Bombastic
Will Capcom’s puzzler blow you away or is it destined to be a bomb?
Tags: Bombastic Categories: PS2 Reviews, Reviews
Posted by Jake McNeill on Oct 9th, 2003
| Title | Players | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bombastic (title page) | |||
| Developer | Publisher | Genre | Online |
| No | |||
 |
Bombastic is the sequel to a game on the original Playstation called Devil Dice. Much like its predecessor, Bombastic’s theme centers around rolling dice around a board to match like-numbered sides, now with the added volatile element of explosions. Much like its predecessor, Bombastic is a smart puzzle game whose unique gameplay sets it apart in a league of its own in the puzzle genre, but also like its predecessor, it may be a bit too smart for its own good.
For those unfamilliar with the Devil Dice premise, players control a cutesy cartoony devil moving around on a field of dice, attempting to match like-numbered dice in sets equal or greater than the number appearing on the face. In otherwords, you can clear dice with a five on the face by moving five or more into place next to each other. While walking around the board, players mostly move from on top of the dice, rolling the dice as they go along, thus having them constantly changing underneath your feet as you roll them along, and adding another layer of strategy to your movements.
 |
In Bombastic, the dice do not immediately disappear when matched, instead starting a countown that has the dice exploding moments afterwards, with the explosion capable of arming other blocks, and so on and so forth, setting off a chain reaction that has the potential to light up the entire board with explosions, which can have you raking up truckloads of points so long as you’re careful not to get caught in the blast.
This change is primarily what sets this game apart from its predecessor, and although it doesn’t seem like much at first, it soon becomes apparent that it works to make the game a different creature. The ability to move even after dice are matched keeps the game flowing, and the juxtaposition of the need to match the dice and danger created by doing so adds a wonderful element of risk to the game. Do you go for the glory and build on a combo that’s set to explode, or keep a safe distance so you’re not blown away yourself.
 |
Also new to the game is the Quest mode, which replaces Devil Dice’s Puzzle mode. Featuring the game’s cutesey characters off on a quest to meet their grandpa, the mode actually takes the game’s concepts a step farther, having players solve puzzles to get through a labyrinth of monsters. As long as you can stand the disgustingly-cute characters and storyline, this mode is a great addition that adds to the longevity of the one-player mode, although it still comes off feeling a bit short. This isn’t too much of an issue though, as the game packs enough other stuff to keep players busy for a while, including the original Devil Dice (In the form of the ability to select the original game’s rules) as an unlockable bonus.
The game’s graphical presentation is almost as minimalistic as the original. The characters are now cel-shaded, sporting a design vaguely similar to Namco’s Klonoa 2, although far more simplistic. As far as the game’s technical merits go, this looks like a first-year PS2 title. In any other genre this would be a serious issue, but being a puzzler makes it a bit more forgivable, as this isn’t the game’s focus anyways. What isn’t forgivable is the game’s occasional slowdown, which seems absolutely ludicrous in a title this archaic-looking. Thankfully it doesn’t happen often, but it’s still a wonder it happens at all.
 |
Much like the graphics, the sound also takes the route of simplicity, offering forgettable bouncy themes, along with simple noises for the characters. Nothing impressive here, not even the sound the bombs make. Again, nothing that’s a truly great offense, given the genre, although it must be said that the game’s announcer is annoyingly over-enthusiastic (Think Dance Dance Revolution or Capcom VS. SNK 2 and you get the idea).
The game’s biggest problem, however, lies at the very core of its gameplay. As was true in Devil Dice, the dice in Bombastic are not a simple thing to maneuver around the board. In slow moments, players have the opportunity to think out how to move the die across the board so the right side will come up where they need it. But when the game gets fast and hectic, as it often does, one rarelely has the time to stop and think, and soon enough will resort to quickly rolling dice randomly across the board in hopes of making a match.
 |
This fact alone keeps Bombastic from ever being able to reach true classic status, although the game is still certainly very fun and addictive, as well as unique and inventive, and with the added fact that it’s cheap (The game has a $30 MSRP) and includes the original Devil Dice stashed away within the game, fans of the puzzle genre would do well to seek out the title.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
|
-Fun, addictive gameplay -Very original and inventive -Great value |
8.0 |
| What Doesn't | |
|
-Smart gameplay can become very difficult in hectic situations -Unimpressive graphics -Annoying announcer |
|
| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| While it may be a bit too much on the difficult side for some, Bombastic is still a wonderfully fun and inventive puzzle game. | |
[ Post the first comment | View related posts ]
Tags: Bombastic
Posted by Jake McNeill on Oct 9th, 2003 and is filed under PS2 Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
