Boom Blox Bash Party - Hands On

23 Mar 2009 at 16:18:31 by

Boom Blox is a game that went pretty much under the radar when it was released last year.

Not only was it a new IP no one had ever heard of (and created by Steven Spielberg), but it was also a game that was surrounded by so many other, bad, titles which desperately tried to utilise the unique Wii control system in any new way.  It's primarily because of this that Boom Blox went unnoticed, but when the novelty of all the other games wore off, Boom Blox was still being praised and played, finding new fans wherever it ended up.  So much so, that by the end of last year, it was our most featured "Game of 2008" with many of our writers choosing it above any other title.

If you're not aware of Boom Blox, then consider structures composed of blocks of different weight, size and composition pelted by tennis balls, bowling balls and baseballs in an effort to topple it.  Of course Boom Blox also offered a fantastic multiplayer and various game modes within the multiplayer, as well as varied single player missions.  In short, Boom Blox was a delightful surprise of a game which is still very much played by everyone who owns a copy.

So Boom Blox Bash Party (BBBP) has a lot to live up to.

Luckily we had a sneak peak at the title, and whilst I tentatively strapped my Wiimote to my wrist, I worried the newest iteration of the game wouldn't be able to deliver the same excitement, fun and depth of gameplay I expected from it.  Although my time on it was brief, like a date with plain Jane from next door, I could see that the game, if anything, had more depth and more gameplay options than I'd ever hoped for.

The controls are exactly the same in BBBP, there isn't too much to change really in that respect.

The difference comes in the tools you have at your disposal.  For any Boom Blox veteran, you'll be aware of the different ball type games, which we briefly touched on earlier.  One of BBBP's best features that I've seen is the slingshot tool, which allows you to effectively fire any block on the screen...whether it's a block or an animal character.

Yes, an an animal character.  You remember how those pesky pigs and cheeky chickens laughed at you in Boom Blox?  The only way to shut them up was to waste one of your few precious balls at hitting them, or swinging around a block rather precariously in the hope of smacking one, making them disappear into a puff of smoke.  Well, not so anymore in BBBP.  All the animals have their own characteristics, alliances and enemies, so not only will they fight each other on the screen, but they'll also be a blocks.  So you can use them as you would any normal block.

But normal blocks aren't just rectangular anymore.  As well as a variety of game modes, there are now a variety of block types.  Ranging from triangular shaped ramps, to cylinders (each with respective physics models) opens up a whole new way to play the game.

And it's not the only thing that's been opened up.  Boom Blox Bash Party will also take advantage of the internet, and it'll be a hive of user generated content.  Although everything will be cleared by EA before it appears online, it means that players can build their own custom levels and share them online with the community.  Effectively you'll never run out of games to play...

At it's heart BBBP is still the same game.  It's fun, exciting, challenging and very clever.  What's best is that it's not the same game re-packaged, but rather a whole new game that stays true to the original title.

We've also spoken to Amir Rahimi, Boom Blox series producer, about the game and what to expect.  You can check out the interview, with in-game footage, here.

Comment