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More addictive than Caffeine...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: September 02, 2008
Author: Amazon User

As I've mentioned in many Wii game reviews: I'm not a primary Wii player, and most Wii games have been pretty poor.

This game changes both!

I picked this up for my wife after she read online reviews from [...] . I let her play for about 10 minutes, then commandered the controller for the rest of the night!

The skinny - in this game you pretty much knock stuff down, blow stuff up, and create fantastic digital messes out of blocks and balls. It's very easy to compare to Jenga, though pulling blocks out of towers is only a portion of what this game will make you do. Most of the time you'll be slinging bowling balls, tennis balls, baseballs, or even rubber bouncing balls at ornate and elaborate piles of blocks trying to knock down some or all of them in the quest for bronze, silver or gold medals. A gold might require doing so in a certain period of time, or using a minimal number of throws.

The game is simply addictive beyond belief. Most puzzles are easily accomplished, but earning Gold can be quite difficult, take multiple tries, and require lots of time to analyze. This is far from bad however, as the thrill of discovery and success strongly outweighs any frustration by far.

Probably the most engaging part of the game is the creation mode, which allows you to build a puzzle entirely on your own. The learning curve is very easy, and though it took me four hours to build a puzzle encompassing over 7 chain reactions, it was an absolute blast the entire time. Folks, this is digital legos at it's FINEST.

The ONLY gripe I have is that - when building your own puzzle - you can't really advertise WHAT the purpose of the puzzle IS. For my puzzle, my goal is to free an extra-large gem block from a humongous pile of wooden blocks with just one throw of a baseball. It can be done, though it's anything but clear how to do it. Now finished, I can send the puzzle through the Wii Connect internet service. But when my friend receives the puzzle, there's no way to tell them what my goal is! I can tell them they only have one throw, but as soon as they throw the ball, a window pops up that says "You have met the goal" and ends the game! You can't even watch to see what happens. The only way around this is to remove all requirements (such as throws or time,) and accompany the puzzle with an email or message (not sure if Wii even allows this) to explain what the challenge is.

But, that being said, I replayed my own challenge over and over again because the explosion at the end of the chain reaction was simply awe-inspiring. The realism of the physics is quite convincing - large blocks are harder and slower to move than small blocks. Large "bomb" blocks yield larger explosions than smaller blocks, etc.

With over 300 puzzles included in the game, plus the ability to create countless more, Boom Blox is a game that rewards players of all ages with hours and hours of entertaining and challenging fun. These are the games that remind us we don't need guns and gore to entertain.

Lastly, the inclusion of multiplay opens up Boom Blox to group fun - though it should be noted that it's better as a competition than a co-op game. Though co-op is possible in the various Jenga stages, it's simply not quite as much fun. There's also arcade-style shooting games, but these get old very quickly. The competition series involve bombing opponents castles with bowling balls, and is a LOT of fun, though we quickly learned that while I could sling a bowling ball into a castle with catastrophic amounts of damage, my wife couldn't seem to get as much power behind her throws, and thus was never able to keep up. There are other competition games which require you to push your blocks into colored score zones. These too are a lot of fun and rely more on strategy than strength.

The game also has an entertaining soundtrack of catchy arcade tunes and hilarious animal sound affects. Get Boom Blox - I truely believe this game has something for everyone.

Great Fun!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: September 01, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game for my son not knowing what to expect.
It is a big hit. After watching them play I didn't think it looked all that fun but then I gave it a try and I can see why the kids love it!
This has the option of a four player game which is great too.
This game is good for all ages! Have Fun!!

fun game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I purchased this for my son- 7 years old- and it is a lot of fun. It took him a while to get the concept, but once he did he has great fun. we still haven't figured out everything, but it's definitely worth buying.

Even Mom can play

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 20, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Mom is seldom the one fighting to play the video games. Usually she is frowning and complaining that there are chores or homework or anything else more useful. But this is the first game Mom saw and thought "maybe this is ok". The games require some coordination in addition to logic and planning. The violence is equivalent to knocking down a house of cards or blocks, only more exciting. It's a winner

Way Fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 19, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game is just way to fun and addictive. Everyone in my family loves it. We have a 5 year old and a 15 year old and they love to compete against each other. I would definitely recomend it.

Rental

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 3
Date: August 18, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Don't buy this game. It's extremely disappointing. I was hoping for a sophisticated puzzle game (as it has consistently been advertised and reputed to be) with an interesting storyline (since a famous film director was involved in its production). Boasting a number of promising elements, the final product just fails to hang together in a satisfying way. The story is nearly non-existent (and what there is is infantile), and the puzzles are almost always either trivial or nearly impossible (or not puzzles at all). It is at best an addictive waste of time. And who in the world would want to create their own levels?

Building on a Great Idea

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: August 17, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Steven Spielberg is mostly known for the movies he's created. This wouldn't be the first time that Spielberg has lended a hand to the gaming culture. Most gamers know him as the creator of the Medal of Honor series. Boom Blox is in a whole different crowd from Medal of Honor, but it's a lot of fun.

Boom Blox is quite different from your standard puzzle game. There are several different game modes. Not only that, but this isn't a game that will keep you busy for merely hours. It can easily keep you busy for days. It takes more work than you can possibly imagine to unlock everything the game has to offer. Not only that, but it's impossible to do it alone, as the multiplayer is entirely different from the single player experience.

There are a few different things you'll be doing in Boom Blox. In one set of mini-games for example, your goal is to destroy all the gem blocks, which will require you to throw a ball or a bomb or something else. The unique thing about Boom Blox, is that the physics are amazing. The harder you throw the ball, the greater its reflected in the game itself. It's not uncommon to get so into it that your arms might hurt from time to time. And yes, where you throw it, how hard, and the trajectory are all important aspects. The mini games where you throw are some of the best in the entire game.

Other mini games give you a grabbing tool where you'll pull blocks in a Jenga like fashion and keep baby cows from falling or keep a penalty block from touching the ground. These are incredible mini-games which really put your mind to the test. It plays exactly like Jenga, and the same rules apply here.

The last type of mini game is more or less a shooting range. Of all the mini-games in Boom Blox, these are some of the worst. They're neither as fun or as thought provoking. However, if you just want to go wild for a little bit, these games aren't bad. Still, they feel a little out of place considering what the other two force you to do.

All these mini games can be played seperately in their own section, or you can mix them all together in the adventure mode which puts a lot of objectives ahead of you. And once again, it's a lot of fun. However, there are plenty of other things to keep in mind. It's more than just throwing balls, pulling blocks and shooting. There are many different kinds of blocks that play a part in each and every one of Boom Blox's complex puzzles. There are vanishing blocks, which vanish whenever you hit them, chemical blocks that upon making contact with another chemical block, explode. There are also bomb blocks where if you hit them, they explode instantly.

Each time you complete a puzzle or advance to the next game, you'll be awarded a Bronze, Silver or Gold Medal. The conditions for getting a gold can sometimes be steep, but once you see what it takes you'll find it was actually... quite obvious. You can't go on to the next puzzle unless you qualify.

Boom Blox is obviously made for multiplayer. As I mentioned earlier, the multiplayer is totally different from the single player. You can cooperate with one or more friends or you can go against them. The mini games against a friend can be fun. Such as one that allows you both to assault each other with a barrage of throws to take down the other's fort. Most of them are played out with the two of you taking turns, but it's also very balanced because Boom Blox is so easy to come to. A veteran gamer will not have an advantage over a newcomer. Yet, it's also nice because nothing here is based on luck.

Cooperative is similar to the single player experience, with the difference being in some games you'll take turns and in others you'll be working together at the same time. You'll find yourself talking it out just to figure out how to go through it, yet it's a lot more fun than you'd expect.

If there was any downside to Boom Blox, it would be that the multiplayer is far far more rewarding than the single player experience. Once you get into the multiplayer, the single player campaign seems downright boring in comparison. Boom Blox is a game that is meant to be played with friends and it succeeds there very well. That doesn't mean the single player experience doesn't succeed. It simply means that the multiplayer experience is just that much better.

The other big problem with Boom Blox is that once you trump through it all... you don't want to do it again. Aside from competing against friends, Boom Blox doesn't have much replay, as a lot of puzzle games of its like don't. However, there's so much to keep you busy that you'll still get your moneys worth. While there's not much replay, there is, however, the ability to create your own levels and puzzles and even share them with other players. So even after you complete it all, you can still check out what others have created, and I don't know about you, but I think that's better than simple replay value.

Graphics wise Boom Blox isn't appealing as far as visuals are concerned. It looks pretty basic. There's not a whole lot in the graphics that really stand out. Everything is, of course, blocky (not in a bad way). What stands out in the game's graphics however are its astonishing physics. Boom Blox not only demonstrates how to use the Wii Remote to its full effectiveness, but it also demonstrates how to make a game real. So while it isn't big on visual appeal, it has a certain charm to its graphics that you won't find in most games. Music wise the game is incredible. The music is really good and catchy, but the sound effects are probably some of the best parts of its design.

Boom Blox is a rare Wii game. It's one that's fun and accessible to everyone. Best of all, it uses the Wii Remote controls better than most games before it. If you're looking for a game that's fun, accessible and will keep you busy for a very long time, then Boom Blox is it. It's by far one of the best games you can buy for the Wii right now.

Boom Blox Rox!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: August 04, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Wow. Let me say that again: WOW. This game is a neat little gem that works so well with the idea and execution of the Wii. Its fun to play, easy to learn, and challenging as your skills increase.
The idea is deceptivley simple- throw a variety of objects at towers/buildings/constructs of blocks...knock them down, pull pieces away, create domino effects and all that jazz to score points. By and far the most fun are the levels where you can destroy everything. Other levels let you pull pieces away from the larger structure a la Jenga or similar games.
The best part of this game is figuring out the least amount of "moves" needed to complete each goal. The physics engine is quite good and things react, for the most part, as you would expect them to. The ability to move the field around and change some perspective is helpful and actually necessary to complete levels and goals as you progress through the game.
The learing curve is structured well so that by the time you have finished the training missions, you have all the skills necessary to dive into the full game. I have a 5 year old and a 3 year old. They dont get all the finer points, but they have fun knocking things down and doing some of the simpler levels. I myself, like the challenge that the "story" (explore) mode offers. So the game is great for kids and adults alike. Totally gets my vote for that one!
The editing features are nice, but somewhat limited in my opinion. You start with a blank field in which to build with a whole plethora of choices for blocks, doors, walls, buildings...but the game has a limit on what can be placed on the field before it gets "full." And it fills up fast. I barely had enough memory space to plunk down two guard towers, some bomb blocks, a mini wall and some gem blocks before I was not allowed to place anything else- but the worst part was all that unused space on the editing field. It felt a little dissapointing to me. With the next generation hardware and memory, one would think they would be able to create bigger and better levels. Minor annoyance, but still one that irks me at times.
The multiplayer mode is good, and while I havent used it extensivley- it works well for two players and the split screen is handled nicely. I havent gone online or anything like that as of yet- and dont plan to, so I cannot review or rate those features of the game.
The storyline is loose and simplistic, just what one would expect from a game of this presentation- and that isnt a bad thing at all. Having a story kind of ties a few things together and makes the goals make a bit more sense, but doesnt take any attention away from the wonderful gameplay. One thing to watch out after you are done playing this game..."Wii elbow"- boy did the soreness strike with a vengance the next day! That being said, I love this game and am glad that we purchased it. I highly suggest you get this one, like another overlooked Wii gem (Zack and Wiki), I dont think this game will stick around for too long before it becomes harder to find. A sure sleeper hit and a definite must have game for the Nintendo Wii.

Boom Blox is a great puzzle game for the Wii.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: August 01, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I find Boom Blox to be very entertaining for not only one, but also a group of people. It can get very competitive and allows one to take out agression, if needed. Fun game with several different concepts which allows for hours of play.

Unexpected fun; high replayability

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 28, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I didn't expect much from this game when my 7-year old son chose it over Super Smash Bros. Brawl as one of our first purchases for the Wii, but after 20 minutes of playing, I was totally hooked! A deceptively simple spin on Jenga, Boom Blox is a perfect party game for everyone in the family that is easy to learn but difficult to master, especially the challenging "grab" mode in which the game's excellent physics engine really stands out.

Whether playing alone, in co-op or attack mode, Boom Blox is the kind of mass-appeal game you can play for hours at a time without getting bored and is a worthy addition to every player's library.

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