"Bust a move, already"

There are only two puzzle games that have remained just as fun now as they were when first released: Tetris and Bust A Move. You may argue that Lumines and Meteos will soon meet those requirements, but nobody can deny that Tetris and Bust A Move have enjoyed long-lasting success with hundreds of iterations and clones since their humble beginnings. Heck, Snood 2, a terrible copy of Bust A Move, released for the DS not too long ago. Just so your only option wouldn't be garbage, the real Bust A Move is finally here, and Snood 2 doesn't stand a chance.

Graphics:
Bust A Move was very difficult to play on the Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Color, because the puzzle playfield was just too small. The DS screen isn't much bigger in comparison, but having two screens helps clean up the action a lot. The top screen is meant only for the playfield while the bottom screen takes care of everything else. This means you'll have to continually look down to check which color ball is coming next, but the interface is much easier to deal with. I can't imagine playing Bust A Move on one screen after this. Some of the ball colors look a little too close to each other, however. Orange and red start to blend after a while of staring at the screen, and gray and black have always been difficult to set apart.

Sound:
The Bust A Move series has a very distinct soundtrack, often reusing and slightly remixing the same old songs. Bust A Move DS continues the happy, mellow, elevator-like music unabated. It's easy listening and compliments the action of the game well. The usual voice samples haven't changed at all, either. If you've ever played Bust A Move before, you'll instantly recognize the childishly spoken, "Ready... Go!"

Gameplay:
The term "puzzle game" is a little loose, because Bust A Move isn't a traditional kind of puzzle. In fact, it's relatively easy. The objective is to aim and fire colored balls at other balls in hopes of connecting three of a kind to make them disappear. The game is simple enough for somebody like my mom to enjoy it but requires some serious aim-and-shoot skills to avoid dumb mistakes. Put another way: Bust A Move is ridiculously addictive and harmlessly fun. This DS game also adds a few new elements not seen in previous games. You can now keep a ball on reserve and freely switch between it and the present ball. As simple as this is, it adds a great amount of depth since you can hang onto certain colors to use later. Special balls have also been included on top of the regular star and rainbow balls. The bomb eliminates any balls adjacent to it, and the metal ball clears out a straight path. However, these are not enough to make Bust A Move fresh for existing fans. Its core gameplay has always remained incredibly fun and addictive, but the DS just cries out for something more. And with no edit mode to make your own puzzles, this package feels like it's missing a lot.

Control:
Many developers seem to think they, when bringing a traditional game over to the DS, have to incorporate some kind of gimmicky touch control in order to make it an "official" DS product. The only games I've seen with intuitive stylus use, however, are those developed specifically for such a need (like Kirby Canvas Curse and Trauma Center). Bust A Move changes all of this. With the stylus, you can now pull back, aim, and fire like a slingshot. It sounds like a useless addition, but the control is very natural and keeps the game going at a faster pace. If you don't like the touch interface or are trying to play in a bumpy car, you can revert back to the basic D-pad. The D-pad is a little more precise but also more sluggish since it needs to take time to rotate back and forth. I actually prefer using the stylus; Bust A Move is much more fun this way.

Lasting Appeal:
A solid 250 puzzles are immediately available plus an extra 250 to unlock. That gives you quite a bit to do. Then there's an Endless mode which is just random Bust A Move with all the bells and whistles. The DS game also supports five-player single-card download. This is basically a survival mode to see who can hold out the longest. Scoring combos and chains lets you drop extra balls in other players' fields. You can even counterattack these onslaughts, but the multiplayer doesn't feel very interactive. Again, it's time for the developers to try something new and create a more unique multiplayer mode. Maybe next time...

Overall:
Bust A Move is a great example of a traditionally controlled game actually improving on the DS and is one of the best versions of Bust A Move ever developed. Despite a few new and welcome additions, though, it's just plain, old Bust A Move. Dedicated fans and clueless gamers looking for a new puzzle will enjoy this sleek portable game while those who got tired of the series long ago won't find anything to bring them back. With creative licenses like Meteos on the prowl, Bust A Move is in need of some big changes if it wants to keep its presence in the puzzle market. But at $20, this is still a great value.

Points:
+ Mindlessly enjoyable
+ Great use of hardware
+ Added depth
-- But not enough
-- No puzzle-maker mode

Score: 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/21/05