Super Bust-A-Move

UPC: 021481232605

Platform: PlayStation 2

Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.

Developer: Taito Corporation

Category: Puzzle

Style(s): Action Puzzle

Synopsis: Bub, Bob and the rest of the Bust-A-Move crew are back for more bubble-popping action in Super Bust-A-Move for the PlayStation 2. New to this iteration of the long-running puzzle series are smaller-sized bubbles, moving walls, creatures trapped in bubbles that must be freed, and additional competitors to battle. The game also runs in a higher resolution than previous versions, allowing for sharper graphics and a more detailed split-screen mode. ~ All Game Guide

Package Contents: 22-page Instruction Manual

Controls: Joystick/Gamepad

The included booklet is quite colorful and offers clear instructions on how to play the game, as if you needed it. ~ Jon Thompson, All Game Guide

While the game's look is relatively simple, it still looks good, thanks to some high stylization and the cute characters that bounce away and react to your progress at the bottom of the scene. ~ Jon Thompson, All Game Guide

Those who managed to get their hands on the PlayStation 2 during its October 2000 launch were undoubtedly hungry for games that pushed the boundaries of what was seen on consoles before it, games that broke records for polygons and textures, games that gave a whole new definition to "interactive multimedia." Along comes Bust-A-Move, a game that satisfies none of these yearnings. No, it's not just Bust-A-Move... that wouldn't be good enough for a machine as advanced as the PS2. This game is </I>Super</I> Bust-A-Move. The super means it's special, apparently. Or maybe not. Super Bust-A-Move is just plain old Bust-A-Move, the same Bust-A-Move that we've been playing for the last decade. That's right, the familiar bubble-popping action that most know and some love has been brought to the mighty PS2, and the results are extremely... familiar. There are some definite additions and new tricks that Taito has added to the basic Bust-A-Move gameplay, but the simple fact of the matter is that, no matter how you spin it, it's still essentially the same game as all the other Bust-A-Move incarnations that have been churned out for the six years prior to this release. Now, whether this is a bad thing or not probably all depends on your perspective. If you're quite fond of the series, and always find some time in your life for the frantic action of placing multi-colored bubbles and lumping them up in groups of three to pop them (the back of the game's box claims that the action is "mind-blowing," but that might just be hyperbole), then you might just find yourself with a reason to pick up Super Bust-A-Move, especially if you're hungry for some more software for the PS2. In the same vein, if you're just a PS2 owner that desperately wants a new game that is guaranteed to have at least some play time to it, you might want to give this title a look. Unfortunately, anyone else, even if they enjoy a game of Bust-A-Move once in a while, might want to look elsewhere for their action, especially if they own one of the other next-generation consoles. To its credit, this update in the series looks very nice, with its trademark cute and cuddly design. The game has a number of different characters, each of them designed with style, and they do add some presence. Also, the backgrounds of the stages are great looking and give you some personality for your money. In this regard, the title may well be the best of the series. That isn't to say, however, that the game itself is the best of the series. Even with an appearance on the next-big-thing console, the title has the feel of a game slapped together to make money off of the new territory. Even with the shiny graphics and bubbly music, which probably weren't that difficult to put together, given their simplistic nature, the game comes up short in one important area: modes of play. When you have a series that is as old as Bust-A-Move, you'd better do something to update it to make it worth the money. Not adding enough to the game is almost a cardinal sin, but there is one sin even bigger: leaving out interesting modes that have previously appeared in past games and not replacing them with anything else. But Super Bust-A-Move does this unabashedly, offering single-player, ability to play against the computer, and a two-player versus mode, with none of the neat additions found in either Bust-A-Move 3 or 4. Unfortunately, this entry in the Bust-A-Move series is fairly stagnant. With pared down gameplay, you might still enjoy yourself with the aging puzzler, but you won't have much of an opportunity to try new things. If you're really a fan of the series, and you don't have Bust-A-Move for the Dreamcast or N64, do yourself a favor, pick that game up and skip this one, even if it is "super." ~ Jon Thompson, All Game Guide

While the concept is dated, you can still have some occasional fun with the game. ~ Jon Thompson, All Game Guide

The standard theme music is in here, along with lots of other bouncy and bubbly songs that you can hum along to as you play. ~ Jon Thompson, All Game Guide

Let's face it, Bust-A-Move is just a hair away from being completely played out, if it isn't past that, and this version of the game doesn't offer anything that we haven't seen at least 20 times before on any number of different systems. ~ Jon Thompson, All Game Guide

the game requires Joystick/Gamepad.