GENRE
	Puzzle
	DEVELOPER
	Taito
	PUBLISHER
	Ubi Soft
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-2
	CONNECTIVITY
	no
	BUY NOW AT

The other day I was at Future Shop and I was perusing the jazz section when I saw a Gamecube video end cap that had several of the usual GameCube games on it. One of them caught my eye and it wasn’t because of the snazzy multi-fluorescent colors on the cover either. It was the price tag. $29.99 Canadian. The game was Bust-A-Move 3000 and for that price I was defiantly in for a purchase. What's more, that evening a sexy, robust lady friend of mine was going to be coming over to the Mattei estate and I figured that Bust-A-Move 3000 would be the perfect can opener… errrr… ice breaker for us to get to know each other.

That night, the game worked. In more ways than one.

visuals

What did you expect? There’s no blurring effects as you hit a massive chain of bubble explosions or incredible lense flaring as the balls graze off each other. This is Bust-A-Move and the only thing that I require out of this game’s graphics are that I can see exactly what colors are which. I have a slight case of color blindness but I remember that Acclaim’s versions of these Bust-A-Move titles always left you a bit confused as to which string you were aiming at (especially on the GBA). What is more is that developers some times try to take this formula and spruce it up with moving backgrounds which serve no other purpose than to confuse the player.

Thankfully, Taitio and Ubi Soft used crisp 2D visuals that quite simply get the job done here. The characters are classic Bust-A with cel-shaded animations that are Japanacute.

audio

I was looking for the options as soon as I made one “string”. The sound effect for the “pop” is turned so high that it almost scared my date that night out of her pants. So I naturally went in to the option menu and raised the SFX volume. After she left I thankfully lowered it way down. The sound effects are what you’d expect from a Bust-A game - cute and timely. While the music goes a little beyond the realm of the MIDI cheese that Nintendo insists upon putting in their games, it could be a lot better. Just listen to the effect that an incredible soundtrack had on the N64 Tetris titles. Neil Voss RULES!!

gameplay

Tatio and Ubi really nailed this one. They kept it simple and stuck to the tried and true formula. With a basic puzzle mode and a normal mode with more challenging puzzles. There’s also a Vs. mode against the computer and a human. More on this mode in the multiplayer section.

In reality, this game is so needed on the Cube because, unlike it’s N64 cousin, there are really little to no puzzle games on the system. I happen to be a big Bust-A_Move fan. You simply can’t get tired of reversed Tetris with bubbles instead of bricks. It’s fun when friends come over, girlfriends grind you that you’re playing too much hockey, or when just about ANYBODY comes over.

In terms of control. The game handles beautifully. The A button fires your bubbles while the L and R button fine tune the left to right movement. Of course, the analog or digital pad handles the bulk of the movement. The one thing that can get messed up with these games is the physics on how the bubble bounds off of the walls. Thankfully it works like a charm here. Good job.

While there aren’t a plethora of gameplay modes, this game gets the job done and gets the feeling of Bust-A-Move across. I feel like I’m at the local bakery every time I put this one in.

multiplayer

UBI! Shame on you! No four player mode? Terrible choice. Four player modes in the New Tetris were a piss where you could assign the blocks that you were sending on. Considering that this title is coming out for a generation later… it’s inexcusable not to have a four player mode here. This would have greatly added to the game play and it’s a shame that it’s not here.

overall

I must be getting older because the other day I was fretting over how much F-Zero was stressing me. It made me want to play Splinter Cell or a Golf game that’s relaxed and just you against the course/world. Something at a more leisurely pace. Well Bust-A-Move has that appeal. You can take your time through the puzzle mode or enjoy battling against a friend. While it isn’t groundbreaking, it is well done. The one thing that I can’t tolerate though is that it’s only a two player game.

6.5/10