Boom Blox (Wii)

Steven Spielberg can make movies, but can he make games?

When it was announced back in 2005 that Steven Spielberg would be partnering up with EA to create three new video game franchises, the general assumption was that these new games would be big, cinematic affairs. After all, this is the director who brought the movie world Jaws, Indiana Jones, War of the Worlds—heck, Spielberg’s own Saving Private Ryan was a direct inspiration for EA’s Medal of Honor franchise.

So it’s fair to say the revelation that the first joint venture would be a puzzle game for the Wii was a bit unexpected, although it makes more sense when you consider that Spielberg has several kids and is interested in games that the whole family can play together. And Boom Blox is definitely a game aimed at the whole family, from the colorful animated graphics to the E rating.

Fortunately, it’s a game that’s actually fun for the whole family to play. While the goals for various puzzle types range from keeping certain kinds of blocks intact to disassembling block structures to saving or assisting various creatures scattered amidst levels, the basic concept boils down to problem-solving with blocks. The physics in the game are really impressive, particularly when you get to the Jenga-like challenges, where pulling one block out can cause the rest of the stack to teeter precariously.

Puzzles challenge a wide range of abilities, from reflexes to dexterity to smarts. The gold/silver/bronze system of passing each level means that if your only goal is zipping through the entire game, you should have no trouble; alternatively, if you’re looking for more of a challenge, you can shoot to ace each level and unlock more rewards.

Boom Blox is also one of the few games out there that is actually as much fun whether you’re playing solo or with a friend. Individual players can tackle explore mode, which has you making your way through a series of challenges that take advantage of the various special block types, or adventure mode, which puts you in thematic environments while facing off against a combination of puzzle types. There’s also a robust level editor where you can create your own levels from scratch, which can then be saved and shared with friends. Multiplayer challenges come in both competitive and cooperative varieties; some of the most fun I had was working through the cooperative levels as we strategized together about which block should be the next target.

One special type of block is the bomb, which explodes when you hit it and can set off chain reactions with other nearby bombs.

Protect your army of sheep before the bad guys decimate them!

Not everything is perfect about Boom Blox, though. The description screen for each level almost always provides advice about how to successfully beat it; it would have been nice to have any hints be hidden away so players have to seek them out. Another irritating design decision had to do with timed levels. A window pops up telling you to examine the puzzle thoroughly before hitting “start” to begin, but the pop-up window stays on screen, blocking the bottom third and making it pretty impossible to get a full look at things. Other levels are big enough that when you rotate the camera to check things out from another angle, you’ll find that some of the blocks actually disappear off screen.

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What really keeps Boom Blox from being a great game instead of just a good game, however, is that levels don’t consistently build on each other. In last year’s excellent puzzle game Portal, you continually learn new skills and abilities as you progress throughout the game; it would be very difficult to play the last level without having played through the previous levels. In Boom Blox, however, you might complete one level that is pretty challenging only to unlock a new level that’s strangely simple, which is particularly odd in a game that requires you to finish one level in order to move on to the next. The game is still fun, but there isn’t that sense of satisfaction that you get after having to use everything you’ve learned to solve that one big final crazy puzzle.

Nevertheless, Boom Blox is still a worthy purchase for Wii owners. It’s one of those rare family games that doesn’t fall into the genres of minigame collection or rhythm title, and your seven-year-old kid will have as much fun as you do.

Pros: Single-player and multiplayer are equally as fun; good bronze/silver/gold passing system; healthy level editor that will engross creative types.
Cons: Levels don’t build on themselves the way they do in great puzzle games; bad placement of pop-up windows in some levels; annoying unasked-for hints.

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Keep these guys from stealing your blocks.

Hitting the right bomb at the right moment can produce very satisfying explosions.

The Jenga-like levels are particularly challenging for those who are antidextrous.