Mike Bantick
Thursday, 15 May 2008 17:30
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
Most Blox are plain brown, but others are jewelled (point scoring), Bombs, Chemical (which when touch each other, explode) and Vanish (when hit, disappear) and more.
A typical puzzle will require the player to hurl a baseball or bowling ball at the tower of Blox (achieved by locking on to a screen point by pressing and holding 'A', then cocking back the arm in a baseball toss remembering to release 'A' when you would normally let go of the 'ball')
Then the physics engine of the game takes over, either the construction will begin to collapse or explode or many other real-life physical reactions to the players aim.
Simple! And a heck of a lot of fun. There are many other parts that extend this basic premise of the game. Some levels involve grabbing Blox and carefully removing them (think KerPlunk now) to achieve the goal, literally throw in differing projectiles and the variety of Blox and you have a satisfying game just with Explore mode.
Adventure mode takes the single player through four multi layered stories this time bringing the 'characters' into the game. The block shaped animals add a further level of strategy, each with their own special game rules.
Watch out for Doc Babadoo, the moustachioed chimp who throws balls at everyone, protect your Baby Moos from disaster, work out the best way to get Gorida Gert across the jungle bridge to her babies. The 29 characters amp up the cutesy and variety level of Boom Blox even further.
Party mode add multiplayer games of cooperation or competitiveness to Boom Blox and, whilst enlarge do add even more value to the game, also provide the only downer. The Wii does seem to chug during particularly 'heavy' moments of multiplayer.
