As the doctor
walked in, I could tell by the look on his face that the news wasn’t good. He
glanced down at his report, then looked up at me and, having noticed the concern
in my eyes, quickly went back to his report.
“Mr. Bedigian,
I have some news.”
“News? Just
news? It isn’t bad?”
“Well,” the
doctor paused. He had something important to tell me but couldn’t quite find the
words. “You’re…”
“Yes? I’m what?
Come on, tell me doc! I can’t contain the anticipation!”
“You’re having
a Nervous Brickdown.”
I was stunned.
I hadn’t been feeling well but had no idea it was this severe. “A Nervous
Brickdown,” I muttered to myself. “Wait a minute, I’m having a nervous what!?”
“You’re having
a Nervous Brickdown. It’s quite common this time of year. You’re busy,
over-stressed, and find yourself playing a new puzzler from Eidos’s Secret Stash
Games label.”
I had no idea
what he was talking about. So I did what any sane person would do and grabbed my
DS and ran for the door.
…
Nervous
Brickdown is a rare gem. “Oh no, not the rare gem statement,” moans the hardcore
gamer. “Like I haven’t heard that one before.” But it’s true. This looks like
another Arkanoid clone for the Nintendo DS. Whether you love or loathe that
game, the thought of another ball-bouncer might not seem too appealing.
But what if a
developer was clever enough to use Arkanoid not for cloning, but as the
groundwork to form an entirely new kind of puzzle-shooter-adventure? Would you
think they were crazy or be deeply intrigued?
Symptom 1:
Smiling
Nervous
Brickdown is a game that dares to think outside the standard use of the Nintendo
DS technology. Ten different modes are featured, with gameplay types as varied
as golf, action/platformer, platform drawing, platform color changing, and space
shooting. That last one is Arkanoid meets a top-down, upward-scrolling shooter
(think Ikaruga with a ball and paddle). The spaceship players control is encased
in a transparent sphere that allows the ball to bounce off from any angle.
Spaceship controls are open-ended – you may drag the ship to any location in the
stage. This makes it possible to strike the ball just before it falls through
the danger zone (anywhere below the screen).
It’s fun from
the start and looks pretty cool, but you won’t be smiling just yet – that comes
after a power-up has been dropped. Once collected, the power-up triggers a brief
stream of gunfire that destroys enemy ships. The game doesn’t get too crazy, but
you will have dozens of circular blasts to evade, which is what makes the
power-ups an integral part of your success. But it’s not the only part, as
players still have to make certain that the ball never falls through the cracks.
It essentially boils down to three different simultaneous objectives: keep the
ball bouncing, keep your ship out of harm’s way, and destroy as many enemies as
possible.
Another
smile-inducing mode is Paper, a series of stages where you draw your own
platform. The platform can be of any shape up to a certain size (it seems to be
about 1/20 of one DS screen, but don’t quote me on it). That sounds like a cool
idea, but it would’ve sucked if the platform were only unique in its visuals
alone. Well guess what – the visuals aren’t the only thing influenced by your
stylus artwork. The ball interacts with whatever shape you produce.
Draw a straight
or angled line to knock the ball to one side. Make a half-circle to more
accurately catch and throw the ball in a variety of directions. Create a
crooked, open-top square for other interesting effects. Draw circles,
rectangles, scribbles – anything your hand can muster.
As an added
treat, fans of quirky Japanese games will enjoy Paper’s art style. Ink blobs
appear in each stage and will fall after they have been destroyed. This is done
by hitting the ball against the blobs, which are to be captured and, like a
child’s coloring book, scribbled into existing animal shapes. In this way,
Nervous Brickdown is happily distracting. There is never a time when only one
objective is presented. You will always have other things to consider while that
ball ricochets across the two screens.
Also, in stages
where the platform can be moved in any direction, the ball’s speed is determined
by how fast it is hit by the platform, leading us to the second symptom.
Symptom 2:
Addiction
Water. So clear
and refreshing, and so delicious when mixed with sugar, caramel color, and corn
syrup. It also serves to inspire game developers. In this case, it led to an
awesome mode where you must use your ball to free and catch the “Waterboys,” who
are trapped on floating platforms. The platform under your command is a black
submarine. While under water, the ball moves slower, giving you a little extra
time to whack it back to the surface.
That time, no
matter how small, is very necessary. Because once the ball hits a Waterboys’
platform, it’ll start to tip and knock the boys into the water, where dangerous
spikes threaten their lives. Only two Waterboys may be lost. After that you lose
one ball. The same goes for if you fail to catch a ball. Hence, every second
counts.
When a Waterboy
hits the submarine, he bounces up once before hitting the sub a second time. If
the boy hits it twice (as needed to be rescued), a bubble will form over his
body. He’ll float to the surface where a helicopter, or some other vehicle, will
take him to safety. If a boy falls through and hits the spikes, watch for an
amusing death animation. The Waterboy, now heading off to Heaven, grows wings of
an angel and flies up to his new home.
Then there’s
Speed, a game where the ball is trailed by a solid color and comes flying at
your platform like a deadly laser beam. In Switch players must change the color
of their platform to match that of the ball, whose color is determined by the
last block it hits before coming back down to the bottom screen. Curve is yet
another new take on this style of gaming. You command a golf club and must
strike a ball that is affected by gravity. No free-roaming bounce – this ball
slams down every time.
Retro is the
slowest mode, but it’s no less inspired. You play a simple Arkanoid-style game
on the bottom screen while a young boy hops around the top screen. His reason
for being does not become clear until he comes to an enemy, at which time the
player must push the jump button to make him leap over the approaching threat.
It gets intense, though not necessarily fast, pretty quickly.
The bottom
screen is split into two halves, both of which have a separate playing field
with their own balls, blocks and moving platforms. Both sides must be attended
to – you lose a life every time one ball is lost. At the same time you have to
push the jump button at key points to make guy on top avoid gaps and enemies.
This is no doubt a reference to the platformers of the 80s. The developers
weren’t very specific with which game they were trying to parody, so it’s likely
that each player will come to his or her own conclusion.
Symptom 3: A
Willingness to Give Praise
If you’re
feeling the need to spread the news to others – to let the world know that there
is a new, Arkanoid-inspired game that’s worth owning – you’re experiencing the
third symptom of a Nervous Brickdown. Don’t fight it, and don’t waste time
calling your doctor. There’s no known cure. Just give up and give into your
addiction.
|
|
Gameplay: 8.3
An excellent and
ridiculously diverse collection of brand-new games that were inspired by the
brick-blasting, ball-bouncing games of the 80s (Arkanoid being the first and
most well-known). Nervous Brickdown has trumped the pack and become the new
king.
Graphics:
7.6
Simple but artistic,
Nervous Brickdown effectively uses Flash-style visuals to create a great-looking
DS game.
Sound: 8.0
If you’re a fan of
music that’s quirky and catchy, crank your DS speakers. Otherwise…no, there is
no otherwise. Just crank ‘em.
Difficulty: Medium
Nervous Brickdown
isn’t an overly difficult game, but you will be challenged from time to time.
Concept: 8.6
Cleverly absorbs
some of our industry’s most unique ideas and combines them for a game that’s
unlike anything you’ve ever played.
Multiplayer: 8.0
Awesome! Not only
does the game support single-card play, but its multiplayer feature is a clever
co-op mode. Each player is assigned a different platform – hit it when the ball
matches your platform’s color.
Overall: 8.3
A must-own for fans
of Arkanoid or any similar-style game. Nervous Brickdown is a great achievement
not only for this genre but also for other types of puzzle games and space
shooters. Make sure you’re near a power outlet when playing this game, ‘cause
you’re going to need a constant stream of electricity to re-energize the DS
battery life you’re destined to drain.
