Ever since its introduction in arcades and home consoles a few years ago, Taito's Bust-A-Move series, a puzzle spin-off of their popular Bubble Bobble series, has taken off tremendously. Rivaling the kind of addictiveness that you would normally get from the likes of Tetris, the bubble-shooting game has become even more and more enjoyable with each entry (with the exception of an N-Gage port that went horribly wrong). Now it's time for Xbox gamers to get a turn, and they're going to get the most mind-blowing edition yet with Ultra Bust-A-Move X.

Like the previous releases for PlayStation 2, UBAMX will allow you to choose from a number of strange but delightful anime-styled characters, who then assist you in aiming a cannon at a playfield consisting of numerously colored bubbles. Your goal is to match up three in a row so that they pop, leaving less bubbles in the playing field. As the stage progresses, a ceiling lowers, making the room smaller and smaller and rushing you to complete the stage. The early stages are pretty easy, but they grow in challenge, complete with obstacles like moving walls and power-ups that can either help you out or screw you over, depending on their location and effect.

So what's different about the Xbox edition? A number of things. First of all, the game will fully support Xbox Live, meaning that you can challenge friends across the country in a number of modes. The game also has full Voice and Friends List support, so you can even form UBAMX leagues if you feel up to it and, ahem, burst their bubble verbally. Then you also have a new 3D Puzzle Mode, which takes the game out of its 2D guise and brings it into a whole new dimension, adding a twist to the formula. The look of this takes a bit of getting used to, but the overall effect looks to be rather nifty.

There are also five new Challenge modes to conquer, so even the most hardened Bust-A-Move player (if there is such a thing) will find him or herself thriving upon the new challenges. Of course, there's also a two-player offline mode, in case you feel like taking on a friend in the living room and humiliating them in person... or rather, having them beat you senseless by cramming your screen.

On top of all this, Majesco is launching Ultra Bust-A-Move X later this year at the unbeatable budget price of $19.99, making it a steal. In fact, BEYOND a steal, especially when you consider the Xbox Live support. Fans will no doubt want to dig into the game for its abundant features; newcomers will find a lot to like in its various modes; parents will savor the price and even find themselves challenging the kids. Can Bub and Bob do no wrong? We'll find out this fall.