Challenging, yet easy to pick up - puzzler. Large variety of game modes, a level editor and multiplayer = entertainment.
User Rating: 8 | Boom Blox WII
I first knew of Boom Blox when news broke out that Steven Spielberg was being involved in it with EA (Los Angeles). What? Steven Spielberg? The movie director? Er...yes. I don't know what exactly his input was for this game despite having his name slapped on top of the game title, but I can say that Boom Blox is an easy game to get into. It's simple and yet it can be devilishly difficult. Small parts of the game can be easy and yet that heightens the sense of competition if you were to involve 1 to 3 more players. The game is made up of several different game types. There's a Jenga-like game, shooting gallery type game, explosive type game, defend the castle type game, golf-like game etc. I could go on and on listing the different types but it'd be too long. Ultimately, the game plays with extensive use of the Wii pointer. Motion is kept simple by using your swings as a gauge for how powerful your throws are. And depending on the game type you're allowed to shoot, grab and throw blocks around. Mix in explosive blocks, fragile blocks, point blocks, heavy blocks, chemical blocks and enemies into the game with a great physics engine working behind the scenes then what you get is an accessible and pleasing puzzle/action game.. The levels are easy to start with and would make you fall into a false sense of security (especially with the comical and cartoony looks) because beyond the 70% completion mark you'd probably be swearing and cursing as you try to achieve Gold on that seemingly impossible level. Take that as a compliment though; there's scope for those who want to breeze through the game and also for those who aim for perfection. And if you have completed the game, you can go and create your own levels with the objects you unlocked. This create mode along with the multiplayer gives the game much replayability. Don't be mislead with all of my positivity with the game though. At heart, it is still a puzzler and one that is on the whole very simple. If you're looking for a good story or want some violence to spice things up, you're obviously barking up the wrong tree. Within the puzzle genre though, Boom Blox is one of the best out there.
For some reason, my Wii is constantly making a lot of noise when reading the game disc which does get very annoying (this is something to do with the way the game was made which causes the disc to be read loudly, I think).
