May 17th, 2008 by AlmightyMax
Multi player
As good as the single player options are the game really gets its legs in multi player. Boom Blox offers up competitive and cooperative multi player for up to four players. It can be played all with one Wii remote if you wish. Much like in single player there are laundry lists of levels to play; you can topple towers of point blocks, knock down an opponent’s fort, or try to make blocks fly onto a multiplier board. Once you get skilled and sneaky, you can actually line up your shots to hit still-falling blocks from your opponents, stealing their score and forcing players to come up with new strategies. Even the pull levels, flawed as they are, get new life in multi player mode as well. It really takes the Jenga concept and runs with it, offering up mind-boggling structures for players to dismantle. Playing with friends, Boom Blox gets dangerously addictive and competitive, and there are enough level styles to ensure you’re engaged for a long time.
Level editor
Further enhancing the impressive replay value is a robust level editor. While the level editor is slower than it should be, it’s easy enough for anyone to make their own levels the same caliber as the developer’s levels. Any sort of structure can be built if you give it the time and patience and you can assign whatever rules you like allowing the levels to be entirely your own. Levels can also be traded with friends via WiiConnect24, making the replay value almost endless. The only flaw with the level editor is that you can’t tell what the physics will do to it until you hit the ‘Play’ button – something I recommend doing often. It really hurts to see a great level ruined because of one messed up support.
Boom Blox is no slouch visually, but don’t expect the graphics to floor you. The great physics engine uses most of the Wii’s processing power and doesn’t leave much to make the graphics technically advanced. Apart from the annoying domino-esque characters, the look is very clean and unobtrusive – just how a puzzle game should be. And while the music is entirely forgettable, the sound effects are usually great - there’s lots of noises coming from the Wii remote’s speaker and the convincing explosions help make the game feel more immersive.
Must-have casual
All in all, Boom Blox is a great puzzle game and a must-have title for the casual crowd. Literally anyone can get into the game in a matter of seconds and the extremely addictive multi player mode ensures no one will want to leave for a long time. It’s one of the Wii’s most accessible and addictive offerings, and if you're in the market for a good party game Boom Blox is the one to pick up.
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