display to players' custom soundtracks, but it will not allow them to interact with it. It works fairly well for more energetic songs like Amon Tobin's "Verbal", but slower or more orchestral songs don't seem to sync up as well. Ultimately, what looks best used as a screensaver won't gain a lot of gamer usage.

Boom Boom Rocket may fill a gap in the Live Arcade lineup, but with Guitar Hero II and Dance Dance Revolution Universe already on the market, about the only thing going for it is its significantly cheaper price. Yet, even at 800 points ($10), it presents a barebones rhythm game that focuses more on visuals than it does on outstanding music, which should always come first in this genre. Downloadable content in the future will help, but unless it offers better music or a significantly different game mode, only the diehard rhythm gamers will care.

Final Score: 6 (out of 10)

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Boom Boom Rocket Game Guide

Our Final ScoreMediocre

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