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Posts with tag boom-blox
WRUP: Exploding blocks edition
Grab some real-life Boom Blox with the game
Although it lacks a ball to knock your blocks down with once you've finished building, assembling this puzzle is probably the perfect way to pass the time while your family plays on Boom Blox and you stubbornly refuse to admit that you might have been wrong. Bah. Oh, one word of advice, though: handle with care.
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Metareview: Boom Blox
The answer to that question is a resounding yes:
- 1UP (100/100) loved the game so much that they gave it an A+: "Boom Blox is simply a laundry list of great features and options wrapped around an incredibly fun, expertly designed, and well-tuned puzzle game. Sure, its cute veneer won't do it any favors with the more intense console crowd, but I found it charming and refreshingly cheery. It's a casual game made for a casual crowd, but it's far and away the best one I've ever played."
- IGN (81/100) enjoyed a lot of the game's features, but felt that the title's biggest strength was its addictive multiplayer: "EA has really capitalized on the Wii remote to give you pinpoint accuracy as you make throws with real, calculated velocity -- throws that interact with block formations encased in genuine physics. You will find the single-player offering robust and varied, but the multiplayer mode -- compatible for up to four gamers -- is tantamount to crack cocaine in its ability to addict. And while there are hundreds of levels to keep you busy, there's also a full-blown stage creator that works hand-in-hand with WiiConnect24."
- Wired (80/100) praises the game's mass appeal: "Boom Blox does what so many Wii titles wish they could, by splitting the difference between casual players and lifelong gamers. You can pass the Wiimote to your grandma or a 5-year-old and they'll have a ball with its clever mix of brainy puzzles and satisfying explosions. But hard-core players like me will find a surprising amount of depth to the gameplay and a satisfying, addictive challenge."
Penny Arcade's eyeful of Boom Blox
Much like we were, Penny Arcade was driven into a frenzy of Blox-booming desire by the recent Boom Blox preview video. What sounded at first like a mildly diverting concept has become the kind of thing we'd basically want to play all the time.Tycho's enthusiasm for Steven Spielberg's latest (thing he's attached to in some unclear way) goes beyond wanting to play the game constantly. The fictional character based on the Penny Arcade writer wants to play Boom Blox not just while the Wii's on, but the rest of the time -- and meets with a somewhat unpleasant user experience with the "tabletop version" of the game. They're called Boom Blox and not Tumble Harmlessly Blox, after all.
Wii releases this week: Boom Blox edition
This week's releases are:
- The Dog Island
- Boom Blox
- Speed Racer
- Rebel Raiders: Operation Nighthawk
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Friday Video: Boom Blox video explosion
Well now, we know our Friday Video feature is usually for the more, uh, let's say interesting videos out there on the net, but we just couldn't pass up this pile of videos from upcoming EA title Boom Blox. They all show off the content creator at work, as well as some fruits from the labor of creation. So hit up the video above, then head past the break for loads more.
Gallery: BOOM BLOX
A huge Block of Boom [update]
Are you ready for twelve minutes of Boom Blox? If not, go listen to P.O.D.'s "Boom" a couple of times to get yourself psyched up.* The above video features the first twelve minutes of (a demo version of) the Spielberg-inspired puzzle action game about knocking over piles of blocks. It's actually quite a nice way to get introduced to the game, as the beginning naturally contains the tutorial.
You'll see how to aim and toss balls using Blox's imperfect but convenient control scheme (normally, when throwing a ball, you don't get to "lock on" first, but we're happy for the help), and what the different kinds of "Blox" are and how they can be "boomed." The "Chemical Blox" certainly look like a good time -- they explode upon contact with each other. The video also features one of the multiplayer modes: a game in which each player knocks over a tower of numbered blocks, with the numbers representing point values.
*No, don't do that.
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NMS08: Joystiq hands-on with the future of Wii
- Rock Band for Wii is not quite a complete travesty; improvements made to the original Rock Bands are present here, and apparently, there is at least discussion of how to handle the online play/DLC problem, but whether or not that will be managed as a later add-on or reserved for a sequel was not said. But it's not all sunshine and rainbows ....
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is the opposite of Rock Band, however, in that it sounds even better than we expected. Zack spent some time in the Wii-specific multiplayer duel mode, and it sounds as though the level of depth (and sheer fun!) to be found there will make Wii owners and Star Wars fans very happy. We're looking forward to it!
- BOOM BLOX may seem like a simple game, but while we're on the subject of depth, this is another title with a lot to explore and discover, and we know a lot of you are excited about it -- so much so that you'll challenge the bloggers to steel cage matches and all. It's cool. We like to know you care.
- Samba de Amigo both is and ain't the original. It looks and feels like the Dreamcast game, but Wii remotes just aren't maracas. We did get our wish, though you can use two Wiimotes instead of a Wiimote and a nunchuk if you want, to get your samba on.
- Wii Fit is fun, with a lot of enjoyable mini-games, but Zack felt they might get repetitive after a while. Then again, what exercise routine doesn't? That's why they call it a routine, amirite?
Read: Joystiq hands-on with Rock Band Wii
Read: Joystiq hands-on with Samba de Amigo
Read: Joystiq hands-on with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Read: Joystiq hands-on with Wii Fit
NMS08: Head-tracking disappears from EA's Boom Blox
Remember how awesome it was when we found out that BOOM BLOX was going to incorporate Johnny Chung Lee's incredible head-tracking 3D demo? There was dancing in the streets (and an extra helping of crow for the staff here). Well, put away the maracas and forget the confetti: EA has cut the Easter egg from the title. Guess that means the device we rigged from a beer helmet, swim goggles, and an old bag of Cheetos is now completely useless, and we're denied the chance to try out the most amazing development for the Wii that we've seen -- and in a game that would have been perfect for it, too. What happened? EA is mum on the whys and wherefores, stating only that the Easter egg was never confirmed for inclusion.
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Trick or treat or BOOM BLOX [update]
Wow, those little rectangular kittens are adorable. How could you not love little fuzzy (and sharp-cornered) kittens in bows? They're just out trick-or-treating in the creepy woods. They're just so cute that we want to ... throw stuff at them. We're pretty sure that they would wobble and fall down. Can they has stuff being thrown at them?
The latest screens of Steven Spielberg's weird Wii project also reveal that -- we think -- Boom Blox is using the "paper" look (like Paper Mario or, in a more dramatic example, Defend Your Castle) for at least one of its locations. Well, it's either supposed to look like paper or the backgrounds are just really flat.
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BOOM BLOX boxart ensures the game's success
What's a genius marketing strategy for EA's upcoming puzzle game, BOOM BLOX? Putting Steven Spielberg's name on the box, of course. Casual gamers have no doubt heard of Spielberg (he's the guy who did that jewel thief movie, right?), and will flock to this video game box that so shamelessly flaunts his name. Brilliant move, EA.
We're actually surprised that they didn't make Spielberg's name bigger. The thin white text kind of gets swallowed up in the loudness of the box. Maybe they should have put "Steven Spielberg" in big letters and "BOOM BLOX" in small text, to be safe.
The boxart is quite eye catching (although -- dare we say it -- not exactly nice looking), and will certainly help the game to rack up some big numbers. It looks like EA has already won the sales war before it even began.
We're actually surprised that they didn't make Spielberg's name bigger. The thin white text kind of gets swallowed up in the loudness of the box. Maybe they should have put "Steven Spielberg" in big letters and "BOOM BLOX" in small text, to be safe.
The boxart is quite eye catching (although -- dare we say it -- not exactly nice looking), and will certainly help the game to rack up some big numbers. It looks like EA has already won the sales war before it even began.
Gallery: BOOM BLOX
GDC08: Head tracking Easter egg included in BOOM BLOX
Well, as it turns out, we don't have to be wistful anymore.
In a continued effort to make us look bad, the creators of BOOM BLOX revealed yesterday at GDC that the game would incorporate some head tracking. Before you get too excited, executive producer Lou Castle told Joystiq that this would only be an "Easter egg inclusion."
This feature won't be an integral part of the game, clearly, but it's still a big step for gaming nonetheless. We're a little worried that in order to use this feature, the player must make their own LED headset -- we think most people won't bother doing that, and thus miss out on something great. Castle said that they weren't going to promote the feature, and we're assuming that it's for this reason. Whether you take advantage of the head tracking option or not, though, it's still a laudable inclusion in our eyes.
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'Stiq loves BLOX
In fact, BOOM BLOX gets nothing but exaltation throughout the preview, being referred to as "very first-party" and "(feeling) like a Miyamoto game." The heart of BLOX's success is in its creation engine, which allows for an infinite variety of very different levels. Not only can different shapes be made using different kinds of blocks, but it is possible to design levels with different goals. Ransom-Wiley said "Imagine a bottomless bag of these pieces, a virtual world driven by 'real,' responsive physics (how hard you toss the ball actually matters), and the freedom to create; to set your own rules to the game."
This is the true magic of Spielberg, we think. We never would have guessed that a game about tossing balls at bricks would cause a Joystiq editor to declare "This May, put down Brawl, pick up those blox."
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Wii Warm Up: BLOX head
Are you slowly coming aboard the BOOM BLOX not-quite-hype-but-at-least-not-disgust train? Have you always been down for some block booming? Or are you outraged that Steven Spielberg's concept for a Wii game doesn't seem to include much in the way of narrative?
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Surfer Girl gives BOOM BLOX praise as we continue to come around
Surfer Girl, who is famous in the world of video games for her endless flow of industry rumors, thinks very highly of the title. In fact, she calls it "this year's best third-party Wii game." Those are certainly some strong words, and although she doesn't elaborate on why the game is so great, she does say it's a fun puzzle experience.
So, who will be eating crow, us or Surfer Girl? It's too early to tell, but we're ready for some humble pie if the game turns out to be as amazing as she says.
Gallery: BOOM BLOX
