Ultra Bust-a-Move adds barebones online play, and some cool new game modes, but it's still the same ol' Bust a Move.
User Rating: 7.3 | Ultra Bust-A-Move XBOX
If you aren't a fan of the Bust a Move series of puzzle games, go away right now. Don't read this review, because Ultra Bust-a-Move won't convert you. You'll still think it's a girls game, and you will still hate it. But if you DO like the Bust a Move games, then by all means, keep reading. Ultra Bust-a-Move is the latest entry in this highly underrated puzzle game series. The basics of BAM are like so: you shoot colored balls at other clumps of colored balls, and if you connect 3 balls of the same color, they pop. Rinse and repeat until all the balls are gone. Now that basic premise sounds incredibly easy, but Ultra Bust-a-Move throws enough challenge at you through neutral blocks (the ones that have no color, and cannot be popped), the see saw (a new game mode in which the screen will tilt if you load up one side of it with balls, making it much harder to get your shooting angles downs correctly), and the multiplayer chain reaction game to make it challenging. The meat of Ultra Bust-a-Move's gameplay is delicious, and rivals games like Tetris and Puyo Pop in terms of addictive gameplay. Graphically, these games have never been too amazing. But, it's a puzzle game, so who really cares? Everything is bright and vibrant, and all of the new characters are pretty decent looking, even though half of them look like something that was designed by a drug addict. There isn't any slowdown during intense multiplayer moments, which is good. It's hard to grade graphics when it comes to puzzle games, but UBAM's are nice enough to not annoy anyone, but at the same time, nobody is going to be gazing in awe at them. The same goes for the sound. It's catchy, and it doesn't get too annoying. The character voices and taunts on the other hand, can drive you just about nuts. Online play is the big new addidition for this years game, and it really feels like it was just thrown in there at the last second. All you get is head to head chain reaction batles. That's it. No normal puzzle battles, where the first person to clear their screen wins. No blind shot games, no see saw, nothing, just chain reaction, which I am personally not a fan of. I thought the big new addition to this game was supposed to be XBL play? When it's this basic and barebones, it kinda makes the game as a whole less "worth it". It's really hard to recommend this game to people. The new game modes are cool, especially see saw and blind shot, but if you don't care about playing online, and you already have Super Bust a Move 1 or 2, you don't really need this game. But on the other hand, it IS only 20 bucks. And if you want it just for online play, you only get chain reaction. I guess I'll put it this way: if you like puzzle games, and you want to play one online, you won't find a better game for a better price, get Ultra Bust-a-Move.
