Bugdom

"*SQUISH*"

Bugdom is not a very interesting game, and it's very far off from being original in any sense. Still, a game that has you take on the role of a pillbug in order to save the world (well, the bug world) can't be all bad, can it? Yes it can, in some areas more than others. I wouldn't say this game had a whole lot going for it, but with a little more work it could have been worlds better than it is.

Story: 5/10

A very typical story in many platforming games: save the damsel in distress and defeat the big baddy, usually nothing more. However, in Bugdom you're not a handsome prince or adventurer, you're a bug. In addition, so are the ''damsels.''

The ladybugs have all been kidnapped and imprisoned by the leader of the fire ants, King Thorax. As Rollie McFly, your goal is to rescue the captured and overthrow the evil tyrant. Throughout your quest you'll encounter many different insects, many ladybugs, and many walnuts.

The trouble is, most of the story isn't even presented to you until you finish the game, before then you're lucky if you even know what's going on. The only real clue you have is at the title screen, where Rollie witnesses a ladybug being carried off by an enemy fire ant. What does Rollie do? He looks up, stares, then rolls away. Yep, that's quite a way to convince me what my purpose is for playing. If Rollie doesn't care enough to at least attempt to rescue that poor ladybug, why should I? Maybe it's just me, but there are many ways the story could have been made clearer.

Gameplay: 4/10

Once you finally figure it out, the point of this game is to rescue as many ladybugs as you can find in each level and then move on. In theory it seems simple, but in the game itself you might find that things are much more complicated than they should be.

Upon playing the first level, I figured that the most obvious thing to do was free the ladybugs being held captive in cages... with no guards whatsoever anywhere in sight. A little later, after accidentally walking into the exit log to the next level, I noticed that my quest to rescue ladybugs was nothing more than moot; there was simply no point to it. So now I was faced with the challenge of just moving from point A to point B with no real objectives to fulfill, it really watered down the whole experience of the game.

The controls themselves seem to be a bit buggy (pun intended.) Moving Rollie around probably makes up more of the challenging points in the game, which isn't necessarily good. When Rollie walks, he walks... and walks, and walks. In other words: he doesn't stop once YOU stop moving him, instead he'll keep going his merry little way. This leads to certain problems, especially when taking on enemies. I can't count how many times I walked headfirst into death due to the sloppy controls, and this is only the result of simply moving! Kicking, Rollie's only attack and defense, is poorly performed. This is mainly because sometimes the controls will feel like taking a break, causing things to be unresponsive. Also, in addition to the fact that Rollie rarely stops when you want him to, accurately aiming kicks will usually be near impossible. If things weren't bad enough, the collision detection is terrible at best. Often you'll rush by an enemy, yet be knocked to the ground with your health depleted even though you were clearly out of range of taking any damage. Probably the only move that does work like it should is the roll. When rolling, you can move at a high speed and even damage certain enemies at the same time. Rolling requires power in its meter though, so you can't do it for long.

As a small redeeming factor, there are ''friendly'' bugs that will help you along the way, more specifically across areas of levels you can't get by without their assistance. There's a water bug which acts as a motorboat that will allow you to ride it across large bodies of water and a dragonfly that will fly you through the treetops (but if you go too high, you'll be eaten by a bat.) These offer some of the more entertaining parts of the game, but unfortunately don't last longer than a few minutes.

Enemies range anywhere from spear-throwing ants to humans aimlessly walking around, posing the threat of stepping on you. There is a decent amount of them in many areas, and many times are nicely varied. Of course, with enemies there comes power-ups for your bug. In order to get power-ups (or sometimes keys depending on the level), you'll have to kick open walnuts scattered everywhere. Berries refill your health and blue shells make you invincible for a limited amount of times, just two examples.

Graphics: 9/10

Possibly the strongest quality of this game is the graphics. While blocky in some ways, like with the characters, overall everything is nicely detailed. The characters and enemies look, obviously, like insects in their own unusual ways (for example: King Thorax looks more like a tribal witch doctor with ant features.) Most insects will simply slither around, while others stand on two (or six) legs and use weapons. It's a bit cartoony of sorts, but it suits the game.

The levels are very well done and consist of different environments, like a lake or field. Most are light in the use of colors, but this is technically a ''happy'' game, despite the fact that this bug world is almost in ruins. Certain effects, such as sunlight reflecting on the screen like a camera lens, is pulled off very well and adds a bit of realism.

One small problem with the graphics (other than being a little outdated, but that's understandable for when this game came out) is the occasional pop-up and fog. This normally isn't a problem in levels that are abundant with enemies and plants, but in more sparse places it can be annoying.

All in all, the game does a decent job of making you feel like a small bug in a big, dangerous world.

Sound: 7/10

The music in Bugdom fits the game and suits the mood almost perfectly. Most of it is upbeat while in other levels it's more dramatic and/or dark. There isn't much repetitiveness in the tracks, so you might actually enjoy the music. I suppose it's more of a love/hate thing.

What drags it down a bit is the use of sound effects, there really aren't enough of them. There's a sound made when you kick which no normal person, bug or not, would ever make. Also, when you kick open a walnut, it sounds more like you're kicking an aluminum can. Finally, when you pick up a power-up or health, it makes sort of a ''Wheeeee!'' sound, only sped up to a chipmunk-esque sound. All sound effects are easily forgettable and just don't fit.

Replay: 2/10

I suppose you could go through again to get a higher score, but otherwise I wouldn't recommend it. Playing through the first time is nothing short of frustrating and just doesn't give you the sense that you did anything worthwhile... because you haven't. If you even bother to finish the game, most likely you'll send it to the little trash bin in the sky... err... desktop.

Overall: 5/10

Bugdom is average at best and nothing more. With horrible control and annoying elements scattered here and there, I doubt you'll have much fun with it, even if you're a diehard fan of platformers. If you want to give it a try, it's available as freeware at many computer game sites. Be warned though: it might just be better to pass this one up.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 08/19/03