The colourful orbs with monsters inside are back - in 3D this time. The incredibly popular arcade puzzle game franchise, Bust-a-Move makes its return today, via a Nintendo 3DS cartridge from developer Taito and publisher Square-Enix. It's the latest entry in the long running series (that is also known as Puzzle Bobble,) that first debuted in local arcades in 1994, eating many quarters throughout the years (including some of my own.) This time, the fast-paced puzzle action is taken to the final frontier: outer space, where the orb popping dinosaur duo must save their friends from their evil captors by completing colour-based orb puzzles of varying difficulty, throughout the galaxy.
Though the game doesn't focus heavily on story, there is a bit of one. It seems like a group of evil minions have captured the main characters' friends, taking them to different planets across the galaxy. In the campaign mode, it is your responsibility to not only beat all of the puzzles each planet throws at you, but to also find the keys that will help you unlock the bubble-shaped prison pods that your friends are unfortunately held captive in. If you're up to the task, you're next in line to blast off. Just be warned that the task is tougher than it may seem, and requires a lot of thinking and concentration.
The Bust-a-Move franchise is known for its gravity and colour based bubble puzzles. Players must eliminate all of the coloured bubbles (each of which contain monsters inside of them) from the puzzle screen by joining three or more similarly coloured bubbles together. When similar bubbles are joined together, they will pop, and will sometimes take other bubbles with them if they were their structural support. The goal is to try to eliminate all of the bubbles from the top screen before the roof caves in. Though, you must also be wary of letting any bubbles cross the bottom line because that is an immediate failing grade. It's a very basic design that has worked well for years, addicting some gamers and impressing many. This latest release sees the same structure, but with some new additions.
Players can always see what the next bubble type will be, as it's shown at the bottom left-hand side of the screen. Though special bubbles are also at their disposal (once a meter has been filled by popping a certain amount of bubbles.) These special bubbles can really change the playing field, as each of the several different types has its own abilities. There are rainbow bubbles which can be shot out individually and act as any colour, allowing you to eliminate a stubborn group of orbs. Though the most helpful one is a special bubble that pops every bubble in its cone-shaped radius. Other special bubbles are available, such as a bubble that alters the colour of a small group of bubbles (chosen by the player.) These special bubbles can help you finish a level quickly and do carry over into the next round, so you must choose wisely as to when you're going to use them. Since you can get large amounts of bonus points if you clear puzzles quickly, you will sometimes find yourself using them on easier puzzles just to get that bonus.
The game scores you based on not only the amount of bubbles you pop and with bonuses for completion and time, but also how you pop all of the bubbles on the screen. Bubbles that you pop by linking three or more together are worth a smaller amount of points than bubbles that are dropped. That means that you have to constantly be thinking ahead to plan your next move, in order to try to unlock the highest score possible if that's what interests you. The scoring system adds a lot of depth to the game and will keep people coming back for more, once they've completed the campaign. Bonus points are also awarded if you burst a bunch of bubbles at once, as you are given a certain amount of time to shoot bonus shots which pop after the time limit is up and take like-coloured bubbles with them. You are also ranked at the end of each level as to whether you finished all of the puzzles, defeated the boss and/or popped all of the key bubbles in order to unlock your friend's prison. If you missed something, you can go back anytime to revisit a planet. Luckily, if you ever do fail a round, you can restart at the beginning of it, without having to re-do the planet's previous puzzles. Badges can be earned for completing puzzles in certain ways.
New additions to Bust-a-Move Universe include survival modes, plus the aforementioned boss battles and key orbs. The survival mode challenges allow you to take on a set amount of bubbles, to try to get the best score possible in the shortest period of time. You can choose whether you'd like to face 100 bubbles or even unlimited bubbles, which is the variation that I found to be the most fun part of the game. I enjoyed having a constant stream of bubbles coming at me, as it can become quite hectic and is fun to work at. I've been doing quite well in that mode and still have a game saved that I will return to, as I've made it really far without failing at all. The varying backdrops during that mode are a nice touch, as you get to fly over the different planets from the campaign. Different difficulty options are available for this mode.
Boss battles are very simple, but are made challenging by the fact that you're on a strict time limit and do not get the chance to restart the fight at any time. Your goal during these fights is to shoot bombs at a floating boss orb, attaching three in a line to deal the boss an explosive blow. You're able to shoot them quickly, but later boss battles feature bombs of different colours that do not work together. This incorporates a lot of strategy into the boss encounters, and makes them a lot more difficult. I had fun with this mode, though it was brief. It was challenging and a new twist on the core gameplay experience that Bust-a-Move has been known for.
Players get to control where they will shoot their next coloured bubble or bomb, by rotating a wheel that is at the bottom of the top 3D screen. This can be done either by using the 3DS' new circle pad or its directional pad. I found that the d-pad was much more accurate, especially when I needed to make a really tough shot. The circle pad worked pretty well for the most part, but I encountered a weird issue where my movement would stop for a second or two, while using it. There were also times where the wheel would go the opposite way I was pressing it for a second. I'm quite sure it wasn't me screwing up, as it happened quite often and I glanced down to see where my thumb was angled. These issues would pop up a few times during puzzles, but I found that they weren't there when I used the d-pad. The touchscreen isn't used during puzzles, but can be used to toggle through menus. During gameplay, it shows your score, progress and keys earned.
When I popped the cartridge into the back of the 3DS, I wasn't sure of what to expect from the game from a visual standpoint (especially in relation to 3D.) Though I was quite intrigued. Overall, I was impressed with the game's visual style and its use of 3D. The game's art style is very similar to what it was back in 1994, but the moving backdrops as the camera swoops over each planet's base add some variety to the visuals, which I liked. You can see depth between the puzzle screen and the backdrop behind it, which was impressive. The coloured bubbles are vivid and also pulse towards you and back in 3D, which I thought was a nice touch. When their bubbles are popped, the monsters inside fall into oblivion, and you can visibly see the differences in depth as they fall into the background. Menus, congratulations images and your score lists feel like they're floating above the puzzle action when they're shown. I was impressed with the game's visual style, but I was even more impressed by its use of the third-dimension.
Though the game's sound isn't as impressive as its use of 3D, it still alright. Its original score is upbeat, but forgetting, though it deserves applause for not being annoying or overbearing. There are some sound effects which sound okay, but the one that you will hear the most (the sound that is played when you shoot a bubble or bomb) will annoy some people after a while. I didn't find the sound to be all that annoying myself, but can see how it could bug others. This isn't the type of game where you would expect outstanding audio and, though I wasn't blown away by its quality by any means, I didn't dislike it either. It's quite basic and ho-hum, overall.
In conclusion, I must say that I enjoyed Bust-a-Move Universe. I haven't had a lot of experience with puzzle games in the past, but this one impressed me with its addictive qualities and fun core puzzle gameplay. There is a lack of available game modes, but it's the type of game that is best played in short bursts, and should keep players coming back for quick sessions for a while. Fans will enjoy the new additions, and the game itself, despite the odd issue with the circle pad control option. Bust-a-Move Universe is worth picking up if you're a fan of the series, or a puzzle fan in general. It's easier on the wallet than most of the 3DS launch titles, as it's only retailing for $29.99 as opposed to the regular $39.99 price tag. Just make sure that you pop all of the bubbles before gravity takes its toll on you.
Rating: 7/10
Bust-a-Move Universe is out today (March 27, 2011) for the Nintendo 3DS. It sells for $29.99.
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