Review: Boom Blox Video Game

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

19 Aug 2009 07:38 AM

Think of Jenga with beavers. That will give you some idea about the Steven Spielberg game, Boom Blox.

Boom Blox sets you in a far off land that would make any cubist proud. Your goal is to manipulate blocks (or blox) by knocking them down, grabbing them, pushing them, exploding them, shooting them, hosing them down, or building with them. This is all in the name of helping out small square animals that gleefully hop up and down when you win and sadly shake their heads when you lose.

The characters names are cutsey and include the Bahhs, a sheep tribe, for example. My kids loved the humor of this, especially the beaver named Boots McBeaverton. It has almost become an insult in our home as in, "You are such a Boots McBeaverton."

There are three modes of play: the individual player story mode, the party mode that features up to four players, sometimes competing against each other and sometimes cooperating together, and the create mode.

In the story mode, the play follows a pretty week story line, although the cute cut scenes and bad poetry is amusing, and my kids wanted to play them over and over again. There are various squarish animals to help in various adventures, including a momma gorilla (Gorilda Gert) who needs to be reunited with her babies, and sheep who must protect their gems from the dogs. Players can unlock special pieces that can be used like legos in the create mode to create their own Boom Blox scenario.

The party mode has a complete different set of puzzles to overcome, including an old west style shootout that stars the beavers. Beavers are known for their resemblance to John Wayne, are they not?

Boom Blox takes full advantage of the Wii remote. And while it may take a little bit of a learning curve before using it successfully at first (I kept losing my cursor off the screen), it responds well to precise movement, including how hard or soft you throw something. The B button allows you to rotate through the scene to set up your best angle.

Graphics are bright, simple and over saturated, but the appeal to younger players and the vast number of puzzles can over come that flaw.

As far as violence is concerned, you can blow up things with special bomb blocks, and there is also the occasional innocent bystander that may suffer. But if you do blow up a sheep, for example, it simply jumps up, looks surprised and then disappears.

Boom Blox is very family friendly, and the numerous upon numerous puzzles and levels should extend the play time. Special blocks, such as chemical blocks, firework blocks and others, create an additional challenge.

Boom Blox is rated E for Everyone.

This review is based on the Wii version of the game.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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