 Genre: Puzzle Players: 1-2 |
| Taito has released various incarnations of Bust-A-Move on a lot of different systems through the years. Another release on the PSP system is unsurprising, but this lackluster effort is a disappointment for anyone that is interested in buying a puzzle game, especially with the heavy competition in this genre. The aim of Bust-a-Move is simple. Remove all the bubbles from the screen by shooting various colored bubbles at them, before the bubbles reach the bottom of the screen. Match three or more bubbles of the same color and they disappear. Hitting the right bubbles will result in a chain link or combo. Various other special bubbles such as explosive bubbles and obstacles are in place to make the game more interesting. The main game mode consists of level after level of obstacles to overcome and bubbles to eliminate. There are quite a few modes available but most are just a slight variation of the regular game. Ghost mode makes the bubbles only solidify once they have bounced off at least one wall while shot mode requires you to clear the puzzle with one bubble. For a bit more entertainment, you can also play against the AI or against a friend over wireless. However, Bust-A-Move Deluxe doesn’t include Infrastructure for multiplayer. Unlike the launch title for PS2, the graphics in Bust-A-Move Deluxe are extremely simple, with little detail and make little use of the PSP’s graphical power. The bubbles are small and the PSP's widescreen isn't used very well at all. The music in Bust-A-Move Deluxe will drive people insane within a few minutes. Cheerful repetitive midi tunes which slows down or speeds up depending on how many close the bubbles are to the bottom of the screen. This is one game where the sound needs to be turned off. After a few levels of the main game, boredom will quickly set in. It's just not a fun puzzle game anymore. Sure there are plenty of modes to choose from but they fail to cheer things up. Bust-A-Move Deluxe feels very tired and if you do play it at all, most of the time you'll spend playing the VS modes as this mode offers some enjoyment. Maybe it's time for Taito to move the game into a different direction. Save your money for a better puzzle game instead.   |
| PSP-Spot Score (out of ten) Graphics: 5.4 Sound: 5.0 Controls: 8.0 Gameplay: 6.3 Overall: 6.0 Buy it at Play-Asia.com - Your One-Stop-Shop for Asian Entertainment |