|
Bust'em Review #1
.: By: Corn Bread :: Device used: iPAQ H3650 :: April 16, 2002 :: Buy this game :.
I have always been a sucker for a good game of Breakout. Back when I got my first Pocket PC, JimmyArk2 was the first game (and software) that I bought for it. JimmyArk2 has always been a mainstay on my PPC as well as being my favorite game, but all that changed when Digital Concepts released the game Bust'em...
Bust'em plays similarly to every other Breakout clone in that you are in control of a paddle whose purpose is to deflect the ball(s) and direct it to hit and destroy all the blocks on each level, thereby allowing you to get to the next stage. I was pleasantly surprised to see that in Bust'em your paddle isn't limited to left and right movements, however; you are able to move your paddle in every direction within its movement area, making for a very unique and fun twist.
 
All of the stages have a very unique and colorful look, and I especially liked the way Bust'em uses a lot of different shaped and sizes of bricks. You’ll encounter massively big squares, circles, tiny triangles and plenty more besides. Hitting those itty-bitty little squares and triangles is extremely hard, but Bust'em also offers a lot of power ups to help you through those difficult levels. You’ll be able to use unique power ups such as the Guidance power up which will make your ball automatically seek out any bricks within the stages. There’s also the Nuke power up which will spawn thirty to fifty balls simultaneously. Keep in mind, however, that not all of the power ups are helpful. Some will cause your paddle to grow smaller, and others will even destroy all your balls amongst other things. I suggest that you read the instructions included within the game to get acquainted with all of the power ups.
Similar to RocketElite, Bust'em also features the same awesome particle effect. Whenever a block is destroyed, a splash of particles is showered all over the level. But the particle effect in Bust'em isn't just there as eye candy alone, for the particles will actually gather at the bottom of the screen forming a mountain of debris that hinders and limits the movement of your paddle.
What really impresses me is that no matter how hectic, fast and chaotic the screen gets, there are absolutely no slow-downs in the animation - the game manages to maintain its stability and speed no matter what happens. The graphics are in the same level of quality as RocketElite - not too bad but not amazing, either. The sound effects are very well done, and are always in sync with the game and the action on-screen. The music could use some more work, however. The game play in Bust'em is very intense, but the music is rather boring and doesn’t fit well with the game.
By playing through the 100 levels on offer, you'll receive hints on how to unlock the cheats, additional options, and the custom level editor hidden in the game. Controlling the paddle is done via the stylus, although you also have the option of using (and customizing) the hardware buttons. There is an option to turn off the music and sound effects within the game, plus you can choose to play previously finished levels if you wish to. A high score chart for each of the difficulty settings is also available.
 
Its not too far off to say that Bust'em is currently the best Breakout style game there is for the PPC; the game play is blazingly fast and insanely addictive. JimmyArk2 and CEBall both pale in comparison to this game and, once again, Douglas Beck has created another hit. Action/arcade game fans certainly won't be disappointed with this game. With four difficulty settings and a hundred levels, you won't easily tire of playing Bust'em.
Bust'em is sold for $16.99 and is available for MIPS and ARM Pocket PCs, as well as desktop PCs (the desktop version also costs $16.99), and can be installed in either the main RAM or onto a storage card. 2.9 MB of storage memory is required, and an additional 3 MB of program memory is needed in order to run the game.
Pros:
Cons:
Score: 
|
