Bust-A-Move Bash!
A Wii-exclusive bubble shooter with eight-player couch multiplayer.
Bust-A-Move Bash! is a bubble shooter tile-matching game released exclusively for the Wii as part of the Bust-A-Move series. It is the second Bust-A-Move title on a Nintendo console, following Bust-A-Move 3000 for the GameCube. In Europe, the game was released under the title Bust-A-Move.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Happy Happening
- Publisher
- Majesco (NA); 505 Games (EU)
- Series
- Puzzle Bobble
- Platforms
- Wii
- Released
- April 17, 2007 (NA); May 11, 2007 (EU)
- Genre
- Puzzle
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Bust-A-Move Bash! retains the core bubble-shooting mechanics of earlier series entries. It offers several modes: puzzle, shooting, endless, and a multiplayer versus mode. In puzzle mode, the player clears levels by eliminating all on-screen bubbles, achieved by shooting a bubble into a cluster of matching colors. Special bubbles with game-altering properties—star, flame, and rainbow—appear, and a bonus round after every ten levels, if completed, unlocks one of these special bubble types. Shooting mode has bubbles of four colors flying in from all screen sides; the player uses the Wii Remote pointer to shoot down bubbles matching the on-screen cursor's color. Endless mode is a survival challenge where the player destroys bubbles and collects jewels before a rising mass of bubbles crosses a foul line. Versus mode supports up to eight players on a single screen, competing to score jewels within a time limit. For five to eight players, the first four use Wii Remotes while the others use external controllers (Nunchuk or Classic Controller) connected to those remotes; these external controllers are not usable in single-player modes. Except for shooting mode, three Wii Remote control schemes are available: baton, gun, and easy-gun. Gun and easy-gun use the pointer to set the shot angle, with easy-gun showing the pointer's cursor. Baton requires holding the remote upright and tilting it left or right. In multiplayer, baton is the only scheme for Nunchuk users, while the Classic Controller uses both analog sticks to aim. Bubble-swapping is mapped to the down d-pad button on the Wii Remote and Classic Controller, or a downward flick of the Nunchuk's analog stick.
Development
Ken Gold, vice president of marketing at Majesco, said the company wanted Bash! to maximize the intuitive nature of the Wii controller to create a revolutionary offering of the popular Bust-A-Move franchise. This led to leveraging the Wii Remote's expansion capabilities to allow up to eight players on a single screen, with two players sharing one Wii controller by each holding one of its two parts—the remote itself or its external controller.
Reception
Bust-A-Move Bash! received mixed reviews according to Metacritic. IGN's Mark Birnbaum called it a step backwards for the series, criticizing the control scheme as lacking ergonomic foresight when using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the graphics as lackluster and too similar to the Dreamcast version, and the multiplayer as devoid of fun due to an emphasis on chaos rather than skill. He also described shooting mode as poorly implemented, tacked-on, and lacking inspiration. However, Birnbaum praised the number of puzzles and the game's faithfulness to the original.
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