GAMES .: REVIEW
GAMEBOY ADVANCE

May 2002
by Q.Mulative

SUPER BUST-A-MOVE

Super Bust-A-Move is what happens when you let a game become too 'cool' to be fun. Without even so much as a story mode, the game is simply Classic-style, and CPU Battle. The interface is so cool it's died from hypothermia, and the music is similarly meaningless. You won't even find the classic tunes from previous Bust-A-Move games. Even Bub and Bob have been shoved aside to make way for the po-mo-esque characters. Speaking of which...



The characters have tonnes of 'attitude,' but zero personality. All they're there for is to provide a different sequence of bubbles to attack with, and to decorate the bottom of the screen with their unique 'weird dance.' Bub and Bob are now secondary characters, without even so much as a spoken line, as they blow the bubbles that are shot through the machine. In fact, the only dialogue you'll ever find in the game, is at the end of the CPU Battle sequence, where you'll be treated to a black and white victory scene, and the character in question mumbles something irrelevant ("How can I take this reward home?" .The end).



The gameplay itself isn't that bad, after all, you can only wreck the Bust-a-move formula so much. Most of the new additions are rather pointless, though, such as the Giant Bubbles (which paint all other bubbles on the field to their colour) and Metal Bubbles (which don't stick to anything), both of which seem to only serve as an "easy way out" of finishing the level. Other than those two things, it's still Bust-A-Move, and if you liked the single-participant puzzle modes, you'll probably be able to enjoy 4/5 of this game. The CPU Battle mode, though, isn't really worth it, as combos no longer count, and attacks can only be made by setting up two bubbles, piling a whole lot of other bubbles under them, and then setting them off dropping the bunch onto your opponent. Not only that, the experience is exactly the same no matter who you choose, as the characters don't talk to each other, and there aren't even story sequences in between.



If you want a portable Bust-A-Move game, you'll do far better to seek out Bust-A-Move Millenium on Game Boy Colour. If you want an advanced puzzler though, I'd recommend Puyo Pop or Columns Crown.

IMAGE SOURCES
Screenshots are from the Video Game Museum.

Genre - Puzzle

Developer - Altron
Publisher - Ubi Soft
Release - November 2001

Also Known As -
Super Puzzle Bobble Advance (Japan)

Alternative Choice - Columns Crown, Puyo Pop

Players - 1 to 2

Link Options - Simultaneous 2 player versus battle (Link Cable / Multi-pak).

 

 

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