Ultra Bust-A-Move

"New graphics, Less filling."

"A new version of Bust a Move, and it's online too! What could go wrong?" is probably what you're thinking if you're pondering the purchase of this game. Well I'm afraid something did go wrong, and I'll explain. If you have a low attention span, or are in a hurry or something, you can just skip to the end of my review where I'll briefly weigh the pros and cons.

Gameplay.
Like every other Bust a Move before it, you're still busting bubbles with other bubbles. And it used to be fun. REALLY FUN. And addictive. But something happened in the creation of this version. It feels like an entirely new team started from square one, gave it the bear essentials, a new, unique coat of paint, and then stopped.
To begin, the gameplay is noticeably slower. The ball launcher seems to move and shoot at a slower pace than previous games. Modes of play are lacking. There are only two, plus online play (which only has one mode). Also, this version only supports two players. The Nintendo 64 version had four player support. The Xbox has four controller ports, so why not make it four players? I don't get it. You can't even have four online. Also unfortunately missing is the very entertaining "create a puzzle" feature. My score would've easily risen a point if this was in the game.

Graphics
Gone are the cute characters of old. That's right, the adorable mascot dinosaurs Bob and Bub and their wacky friends are nowhere to be seen. In their place are newly designed......things. They look like poorly created stuffed animals. Although in 3D, each character has only three or four animations, and some of them actually make me feel dizzy. Their expression do not change, and they are simply more weird and boring than endearing. Bubbles all use the same animation, and somehow look more boring than in previous games. There is one thing done right, and that is the new pseudo-3D backgrounds. Creative, interesting, and always moving, I consider them a welcome addition.

Sound
Sound effects aren't as crisp and lively as in previous games, but they aren't necessarily bad. As far as I can tell, all the music is new, and there are many different tunes. Some are even catchy. Each character also has one or two odd grunting noises. Hurray.

Overall
If you have never played a bust a move game before and enjoy puzzle games you'll probably enjoy this one just fine. All others though, and especially fans of the series will most likely be disapointed. I consider this to be "Bust a Move Lite" with a new coat of paint, and limited online play. Remember...a score of 5 isn't bad, it's just painfully average.

+Pros
Online can be fun.
Backgrounds are cool.
Music isn't too bad.

-Cons
Gameplay slower than previous versions.
Doesn't support more than two players.
Only two basic play modes for 1 player.
Sad loss of "create a puzzle" feature.
Characters are weird, yet boring, and somehow nauseatiing.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 01/03/05