Groovin’ Blocks (Retail Version)
The WiiWare hit arrives on store shelves
Tags: Groovin Blocks Categories: Reviews, Wii Reviews
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Oct 1st, 2009
I like puzzle games. I’ve never been shy about this particular bias I have. I was looking forward to playing Groovin’ Blocks on the Wii as I wasn’t able to catch it when it debuted as a downloadable title. Everybody I know that downloaded the game seemed to enjoy it, so I was more than happy to place he disc version in my Wii.
After some price checking, I noticed the boxed copy is twice as much as the downloadable version. This doesn’t seem right, unless there is a host of new content, but that isn’t the case. Sure, there is “more” of the game in the form of levels/songs, but some of the core gameplay hasn’t improved.
To this end, what I found most bothersome is the lack of online multiplayer. Groovin’ Blocks is the kind of game which screams for multiplayer action, which there is, but some online options would have opened up the shelf life of the game.
How is Groovin’ Blocks to play? Well, it’s quite fun. Players drop a colored block onto the playing field to match various blocks of colors to clear the field. This is a simple enough game mechanic, but the added twist is that the score is better when pieces are dropped in syncopation with the beat of the music. It’s a good combination of genres that seems to be finding some solid gaming ground.
To get the hang of the game a tutorial may be necessary. Unfortunately, it’s text based. Who made this decision? Since timing to the beat is of paramount importance, one would expect the tutorial to cover this aspect of the gameplay.
Like most good puzzle games, Groovin’ Blocks features an easy concept that is difficult to master. This would have been a great game had it been open to additional songs, not just the generic techo/electronica stuff. A few licensed numbers available in download packs (and that online multiplayer) would have really set the game into a “must have” category. While there are some new songs/levels, they don’t justify the jump in price from the downloadable WiiWare version to the disc version.
While I was hoping to wholeheartedly recommend Groovin’ Blocks, that isn’t the case. Fans of puzzle games and the relatively new sub-genre of rhythm puzzles will find enough here to enjoy, but with the understanding that it isn’t as good as it could be. It may not even be a great introduction to the genre. The game, however, is good enough to warrant a sequel which will hopefully (if ever developed) address some of the issues holding Groovin’ Blocks back from wider appeal.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
| + Good puzzle and rhythm game | 6.5 |
| What Doesn't | |
| - Twice the price of the downloadable version but not twice the content - Missing online multiplayer - Small gameplay tweaks would have made the game much smoother to play (such as the tutorial) | |
| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| Get the download version. It's a good game, but at $20 it's too much in the face of the WiiWare version. | |
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Tags: Groovin Blocks
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Oct 1st, 2009 and is filed under Reviews, Wii Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
