Battlebots: Design & Destroy

"People just don't seem to be giving this game enough credit."

Introduction

To date, I have not seen a single positive review for this game anywhere online. For that matter, I have not really seen much of any kind of review whatsoever for this virtually unheralded title. That saddened me, given how little information was actually available about this game, and not any of it very positive in the least. Most of what I have seen came from people who didn't seem to understand that when you pay ten dollars for a game, you can't go into it expecting an instant classic. At best, you'll find a way to happily occupy several hours of your time, which is exactly what you will find with this game.

One of the major complaints about this game is its overwhelming similarity to its predecessor, Battlebots: Beyond the Battlebox. When I say "overwhelming similarity", I rather mean it, as this is almost entirely the exact same game, only with a few bugs fixed, and the save system replaced with a password system (which is actually an advanced save system, as I will explain later). The main "bug" that was fixed concerned the AI, which was retooled to make the computer more challenging to fight. And given the relative ease with which I beat Battlebots: Design and Destroy, I can only imagine how easy the original game must have been. The other major bug that was fixed involves parts from your robot mysteriously disappearing, or something to that effect. I wouldn't know, as Battlebots: Beyond the Battlebox is thankfully no longer available for purchase anywhere, and has since been entirely replaced with its glitchless successor.

However, that which I mentioned above really isn't my point. What I was trying to get at, more or less, is that Battlebots: Design and Destroy seems to be unfairly judged based on its predecessor rather than for what it is. For those of you who own the original and now feel somewhat compelled to spend another ten bucks on what amounts to a simple bug fix, I apologize, but the fact remains that the original game has absolutely no bearing on the current one. That being said, lets move on to a closer look at the various aspects of the game.

Sound: 8

The sound in this game is, well, pretty much the same thing you'd hear when watching the TV show: clang, snap, buzz, smash, hit, pain, destroy, carnage, carnage, carnage. Seriously, what were you expecting? While one might possibly assume that all those sounds would kind of become nerve-wracking after awhile, there is, thankfully, enough variety amongst them that no one sound has the chance to become too repetitive. That and it is strangely satisfying listening to your hapless opponent being thwacked into oblivion. The audio present in Battlebots: Design & Destroy is by no means anything that will blow you away, but it is decidedly sufficient.

Graphics: 8

Given the graphical limitations and the small screen of the Game Boy Advance, I'd say that the programmers did a rather marvelous job as far as the detail of the robots and fighting arenas were concerned. The areas are just as lush and colorful as their TV counterparts (which in most cases is not very colorful at all), but at least the several new areas look nice. All in all, I have the same thing to say about the graphics as I did about the game's audio: nothing to write home about, but it gets the job done.

Gameplay: 9

The credit I give this game is that it is pleasingly faithful to the show from which it was spawned. While you certainly don't have to be a fan of the TV series to enjoy this game, it certainly helps. The flow of the game is relatively simple: spend an allotted amount of cash in the pits to create your own robot, though which you use to climb your way up through the ranks of the lightweight, middleweight, heavyweight, and ultimately, the super heavyweight divisions. Along the way, you'll be fighting all your favorite bots from the TV show, including: Toro, Backlash, Biohazard, Mecha-Mouser Catbot, and twelve others (though Vlad the Impaler is noticeably absent from the mix). Play through five different arenas, one of which is the familiar Battlebox from the TV series, complete with all of your favorite hazards. Some of the new areas include the Airport and the Oil Rig, all of which present some interesting challenges, as well (most of which are only possible because this is a video game as opposed to real life).

Doing battle with your bot is a relatively simple and easy process to which you are gradually introduced. Early on in your career, your bot-building options are somewhat limited, due to the weight restrictions of the lightweight class. But as you move farther up through the ranks, more and more options will become available to you. Enough variety exists between the various types of bots you can build and the wide assortment of weaponry to choose from to keep things interesting on the path to victory. Aside from that, you must also provide your bot with such things as armor and tires. Different tires, for example, will allow for vastly different degrees of mobility for your bot. So all in all, there is a very pleasant sense of customability present in the game.

You will create a total of four robots in the tournament mode (one for each division), which the game will save for you in the game pack's memory. The purpose of the password is merely so that after overwriting your current saved bots, you are able to recall them at a later time if so desired. These saved bots can be used as desired in the brawl mode, where up to four bots can duke it out on any of the game's playing fields. And as if it needed mentioning, some of the playing fields, as well as the opportunity to play as a bot of your own creation are things which must be unlocked by first playing through the tournament mode. Sadly, inter-division matches are not possible, meaning that only the four bots present in each division (plus your own) are free to take each other on, but at least that is rather entertaining for awhile. Also adding to the amusement factor is the option to play the brawl mode in either simulation (realistic) or arcade mode. In arcade mode, various video game aspects are present in the game where they wouldn't be possible in real life (power-ups that appear on the field, your bots will automatically right themselves when flipped, etc.)

The challenge issue is also something that should be addressed. While still mildly challenging, the game is still relatively easy to beat within the span of a few hours. Granted, the AI is advanced enough that you will still reap some sense of accomplishment from overcoming it, but you still tend to be left wanting something more. This, of course, is why perhaps the most entertaining thing you can do with this game is this: challenge your friends. (that is, if you have any). Since this game is very cheap, it shouldn't be as hard to convince your friends to buy a copy as it would be for other, more expensive games. Though the computer AI may be easy enough to overcome, there is a far higher element of challenge to be found in a human opponent, not to mention a greater sense of competition. For all practical purposes, this game can be very strongly compared to Pokemon in that the best aspect of the game is not the game itself, but that which comes after the game is over, and you are free to build your own custom teams to link up with your friends and battle against each other with.

Overall: 8

If you loved the show, then odds are you'll probably like this game. If you didn't, then chances are you probably won't. Battlebots: Design and Destroy is by no means one of the greatest games ever made, nor can I even say that it's one of the better ones. But it's cheap, and it's a damn fun way to kill a few hours. And frankly, I really don't think I could ever ask for very much more from a video game. So if you're looking for a fun way to spend a little bit of your time and ten bucks of your money, and robot carnage sounds like something that might interest you, then I by all means wholeheartedly reccommend it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/22/04