Bust-A-Move DS Reviews: All You Need To Know
The bubble-bobbling puzzle series arrives on the Nintendo DS with the appropriately named Bust-A-Move DS. Hardcore Bust-A-Move fans, if there is such a thing, the gameplay adjustments made in this version can be a little put-off, and in some ways, the package feels a bit spartan. Yet Bust-A-Move DS delivers a lot of fun and trusted puzzle action with its support for five players and the huge number of puzzles to play on.
Video Credit: YouTube
This is still Bust-A-Move, which means that you are still launching colored bubbles from the bottom of the screen onto similarly colored bubbles that are hung at the top to clear them all. What makes Bust-A-Move DS unique is the way you launch the bubbles. Previous Bust-A-Move games gave you an arrow to aim with, but on the DS you can use the touchscreen to launch bubbles with a small slingshot - just touch the bubble with the stylus, drag down and release . Because you no longer have the arrow on the top screen, a guideline has been added that goes up a quarter on the top screen, which makes aiming much easier. The controls on the touchscreen may take some getting used to, but they turn out to be a fun and tactile way to play the game.
Video Credit: YouTube
The controls on the touch screen are also quite sensitive, making them good for setting up tricky, precise bank withdrawals; but it can make them extremely difficult to use when you're on the move, because the smallest bump can send your goal away. For this reason, Bust-A-Move DS also offers you the classic D-pad control options. Although it is easier to use in turbulent situations, the D-pad does not offer the same precise level of operation as the touchscreen, and you will often find that you tap the D-pad to get the angle you need. Both control schemes can sometimes feel compromised, but the controls on the touch screen are without a doubt superior.
Video Credit: YouTube
However you play Bust-A-Move DS, there is a good amount of content to play with. Most of the game for single player is in puzzle mode, where you can play as many as 250 puzzles and then unlock another 250 puzzles. Endless mode tests your endurance by constantly pushing new rows or bubbles down from the top of the screen until the screen fills or you cry, whichever comes first. There is also a versus CPU mode, where you can compete against up to four different artificial intelligence opponents at the same time, although the AI is not an incredible challenge and the games are usually over quickly. More interesting, however, is the multiplayer mode, which is identical to the versus CPU mode, but lets play against four other flesh and blood opponents using a single copy of the game.
Video Credit: YouTube
After the Flash animation fever dream art style or Super Bust-A-Move and Ultra Bust-A-Move, it was a relief to see that things went back to the basics for Bust-A-Move DS. The exponentially increasing cast of indescribably freaky misfits in those games is almost completely set aside, putting the focus back on Bub and Bob - the cute little dragons who launched the franchise in the first place. Although you probably won't pay too much attention, the character blades are redrawn with greater care, giving them a little more depth. Technically it is not impressive and the art style is not particularly inventive, but the whole package has a nice, sleek look with great attention to detail and a lively color palette. The background music is just as optimistic, bouncing between circus music and poppy jingles.
Although there are not many surprises in Bust-A-Move DS, the gambling tasks with the support of the touchscreen bear fruit and prove to be a good shot in the arm for what is otherwise a proven puzzle. There are a large number of puzzles that you can put your teeth into if you are flying alone, and the multiplayer makes it easy to play a game with anyone who has a DS, making this a somewhat modest but well-rounded package.
