In Majesco and Taito's Wii game, Bust-a-Move Bash!, twin dinosaurs Bub and Bob return for more bubble-shooting action, along with a cast of other quirky characters, such as zoo animals and anime-inspired girls. Players simply select a member of this crew and get right into the bubble popping.
The game's concept hasn't changed. Players shoot at a constantly moving playfield of bubbles, matching up three in a row to destroy them from the screen. During each stage, players can hit additional power-ups, such as gems that make all the similarly colored bubbles disappear from the screen or flame icons that act as explosives. The difference with this version of Bash!, however, lies within its Wii-based controls.
Players don't control the bubble cannon with the usual D-pad controls. Instead, they use hand movements to move it back and forth, indicated by a laser-like aiming icon. While this may sound good, it works ineffectively. Too often, hand movements won't be read, forcing the player to shake the remote in order to regain control. Different configurations can be messed around with, but the problem arises with each one. It still works, but not as smoothly as players would like.
Bash! also introduces a couple of new modes to the series. Multiplayer has been completely redesigned. Instead of the traditional versus game with two players on separate grids, the game features constant shooting action across one huge bubble field, with the players' cannons scattered across the bottom. While shooting at the bubbles on-screen, icons can be shot to aid in the formation of bigger combo counts. The player with the biggest eliminated count of bubbles and collected gems wins the round. This mode can be loads of fun with several friends (it supports up to eight players), but it relies more on blind luck than skill. Even with excellent aim a players can get cheated out of a win by someone just waving and shooting without an ounce of thought in their actions. The inclusion of the original multiplayer mode would have been a huge plus here.
Taito's latest also includes additional modes, including Endless (where bubbles just keep coming until the game ends), Puzzle (with several pre-made stages) and Shooting, one of the lamest additions to the series. Players merely aim their Wii remote like a light gun and shoot at bubbles on the screen, while using the D-pad to switch off between colors. The problem with Shooting runs two-fold. Each round ends in a matter of seconds. Furthermore, trying to switch off colors and keep precise aim over the on-screen cursor at the same time becomes incredibly frustrating.
Those familiar with previous Bust-a-Move games will be happy with the presentation. The cute anime-style artwork remains intact, with characters showing enthusiasm when the player performs a big combo and going nuts when the bubbles stack up too closely to the cannon. The music, although not completely annoying, does become repetitive quickly and the sound effects do little for the game.
While the eight-player party mode delivers plenty of crazy fun with friends and family, the lack of traditional modes and tightened controls hurt Bust-a-Move Bash! in the long run. It doesn't suck like other entries in the series, but the bubble bursts way too soon.
Final Score: 6 (out of 10)
Related Links
Reader Comments (0)