We all have our guilty pleasures
that we don’t really advertise for others to know about. When you’ve been
playing games for a long time eventually you’ll run across a game or two that
you might hide from your friends. For me the Bubble Bobble/Bust-A-Move series
have always been my own guilty pleasure. I don’t live, breath or sleep these
games; instead I enjoy them from time to time and look forward when a new
version comes out. When I read that a new Bust-A-Move was scheduled for the
Nintendo DS I jumped at the chance to play the game.
Space Bust-A-Move doesn’t try to
reinvent the pleasing gameplay formula from the previous games. The game still
plays the same with you shooting bubbles (blocks, balls, etc) trying to match up
three bubbles of the same color to make them disappear. Once you clear all of
the bubbles you then move on to the next stage which is always just a little bit
harder than before. It worked in the earlier games and it still works in this
game. Anyone that has an affliction for Tetris or other block matching puzzle
games will be right at home with Space Bust-A-Move.
The main premise for Space
Bust-A-Move centers on the Cosmo Bubbles. You need to collect as many of the
Cosmo Bubbles in the game as possible but not by bursting the bubble. Instead
you have to burst all of the bubbles that surround the Cosmo Bubble. If you
match up any colors with the Cosmo Bubble the bubble will burst and you’ll have
to replay the stage to try and collect the bubble again. You’ll need to use the
drop technique of bursting bubbles, which are near other bubbles that are hanging
closely by. Once you’ve made a match the nearby bubbles will also drop and
you’ll earn extra points. Sounds simple enough but I found myself having to
play the stages several times before I could get just the right setup to collect
the Cosmo Bubble. This adds a nice replay value to the game since each stage
never plays the same way twice.
The story mode does contain a mildly
interesting story that is told via cut scenes before and after you clear a
level. The story mode does contain some challenging boss battles that will
require some split-second timing in popping just the right bubbles at the right
time. The versus modes splits the screens up with the top screen being your
opponent and the bottom screen being your playing area. It’s a race to pop the
most bubbles as soon as possible with some extra power-ups to make the gameplay
really interesting. My favorite power-up (or least favorite) was the Eraser,
which made the pointed arrow disappear so you didn’t know which direction you
were shooting.
The Endless mode lets you play a
never-ending game as long as you can keep the bubbles cleared. The game will
keep going until you either quit or the screen is filled with bubbles. Challenge mode has you playing either a 3- or 5-minute game to see if you can get
the high score. A simple graph is kept to show the progress you make or lose
after each match. The Shop section allows you to spend the money you collect in
the game to purchase an assortment of special items. The items range from three
mini-games to customized bubbles and arrows. The Pressure mini-game has you
attempting to pop all the bubbles with a single shot. The Factory mini-game has
you trying to clear the stage with a set number of shots. Finally the puzzle
mode has you trying to solve puzzles to move on to the next stage.
In my opinion it’s really hard to
mess up a Bubble Bobble/Bust-A-Move game. The gameplay is easy enough for
almost anyone to pick up and play, while the characters are charming enough to
please young and older gamers. Thankfully Space Bust-A-Move gives us a few unique
twists on the classic gameplay (Boss Battles, Cosmo Bubbles and Shop mode) for
hardcore fans to be excited while giving new gamers the same easy gameplay. If
you enjoy puzzle games I really can’t see how you can’t find something to enjoy
with Space Bust-A-Move.
Gameplay: 7.7
You’re shooting bubbles to match three colors/patterns in a row. The standard
controller gameplay still feels better to me then playing with a stylus.
Graphics: 8.0
This is probably one of the best looking Bust-A-Move games I can remember on a
portable system. Some of the backgrounds have tons of animation that we haven’t
really seen before in a Bust-A-Move game. The game is very colorful and bright
with some nice anime overtones to it.
Sound: 7.5
Japanese style music that never seems to distract from the game and will
occasionally have you humming along.
Concept: 6.5
Ok, honestly this really is the same Bust-A-Move game just set in space. What’s
next, Zombie Bust-A-Movie?
Multiplayer: 8.0
The game offers a nice assortment of multiplayer options by including both DS
Download Play (with only one cartridge required) and Nintendo WiFi play. Only
one gameplay option is available which is versus mode.
Difficulty: Easy
No one should have a big challenge getting into this game.
Overall: 7.5
Even though the score might “only” be a 7.5 don’t take that to indicate that
Space Bust-A-Move is a slouch. This is a fun, challenging and entertaining
game that offers just the right type of gameplay that Bubble Bobble/Bust-A-Move
fans expect. For the rest of you that have never played a game in the series
feel free to get your space suits on because Space Bust-A-Move is a blast!
