Snood Blaster – MB – Review

That was my first reaction to this game. After
booting it up, another thought came to mind:

"Oh no, another Bust a Move clone? I love that
game, but no! I can’t play through another clone!"

These gut reactions lasted only a minute. They
went away as soon as I started the House of Snood, a mode in which you have to
convince several Snoods (small round creatures that work as puzzle pieces) to
become tenants in your apartment complex. It sounds like the premise of a
lousy RPG. But the way you nab new tenants is actually quite fun. Rather than
purchase an overpriced vacancy sign, you’ll challenge Snoods in a Bust a
Move-style battle. Win and they’ll move into your apartment. Lose and they’ll
go live somewhere else.

If tenant acquisitions were the only
difference, Snood Blaster would be a rather shoddy game. But there’s more to
this Bust a Move clone than meets the eye. Each battle is enhanced with a
different ailment: Armageddon, Hyperactive, Chaos, Bombardier and Camouflage.
These ailments, or "modes" as the game calls them, prohibit you from playing
normally. In Armageddon, players have to battle against the clock as a deadly
Danger Bar has been added to the stage. As the bar reaches its limit, brace
yourself for the invasion of an additional line of Snoods.

In Chaos mode, players will have to deal with
the chaos of having Snoods change sporadically. Hyperactive is the mode that’s
literally out of control. The Snood cannon sways back and forth automatically,
forcing the player to shoot without optimal precision. Bombardier is similar
to playing the game without any ailments, but instead feels like a bonus.
Bombs are frequently thrown into the mix of Snoods, allowing you to wipe out
large quantities of Snoods without having to match three colors as normally
required.

When the Snoods don Camouflage, you’ll begin
the stage without knowing which Snood is which. Instead of the usual
multi-colored bunch, players are now given a cluster of light-colored orbs.
Where are the red ones? The green Snoods, or blue? Launch a Snood at the
cluster to find out. Any orb that gets hit will transform into its rightful
Snood.

At the onset, the House of Snoods is just three
stories high. Each floor has enough space to house three Snoods, the highest
of which earns the most rent. When a Snood agrees to move in, you have a
choice between one who is less likely to be disliked, less likely to dislike
others, or one that will move to a higher floor. In any case, you run the risk
of bringing a tenant that will cause problems for everyone else.

After a few game days (one day passes after
every attempt to grab a new tenant), feuding tenants will move out.
Alternatively, you can choose to evict tenants that are causing problems. You
may also move tenants to new areas of the apartment, either by exchanging
their room with another Snood or by direct placement into another vacant spot.
In all cases, you’ll use another game day in each attempt. There are only 15
days to fill the three-story apartment. Other apartments will become available
as soon as the first is completed.

Though it may sound silly, the House of Snoods
is a very effective way of enhancing the overall experience. It also extends
the life of the game, as you’ll now have a reason to play for more than 10
minutes.