BOOM BLOX

From Schindler’s List to Saving Private Ryan, to even the latest Indiana Jones movie, Steven Spielberg is a prolific name in the movie industry. However, most big directors, including Spielberg, have steered clear of video-game development for the most part – until now. Released in the same month as his flick Indiana Jones, Spielberg has teamed up with EA to create Boom Blox, a simple yet visceral experience of knocking down blocks.

While the premise sounds extraordinarily childish, be prepared for one of the most engaging and innovative games ever released. On top of that, Boom Blox is a Wii exclusive, built ground up to take advantage of the Nintendo’s motion-control technology. Boom Blox is a physics-based puzzler that requires players to throw at, pull, and shoot blocks, and the speed detection for throwing is spot on. Players hold the Wii Mote like they would a baseball and throw towards the screen, and. . . BOOM! – blocks explode and there’s no need for cleanup.

Going into Boom Blox, I was afraid it would be fun for a few minutes and then quickly become a gimmick. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Not only does the block-bustin’ gameplay withstand hours upon hours of playtime, there are tons of other things to do besides break down blocks, including a story mode, near perfect Jenga clone, shooting gallery, creation mode, and an elaborate multiplayer – both cooperative and competitive. The physics in this are impressive even by next-gen standards and prove that the Wii is capable of many technical feats.

 
“TIMBERRRRrrrrrr!!!!!!”

 The throwing levels are set up like a Jenga puzzle in most cases and require players to think through the possible results before letting that ball fly. Hazard blocks, like the bomb, chemical, or vanishing blocks, make knocking down giant towers even harder. Some modes are point based and have point blocks set up in intricately built puzzles, requiring players to sometimes delicately pick off single blocks for tricky blocks or hurl bowling balls at the base to bring down a tower. These modes become increasingly complex when penalty blocks are introduced on top of the other hazards.

The Jenga mode was a complete surprise and quickly became one of my favorite modes, especially in competitive or cooperative play. The physics work great for this mode and blocks react realistically by providing actual weight and structure to the towers. The shooting gallery modes use a gun instead of ball throwing. While they help up the variety, the simple shooting games weren’t my favorite.

The Adventure, or story, mode in Boom Blox is likewise just more icing on the already content rich cake. The game introduces block-shaped animal characters who have specific functions, like gorillas that throw baseballs at other characters, beavers that set off bombs, or sheep that just walk around sheepishly! While some might find the nursery rhyme story-telling and cheesy characters to be unnecessary, I found them cute and charming. The animals that were actually designed by Speilberg help give Boom Blox some character. In the story mode, there becomes an actual plot for your block destroying. In one storyline, a mother gorilla must get to her young, and it’s up to you to solve the puzzle and clear a path. The gameplay throughout the four storylines is constantly changing and it always stays challenging and complex.

Multiplayer, however, is where Boom Blox really shines. The majority of my many hours playing this game are all dumped into the dozens upon dozens of varying levels for competitive or cooperative play, allowing 2-4 players to participate, depending on the match. The point towers or Jenga levels change completely when you are relying on a friend to knock off a specific block. The amount of content – hundreds of levels and varying gameplay – is staggering for a multiplayer mode and will keep families entertained for literally hours. The lack of a Wi-fi mode can be forgiven only because there is so much content and it’s much more fun to play with others in the same room.

The best part of Boom Blox is its creation mode. You can literally build anything in it and it’s simple enough for relatively anyone to build a complex puzzle. The mode lets players construct puzzles for throwing, shooting, or Jenga-pulling and even allows rules to be set so you can play your levels with friends. On top of that, dozens of prefab sets have already been made, so players can jump in, drop some animals into the mix, and lay out already constructed towers, ships, or mechanisms to just play around with! While creation mode exponentially increases the game’s replay mode, there are a few complaints to name. First, you cannot share your levels online nor download other people’s levels – other than send or receive a level to a friend. Second, the rules are pretty vague sometimes and don’t provide the same polish as in real levels. Third, the camera will not focus on a specific block as swivel point, thus letting it circle way out away from the puzzle when actually playing, making it impossible to see.

Aside from these complaints, players of all ages will have a blast creating their own levels in creation mode, not to mention the hours upon hours spent playing the real modes. Everything in creation mode is unlocked through the single player experience, so as you play, you are constantly being rewarded, which makes for a gratifying experience. Even after you think you have beaten all the modes, more Master and Expert challenge modes will appear – so start working on that throwing arm now!

Gameplay: 10
The throwing mechanic realistically detects the speed of your throw and the varying game modes are constantly reinventing themselves.

Graphics: 8.0
The game doesn’t look as good as Super Mario Galaxy, but the design is vibrant and has a great sense of humor. The frame rate will start to chug, however, when a lot of action is onscreen.

Sound: 8.5
Every surface has a distinct sound and the music in this game is as engaging and diverse as the game modes.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 9.0
A simple design with exponential complexity -- In other words, an awesome gaming concept.

Multiplayer: 10
Grab a friend with a strong throwing arm and prepare for many hours of fun in either competitive or cooperative modes.

Overall: 9.0
Spielberg’s inspiration for Boom Blox came from his pondering on “creation and destruction,” and what came of it is one of the most engaging and visceral games on Wii to date.