BOOM BLOX Bash Party

true                           <object height="380" width="425"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="quality" value="high" /> <param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff" /> <param name="src" value="/video.swf?video=/videos/converted/1243536957JKFBq7Lv23.flv" /> <param name="name" value="video" /> <param name="align" value="middle" /><embed src="/video.swf?video=/videos/converted/1243536957JKFBq7Lv23.flv" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="380" width="425"></embed> </object>                                                                  Check out the video review. 2008's Boom Blox introduced the world to Stephen Spielberg's first foray into gaming, and while his influence was arguable, the game turned out to be one of the best titles on the Wii. After the original shipped, the film director went back to EA with more ideas, and Boom Blox Bash Party was born. This time around, the game doesn't anchor itself to the traditional rules of gravity and physics, and instead takes the ideas from the original and enhances them significantly. Is this sequel the director's game equivalent of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom? Or is it more in line with the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? Boom Blox tasks players with throwing, pulling, and sliding objects around a game world using the Wii's motion controls, in what looks at first glance like a video of people playing Jenga with those sticky hands that come out of those machines outside of supermarkets. Or with bowling balls. In the first game, it was easy to quickly learn the rules of each board, as it followed the general laws we're all accustomed to: things fall down. In Bash Party, while things still do fall down, there are plenty of different ways they might do so. With the inclusion of underwater and outer-space levels, the traditional rules don't always apply, adding more puzzle possibilities.  <img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/gamervision_production/1240707133cHBe0FhBBH.jpg" height="434" alt="" width="620" /> Besides the obvious enhancements that come with modified gravity, EA has also added new toys to play with, including cannons, slingshots, virus blocks, and others. Even compared to the original, Bash Party has ingenious level design that should bring gamers back time and time again. Not only that, but all of the levels were made using the in-game editor, which has been expanded with sharing features comparable to those found in LittleBigPlanet. It's easy to jump online, find new levels, and instantly start playing, with very little load time in between. EA's hands have been busy in the past year, and learning the ins and outs of Nintendo's system has definitely worked out for them. Though it's definitely worthwhile as a singleplayer experience, Boom Blox Bash Party's emphasis is right in the title. Nearly all of the game's levels come unlocked for multiplayer from the get-go, meaning nearly 400 different ways to play out of the box. Be it competitively or co-operatively, Bash Party offers some of the best multiplayer on the system, and easily outperforms the original. All of the game's new tools are available in multiplayer, meaning there's little chance gamers will run out of things to do anytime soon. The lack of true online play hinders the game a bit, but Bash Party is absolutely a game meant to play while in close proximity with some friends. <img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/gamervision_production/1240707028z4MQiiFwgx.jpg" height="434" alt="" width="620" /> Boom Blox Bash Party retains the same charm and style as the original, without adding much in the graphics department. They have, however, been cleaned up a bit. Where the original Boom Blox had no story at all, Bash Party actually and adds what amounts to glints of a narrative. Each set of missions is prefaced with a short cut-scene made entirely of still images, introducing the levels to follow. They're never more than a few seconds long, but it adds a lot in the way of presentation, tying together the levels well, and setting the mood for the following few minutes of gameplay. The game world, which was nothing more than a menu in the prequel, is now a full blown hub in the guise of a Theme Park. The actual levels themselves have also been upgraded, and the cardboard cut-out backgrounds of the previous game have been replaced with fully-rendered objects. In terms of overall presentation, the game has actually been made more accessible while still managing to be effectively deeper. Players are now rewarded "Boom Bux" for successful play, which can be spent to unlock levels or objects that would otherwise be rewarded as objectives are completed. This means anyone stuck on a specific board won't need to continue trying to hours on end, and can simply spend a few hundred in-game points to skip the level. Beyond that, the criteria for winning medals at the end of each level has been changed for the better, meaning it's easier than it was before to earn a bronze, while it's harder than it was before to earn a gold. This means no one will need to fail at the game, but the hardcore will still be rewarded for their work. <img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/gamervision_production/1240707072UKRYsyYdez.jpg" height="434" alt="" width="620" /> With 400 original levels, new game modes and tools, and a robust level creator, Boom Blox Bash Party is in no way a cheap cash-in. It packs more content than most releases, and is a shining example of what developers should strive for in terms of multiplayer on the Wii. There's no one this game isn't for, and if you consider yourself a fan of fun it's definitely worth picking up. <img src="/contributed/1239819838O76TBldH33.jpg" height="125" alt="" width="245" /> <a href="http://www.gamerankings.com/"><img src="/contributed/12049090913D6uenyIJz.jpg" height="42" alt="" width="111" /></a><a href="http://www.metacritic.com/games"><img src="/contributed/1204909164Gepk74pXtB.jpg" height="51" alt="" width="154" /></a>   review

2009-05-28T15:33:17-04:00

9032

8832

2009-05-28T20:36:30-04:00

2009-05-28T15:33:17-04:00

12024

8.5

boom_blox_bash_party_wii published Video Review: Funnistocity BOOM BLOX Bash Party - Wii

2009-05-28T20:36:30-04:00

328