Bust-A-Move Deluxe
Busting the PSP has never been so fun
Tags: Bust-A-Move Deluxe Categories: PSP Reviews, Reviews
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on May 2nd, 2006
| Title | Players | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bust-A-Move Deluxe (title page) | 1 - 2 | ||
| Developer | Publisher | Genre | Online |
| Puzzle | No | ||
I have been a fan of the Bust-A-Move games for years – long before I ever started working as a game reviewer. Many years ago I remember spending (too much) money on an arcade cabinet that allowed the player to shoot different colored balls up to a playing field in an attempt to connect and chain them together. The basic gameplay was simple, and is something that hasn’t changed over the years.
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There have been gentle shifts over the course of the franchises life, along with platform specific gimmicks. There have been new modes introduced, thankfully not all at once allowing them to naturally grow and evolve with the game over time. Now the series hits Sony’s portable platform and while initially I held the notion of playing the vertically oriented game on a horizontal screen with much reserve, I waited to give final judgment until the game was in my hands – and I am glad I did so.
Any fan of the puzzle genre that owns a PSP must absolutely buy this game. Yes, it’s possible to pick up one of the “console” versions and be satisfied to sit out a few iterations before picking up another one, but not only is there not a Bust-A-Move game on the PSP, this one has some new modes of play that make long time fans such as me sit up and take note.
The core gameplay is still very much intact. There is no need to mess with a good thing. Instead Bust-A-Move Deluxe builds on the idea of bursting chains of bubbles with some new modes that really help to bring a freshness to the series as well as being a great portable game.
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There is one mode, Time Warp, where the bubbles shot vary in speed. This really isn’t worth much and just plays like a normal game. Hopefully this is the only time we will see it. The other three new modes, however, help to make this game a must own. The Running Launcher has the bubble launcher sliding continuously from left to right at the bottom of the screen – and when combined with having to angle the shots, it just adds another layer of difficulty and strategy to the game.
Shot Puzzle has players attempting to clear the playing field with one single bubble. This is the closest the series has gotten to a true “puzzle mode” outside of the traditional gameplay. My favorite, however, is Mix ‘Em Up where the bubbles will change color – not just once (as will happen with the wild card rainbow bubble) but continuously throughout game. It takes a few tries to get the hang of it, but once you do, there is almost no going back.
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It wouldn’t be a good Bust-A-Move game without multiplayer, and the game delivers here as well. Unfortunately, only ad-hoc multiplayer is supported, no internet play. Still, 2 players can go at each other busting each others bubbles in each of the 8 different modes in the game.
The audio is so-so, with a soundtrack that gets annoying and repetitive after a while. At least turning down the volume doesn’t detract from the game any.
Visually, Bust-A-Move Deluxe is a surprise. I thought that it would be hard to discern the different bubbles on the screen with a cropped playing field, but that just isn’t the case. Majesco and Taito have delivered a game that proves games don’t have to suffer when being shrunk down. Everything plays smoothly and is clear to see.
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It’s no secret that I’m a fan of puzzle games, and Bust-A-Move in particular, so it might be easy to dismiss my comments as the ranting of a fanboy. Let’s be clear, I like puzzle games, but they actually need to be good in order to get my attention and stick around longer than the review process. Bust-A-Move Deluxe has not only become a permanent companion to my PSP when I travel, it may well wind up being one of my picks for favorite games of the year.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
|
+ New puzzle modes + Visually clear (made the transition to the PSP nicely) + Core gameplay still intacts |
9.0 |
| What Doesn't | |
|
- Time Warp mode - No internet play - I want to listen to MP3s on my PSP while playing |
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| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| A must own for fans of the series, or puzzle games in general. | |
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Tags: Bust-A-Move Deluxe
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on May 2nd, 2006 and is filed under PSP 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.
