Boom Blox (Wii) Review
Posted by Ramon Aranda on 07.01.2008
London "Blox" come falling down, falling down, falling down!
Title: Boom Blox
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Type: Puzzle
Players: 1-4
When we all heard that Steven Spielberg was working with EA to create a brand new IP for a next-gen platform, it was assumed that we would receive a Hollywood blockbuster-style game with a ton of action and special effects. So when EA announced that the game they had collaborated on was Boom Blox, you could almost hear the collective “aww's”. However, with the promise of something new and with the Spielberg name behind it, we figured that it HAD to be good. Well with Boom Blox having been played inside and out for a few weeks now, it's time to dish out the skinny on this new and unique Nintendo Wii title.
Gameplay
For starters, the game is played with the Wii remote only and you can choose to jump into the story mode or in free challenges. Of course, you have to go through the tutorial first which teaches you how to throw, pull and aim. There are various different blox in the game, each with its own properties such as blox that explode on impact, blox that disappear, fuse and explode with like blox and some that you can grab and throw. After going through the tutorial, I dove right into the story mode. Each new area has its own short story that accompanies the levels themselves. Once you enter a particular level, you are given a sort of puzzle, using whatever you were given to throw – whether that is a baseball or bowling ball. You try to knock certain blox down so you can collect gems. In other levels, you try to protect the gems you own by bombarding the enemy who come to take what's not theirs. Each enemy has a function; whether it is to attack you, sneak off with your gems or to break down your defense. The levels are somewhat short but sweet as you don't have to stay in one place for too long.
We all saw the gameplay videos and trailers that showed off the game's physics engine and frankly, that's what interested me the most. To aim, you simply move the Wii remote to a certain area, and then you push and hold the A-button while making a throwing motion. You let go of the A-button just as you finish your motion but you have to keep in mind that the game takes into account, how fast you threw to translate that on-screen. After you throw your weapon of choice, the game's physics take over. You can play the same level over and over and not see the same result twice. Everything is random as it should be and that is half of the fun. Since you're trying to complete a level by making as few throws as possible, you can find a couple of ways of getting it done. Of course that depends on your throw so it may take you a while before you can duplicate what you've done. One thing that I do have to point out is that a few times, I noticed that the game stopped recognizing the Wii remote so my on-screen reticule would sometimes stop moving or disappear all together. I'm still a little unsure as to why that is. I thought it was the battery in my remote going out but after switching to new batteries I still found the same issue.
As you progress through the story mode, or even in the challenge mode, you can unlock new areas and items to use for when you decide to create your own levels. Multiplayer was pretty fun too as you can challenge other players or play in cooperative play. You can look to play a Jenga style game or knock blox down for points for example and I really did have a good time even just playing with one other person. For those with a creative mind, you're given a pretty robust sandbox to play with when creating your own levels. You can use all of the items, enemies and blox that you unlock along the way and then share your creations with others using Wii24Connect – a great idea.
Graphics
The game won't win any awards in the graphics department, that's for sure, but EA never boasted about it's graphical capabilities either. This is all about the physics so graphics take a back seat. That's not to say the game looks horrible by any means, but it won't be anything that stands out. The game is presented in widescreen and I didn't really notice any dips in framerate. The art style almost appears as if was hand drawn, at least with some of the characters' faces and backgrounds which works just fine for me. Could the game have looked better? Perhaps, but I don't really feel it needed to and the development team knew that wasn't the point of the game anyway.
Sound
The music doesn't add much to the game but doesn't take away from it either. Simple melodies adorn the game that allow you to maintain concentration on the task at hand. The characters do make funny sound effects during battle and I got a chuckle or two along the way. You do also hear things come crashing down when you're knocking stuff over and it does match what you're seeing on screen which is great.
Fun Factor
I'll be honest; I didn't expect this game to be all that fun – at least not for too long. I'll admit though that after playing for about an hour, I couldn't put the game down. It's simplistic, yet complex and it challenges you to think with each new level and puzzle presented to you. Creating your own levels is fun to do but even better to play someone else's.
Lasting Appeal
You can go through the story mode and the challenges in a couple of hours if you're pretty good, but with user created content being front and center, you can play this game for a long time with new content. Even if you do play levels that you've already completed, since you likely won't see the same thing twice, you can try all sorts of new ways to win. Multiplayer is good fun so I can see that making for a pretty great party game when you have some friends or family over the house.
The 411
Though I had some reservations about the game before I had a chance to play, I was quickly appeased by the enjoyment that Boom Blox presents. Though it's a puzzle game, it's so much more than that and it's yet another piece of software that shows what the Nintendo Wii can do. It's unique ideas such as these that really deserve to be played by gamers, young and old. Another fine 3rd party offering for the Wii and a high recommendation from me.
I am with Ramon. Boom Blox was one of those games I wanted to
try before I buy (Don't get me wrong, I was mildly interested). There
are actually more play modes than I was led to believe at first, but
let's be honest, the best part is knocking stuff over. While this may
have seemed simple and minimally entertaining at first, I have to say
I was wrong. The game will keep you playing. Why? It is simple to
learn but hard, if possible, to master. I even gave this game the
'friend test', I handed my good friend and resident 360 (anti-Wii)
fanboy the Wii Remote and said, "try it!" He actually played it for
a few hours!
Ramon is right about the reticule "getting stuck" or lost sometimes,
especially frustrating on the harder levels that require you to act
fast. You will probably feel bad if you hit one of the poor little
block animals in the background. While Ramon feels it was a little
random, I actually feel that, in the words of Professor Layton, "every
puzzle has an answer." There were certain stages I came through where
hitting certain points would always yield similar results, but
anything from the angle to the strength of your throw can completely
change the end result, which is why Boom Blox is puzzler.
Great game, but I think it may benifit from a slightly cheaper pricetag.
When we all heard that Steven Spielberg was working with EA to create a brand new IP for a next-gen platform, it was assumed that we would receive a Hollywood blockbuster-style game with a ton of action and special effects. So when EA announced that the game they had collaborated on was Boom Blox, you could almost hear the collective “aww's”. However, with the promise of something new and with the Spielberg name behind it, we figured that it HAD to be good. Well with Boom Blox having been played inside and out for a few weeks now, it's time to dish out the skinny on this new and unique Nintendo Wii title.
Graphics
