'Boom Blox: Bash Party' (Wii)

Also available on: N/A
Genre: Puzzle
Developer: EA Los Angeles
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release date: May 29, 2009

When Steven Spielberg signed a deal with Electronic Arts, it came as a bit of a shock that his first project was a puzzle game for the Wii. The resulting Boom Blox was released just over a year ago to universal acclaim. At a time when many hardcore Nintendo fans felt let down by the Wii's overly casual content, Boom Blox was a title that genuinely appealed to hardcore and casual alike, thanks to a blend of accessible and addictive action. A year later the sequel arrives, which somehow manages to build on its predecessor as well as topple any preconceived notions that Boom Blox couldn’t get any better.

For the most part Bash Party’s gameplay remains the same as the original. Players work their way through the 400+ levels by knocking over Jenga-esque towers of blocks with numerous different projectiles, including baseballs, bombs and bowling balls. There are also levels which require gamers to gently remove parts of various structures without incurring any penalties, while other levels that see gamers lobbing coloured paint at blocks in order to make them disappear in groups of four (think Bejewelled).

In order to throw things at the precarious towers, players must hold down the A button to keep the cursor in place and flick the Wii Remote forward in a throwing motion. With an impressive physics engine employed to make the block tumbling mirror reality, the velocity and angle of the throws become important factors, especially when attempting to win the game's gold medals, which are often awarded for meeting conditions such as fewest throws. In the levels requiring block removal, pressing and holding the A button grabs a block, while a steady hand is required to pluck the block from danger. As the game goes on, the puzzles get harder and wrought with more obstructions, meaning that more thought must go into where you will throw that first projectile or move that first block.

Despite the familiarity of the gameplay, Bash Party freshens things up by adding blocks and locations with different properties. Among the new blocks are those with infectious properties that explode when they come into contact with others, as well as powerful cannons which cause the same bomb damage but are fired with greater force. A slingshot has also been introduced, which allows players to grab on to any block or character, pull back with the Wii-remote and fire in the facing direction. All of the new tools positively add to the experience, without messing with the familiar 'destroy as much as you can in the smallest number of turns' gameplay. New location types have also been added; there are now underwater and zero gravity levels, which mess with the physics engine and require a slightly different thought process in order to succeed - although once again the means and end remains the same.

With a few improvements and a massive 400 levels to play through, EA would be forgiven for calling it a day and leaving it at that, but Bash Party also sees the return of the level creator, with more levels available to download for free online. The level creator comes with a vast array of options, while navigation is made easy thanks to a helpful tutorial that covers just about everything. To search for levels, players can select the option in the game's theme park inspired hub. In addition to solo and multiplayer levels, there are also freestyle stages, which serve no purpose other than to show off player's design skills, imagination and the in-game physics engine. If that's too general for you, specifically themed levels can be linked to from the level select screen in the various single player arenas.

While the single player fun ends with a paltry 400 levels and the infinite possibility of user-generated stages, the game features an excellent multiplayer, which manages to make the enjoyable single player experience look like a night in with a heartbroken Peter Andre. Players can play with or against each other, with the most fun coming when trying to out-score your opponent with a killer throw or subtle pluck. The games can be a surprisingly tense affair, and are often the equivalent of both going for the black ball in pool, knowing that anything but success will set your opponent up for the win. It means that caution is sometimes needed, despite the natural instinct to throw as hard as you can.

Perhaps Boom Blox: Bash Party's only real flaw is that it looks like a second rate budget title both in game and on the shelf. The production values are very un-Spielberg, with poor cut-scenes that make minor attempts to tell a story, a slightly lacklustre level select system based in the world's smallest theme park, and terrible box art that will do very little to attract the eye of an unaware consumer. The latter is especially unwelcome, as it may genuinely detract oblivious gamers from buying a title of such high quality. With the ability to create and share levels, the more people who own Bash Party the better - as the current selection of user-generated levels contains many decent efforts, but few real gems.

For those willing to overlook the poor presentation, Boom Blox: Bash Party is a cracking game with lots to offer. Despite the original's quality, Bash Party manages to make improvements without compromising standards. With so much to do, Bash Party has an almost endless lifespan, whether it's a night in on your own, a small gathering or house party, do yourself a favour and get the party started with this Boom Blox sequel.


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