February | 2018 | RVGFanatic

Bust-A-Move (SNES)

***Pub & Dev: Taito | March 1995 | 4 MEGS***

I love puzzle games. The good ones are fun, colorful, competitive and addicting as hell. I love how puzzle games appeals to even the most casual of gamers. There’s something about the genre that’s really satisfying and pure. And they’re the perfect type of games to introduce to your special lady friend for some quality couple gaming sessions. Lately, my girlfriend and I have been pouring hours into Tetris Attack, which I consider the best puzzle game on the SNES hands down. But there are plenty of worthy and honorable mentions. For example, look no further than Bust-A-Move. Known as Puzzle Bobble in Japan, Bust-A-Move is an offshoot of Taito’s 1986 arcade classic, Bubble Bobble. Taito struck gold once more as the Bust-A-Move series went on to become some of the most beloved and popular puzzle games of the ’90s.

LET’S START AT THE BEGINNING

Bust-A-Move originally came out in the arcades over 20 years ago in 1994. I didn’t have any memories of it until around 1996. It all started with my cousin Vivian. Growing up, she was the older sister I never had but always wanted. In late ’96, she embarked on a wild goose hunt to find a copy of PlayStation Bust-A-Move 2. I recall watching her walk a groove in her living room one late Fall afternoon as she called up one local gaming store after another. But no store carried this game and at the time we hadn’t yet been fully exposed to the power of the internet. She was never really a big gamer but Bust-A-Move 2 was her absolute favorite game. Somehow, it’s a memory that has stuck all these years later.

She eventually found a second hand copy later that year, and I recall all the crazy bubble bursting competitive fun we had that winter. It was a sentimental time for me as Christmas 1996 marked the last Christmas we spent at Vivian’s classic childhood home — they moved in 1997 so that Christmas proved to be the end of an era. Bust-A-Move 2 was such an excellent game with its simple bright colorful graphics and its mighty addicting bubble busting antics. It was the last time I remember gaming with Vivian, her brother Vince and my brother Kevin. We never really played another game after Bust-A-Move 2… not that I can recall. Good times they were. I can’t think of the Bust-A-Move series without thinking about those special times from a bygone era.

The ole neighborhood. Thanks for the memories

Coincidentally, my next memory of the Bust-A-Move series came nearly five years later. My gaming fandom came full circle in January of 2001…

I saw a Sega Saturn lying on the ground at my buddy’s house when I came over to study for a huge physics exam. Keep in mind that the PlayStation was all the rage back then and by 2001 the Saturn was a long afterthought.

“Hey, you’re the first person I know who has one too,” I said, pointing to his Saturn.

“Oh yeah? I didn’t know you had a Saturn, too. To be honest with you, I haven’t touched that thing in years.”

What’s this? I noticed Street Fighter Alpha 2 and Bust-A-Move 2 beside the system. Both games were looking real pretty in their big bulky American cases. Seeing all that triggered something deep inside of me that I thought was long dead. Suddenly I felt very excited about gaming again in a way I had not felt in some time.

“I still play my Saturn, but it’s been a while too,” I told my friend.

“If you want some of the games, go ahead. Take some. It’s cool.”

I nearly fell over. “Wow. But I can’t do that, man.”

“No, go for it. Really. I don’t play them anymore. Plus I never even bought any of them to begin with.”

“I can’t, really, but thanks…”

“You sure?”

“… I’ll just take these two,” I said quickly as the moment overtook me. I lured Street Fighter Alpha 2 and Bust-A-Move 2 out of the pile. I remember seeing BUG! but not caring enough about it. I just wanted some Street Fighter and BAM 2 action!

I found it difficult the rest of the study session to focus on atoms or Murphy’s Law, and who could blame me. The moment of truth arrived when I came home and fired the games up one by one. I cheered for every successful Dragon Punch, and I cringed for every “NO, I AIMED THE FREAKIN’ BUBBLE OVER THERE, NOT THERE!” moment. And it was freaking GLORIOUS.

Street Fighter Alpha 2 blew me away. It played so smoothly and had the right mix of style and substance. Playing Bust-A-Move 2 was like being back at an arcade hall, plopping a quarter into a simple but delightful puzzle game to tide me over until the line for the latest fighting game died down a bit. Ah, good times.

It was an amazing arcade-like experience I had that fine evening. I felt like I was right back in the arcades. It made me think about what other gems the Saturn has to offer. As they say, the rest is history.

HOW TO PLAY

Anyone can play this! — *Anyone* can play it!

Link 3 or more together — Link up 3 or more

MEET OUR HEROES

MODES OF PLAY

There are four different ways to play. You have the single player quest where you’re given 100 levels of set bubbles. It’s your job to burst them all before the ceiling comes crashing down on ya. In this mode there are three special kind of bubbles, in addition to the eight normal different colored bubbles. Bubble Bobble fans will find these special bubbles familiar…

It converts others... — It converts others…

... to the same color — … to the same color

This mode offers 100 levels of mayhem. A password is given when you lose all of your 7 continues. It’s always fun to see what the next stage might bring. Some of the designs are rather creative. Take this octopus stage for example!

How far can you go before losing all your continues? It starts out easy but quickly becomes a house of horrors. The password feature is a huge help since it lets you finish the game at your own pace.

Next up we have the Challenge Mode. Play on a single screen until you bust. The total amount of bubbles you burst is tracked. This is a simple and nice little mode when you’re in that endurance mood.

Next up is the VS. CPU mode. Perfect for when you want some competition but no one is around to play with.

But the best mode is 2 player versus. It’s super competitive and has that “just one more match” magic. This can suck hours from your life. It’s so cute and fun that anyone can play this and have a good time, even the most casual of gamers.

You damn right it is

AGONY AND TRIUMPH

Part of the agony of Bust-A-Move is the ill-aimed bubble. You’ll try to squeeze it through but ultimately to no avail. It doesn’t get any more frustrating than that. One misplaced bubble can change the tide of battle. For example, I just missed connecting with the four yellow bubbles there.

... bubbles off the wall — … bubbles off the wall

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Bust-A-Move was well received. EGM gave it scores of 7, 7, 8 and 9. Super Play Magazine rated it 84% and ranked it as the 48th best SNES game back in their April 1996 issue. Speaking of Top 100 lists, Nintendo Power ranked it as the 96th best game in their 100th issue. While the ad obviously uses hyperbole to market the game, Bust-A-Move is nothing short of being highly competitive and addicting. It’s kind of a shame that I rarely see this game being talked about much even in SNES circles, but I guess that’s because most people would rather play one of the later renditions. But that doesn’t change the fact that the original is still a winner.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Bust-A-Move is one of those rare games that I can pick up and play at any time. I can go at it solo for 20 minutes or battle a buddy for 2 hours. Aiming the bubbles to align correctly is crazy addictive and it’s awesome when you get locked in the zone. Some people feel the gameplay involves too much luck for their own liking, especially with the wall shots, but there’s definitely a need for skill. There’s more luck involved here than a puzzle game such as Puyo Puyo but that’s part of what makes it different and unique. No matter how good you get, you can always misfire a bubble and lose by the smallest margin of error. It keeps the matches exciting and unpredictable.

While this admittedly isn’t the best rendition of the series you could play, it’s still pretty awesome. I enjoy the Sega Saturn sequel even more, but this game certainly has a place in my SNES library. It has that classic “one more game” quality to it. Few games can match the intensity that Bust-A-Move provides. This is the type of game that will never go out of style and will always entertain. Thank you, Taito, for giving SNES owners a small taste of bubble busting glory.

Graphics: 6
Sound: 6
Gameplay: 9
Longevity: 9

Overall: 9.0
Gold Award

"SEE YOU NEXT GAME!" — ***“SEE YOU NEXT GAME!”***

Tetris Attack (SNES)

**Pub: Nintendo | Dev: Intelligent Systems | August 1996 | 8 MEGS**

Tetris, released in the summer of 1984, is the most classic puzzle game ever created. Hell, EGM deemed it the best video game of all time (issue #100, November 1997). More than a decade later, Tetris Attack redefined the puzzle genre. Originally released on October 27, 1995 in Japan as Panel de Pon, the game received a Yoshi’s Island makeover for its North American localization in the summer of 1996. It was also granted the Tetris name to further increase its appeal, even though technically it has nothing to do with the Tetris formula. Regardless, Tetris Attack effortlessly worked its way into our hearts and stands as arguably the greatest 16-bit puzzle game of all time.

ATTACK OF THE FLEA MARKET
-Saturday, February 4, 2006-

*beep*

*Beep*

*BEEP*

*BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!*

Staggering out of bed like Otis Campbell on a Saturday night, I shifted my way through the darkness to put an end to the madness. The thought of crawling back in bed was nearly as tempting as Jessica Alba herself. The idea, however, went quickly as it came.

After brushing my teeth and helping myself to a bowl of cereal, I found the dawn just breaking between two white buildings. The sky was mostly gray but a streak of white stretched itself from the end of a flagpole. By the time I finished breakfast, the sky was lighter than it had been when I woke up — the streak of gray broadening into a patch of brilliant day.

I was a man on a mission. Three weeks into my SNES rebirth (1.17.06), I was gearing to embark on my first flea market voyage since 2002. With a wish list the size of Rosie’s waistline and a wallet jammed full of dead presidents, I headed off into that cool early morning, the light February breeze brushing against my face. As I pulled into the parking lot something told me today was going to be a good day. Maybe even a great one. I gazed at the box office where I saw the growing crowd purchasing their tickets. Just think, I thought to myself… beyond that building there… lies a part of my childhood.

My first flea market haul 2.4.06) — My first flea market haul (2.4.06)

I remember the morning rather well; the smell of apricot in the air, the bustling crowds all jabbering for bargains, and at long last — the lady with the game stand parked over at the far end. I dove head first into the SNES bin like Rickey Henderson stealing third base. All her games were wrapped. I eagerly waded through each one, picking out Final Fight, Dino City, Battletoads in Battlemaniacs, Flashback and Tetris Attack.

What a FLASHBACK to my youth... — What a *FLASHBACK* to my youth…

Each of those games ran me $5 except for Tetris Attack. Some of these games I hadn’t played in 12, 15 years! There’s nothing quite like the rush of rediscovering games from your youth on a brisk, early Saturday morning. There’s just something awesome about it. It’s hard to look back on one’s early collecting days and not break out a nostalgic smile. It was the rush and the feeling of getting back into the fandom after so many years, acquiring games left and right… those are some sacred memories right there!

The vendor was a nice elderly lady in her 50’s. I showed her each game that I wanted as she sprouted off, “Five dollas, five dollas,” but she paused when Tetris Attack came up. Somehow, I knew she would.

There was no way in HELL I was getting Tetris Attack for a measly five bucks…

She grabbed the game from me and squinted long and hard at it. Oh boy, I thought to myself, here it comes. $20, maybe $25. Yup, Steve-O, you can kiss this bargain goodbye. She burned a hole through Tetris Attack before finally saying…

".... MMMM... seven dollas" — *“… MMMM… seven dollas OK?”*

I wanted to jump in the air and pump my fist. But I kept my cool and told the lady in a calm voice, “Sounds good.” All in all, it was $27 well spent! Crazy to think this happened just over 12 years ago now… (read more about my Flea Market Memoirs).

CHAIN GANG

As is the case with most puzzle games, the name of the game is chaining together combo hits to quickly derail the competition.

Don’t worry, there’s even a handy tutorial to acclimate new players.

Eliminate all 10 panels with one simple switch.

Switch the gray block over which drops the red heart. This leads to all 18 panels being cleared.

Combos are nice but chains are deadly. Check out this three hit chain reaction.

Recently I introduced a friend to Tetris Attack. We took time to view the combo tutorial. She kept saying, “Yeah right, like that shit ever happens.”

Speaking of improbable, skill chains are crazy. All this time and I have still yet to pull off one of these bad boys in actual versus competition.

GAME MODES

There’s plenty of 1-player modes to keep you busy even if you’re going at it solo. Let’s check out the VS. mode first.

Clearing four or more panels will drop a garbage block on your opponent’s screen.

Clearing three shock panels (the gray blocks with the white ! marks) drops a Shock Block on your opponent’s screen. Shock Blocks prevents any garbage blocks or other Shock Blocks on top of it from being cleared. Match four shock panels to send two Shock Blocks, match five shock panels to send three Shock Blocks and so forth.

Rather than being your typical falling piece puzzler, you move a cursor around the screen and switch pieces around. Part of the fun comes in clearing out one group and quickly yanking out another piece to cause another combo, as seen above. Tetris Attack favors the swift.

Computer opponent is almost done for. Apply the finishing touch by switching those two pieces there. Six piece combo!

Unfortunately there is no battery backed memory here. Just passwords. Yoshi liberates those that he beats.

Computer gets its revenge with a sick 3-hit chain attack, followed up by a 6-piece combo for good measure.

Dropping loads of garbage blocks is the name of the game. After you liberate the eight main characters, you face four bosses.

Hookbill the Koopa and Naval Piranha are the first two bosses you’ll face.

Magikoopa Kamek and Bowser are the final two.

OTHER MODES

There’s plenty of modes to pick from in the 1-player game. Puzzle Mode gives you a limited amount of moves to clear all the pieces.

Things start out easy but fools rushing in can easily get tripped up.

Another mode is Stage Clear. Clear all the panels above the special clear marker to beat the stage and move on. In addition to the VS. CPU mode, there’s also a Time Trial and Endless mode.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Tetris Attack fared extremely well with the critics. It was widely beloved by most that played it. EGM gave it scores of 7.5, 8.0, 8.5 and 9.0. Super Play rated it 90%. Nintendo Power ranked it the 17th best game in their 100th issue. EGM placed it #16 on their own Top 100 list.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

It’s fitting I’m writing this on Valentines Day because I freaking love Tetris Attack. Its main appeal is that it’s competitive and fun as hell. It’s also very accessible — literally almost anyone can play it and enjoy it. The handicap options ensure that everyone has a fighting chance to win, especially with a little practice under their belt. Few things are as intense as a match that goes down to the wire with both screens about to hit critical mass. It’s just a shame that it was released so late into the Super Nintendo’s lifespan. Alas, the old cliché rings ever true: better late than never.

Whereas most puzzle games depend on random falling blocks and a fair bit of luck, Tetris Attack stands out by letting you move a cursor around to rearrange the blocks as you see fit, creating your own combos and chains. It’s easy to pick up and play but difficult to master — the mark of a truly terrific puzzle game. The visuals are simple but bright and pleasing to the eye. There are some catchy tunes as one might expect but ultimately it’s the addicting gameplay that is the main draw of the game. 20+ years and counting and Tetris Attack still finds itself frequently occupying the slot of my SNES. For my money, it’s the best puzzle game on the system and easily one of the Super Nintendo’s top 20 games. Very few games can you constantly play and not get sick of. Tetris Attack belongs in that elite fraternity.

Graphics: 8
Sound: 7
Gameplay: 9.5
Longevity: 10

Overall: 9.5

Arkanoid: Doh It Again (SNES)

***Pub: Nintendo | Dev: Taito | November 1997 | 4 MEGS***

Last year, many SNES games celebrated their 25th anniversary. 2018 will mark 25 years for SNES games that came out in 1993. Meanwhile, Arkanoid: Doh It Again just turned 20. Released just in time for the Christmas season of 1997, Arkanoid is one of the last SNES games to come out in North America. Most gamers had long migrated to the PlayStation or N64 by then, but loyal SNES owners were treated to a nice update of an old classic title.

RECLAIMING THE RELICS OF MY YOUTH

Many of us who got back into classic gaming at some point I think fondly remembers that feeling of getting back into the fandom for the first time in ages. I’ll never forget that first quarter of 2006. The SNES bug bit me hard and on many early Saturday mornings I would wake up at the butt crack of dawn, hop into my car and drive down many windy roads in search of local flea markets. With a list of wants in the hundreds and a pocket full of dead presidents, it was a winning formula for always going back home with at least something. I met many vendors in my time, most memorable of all being “Mr. Mean.” He had tons of Super Nintendo games but they were way overpriced and he was generally a miserable grouch (hence the nickname). One day I saw Arkanoid and felt my heart leaping for joy. Mr. Mean quickly shattered that when he gave me a ridiculous price quote. I walked away feeling a tad discouraged. But it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish…

Still, I kept my head up and continued happily exploring the rest of the flea market. At the 4th vendor I spotted Pac-Attack and *DUN DUN DUN* Arkanoid: Doh It Again. Funny how life can work in mysterious ways. I was denied Arkanoid just five minutes earlier by Mr. Mean, but here I was with another vendor who happened to have a copy of the same game as well. However, he was hesitant to sell Arkanoid off the bat.

“I don’t know… isn’t this game rare?” he asked, scratching his head.

“Nope.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I actually just saw it at the very last vendor.”

He examined the glossy game label long and hard, squinting even. He studied the Easter Island statue with burning intensity. Finally he looked back up. “Alright, I trust you… $5 it is then. With the Pac-Man game it’ll be $10.”

In your face, Mr. Mean! Ah, ARKANOID. I have some fond memories of playing the game on my computer in the late ’90s when my bro and I first discovered emulation. Kevin and I had already donated our SNES to our cousin David by the time my brother found out about roms and such. I remember it well; I was a sophomore in high school at the tail end of the ’90s, walking home from school one day talking with a buddy about my brother’s discovery the night before. This was how I first experienced Arkanoid: Doh It Again. I was taken aback by its simple and addictive gameplay. Fast forward to that day in 2006 at the flea market, things came full circle some 7-8 years later when I finally bought Arkanoid at long last.

THE STORY GOES…

Commander Therle searches for a home but Doh blocks him. Doh is a heinous intergalactic entity hellbent on causing contamination and utter destruction.

Sending out a scout ship to analyze the surroundings, the sentient being Doh immediately springs into action.

It reminds me fondly of the Easter Island heads I grew up seeing in the Gradius games and Godzilla movies.

Rocking that Mode 7 to the very bitter end, eh?

With 99 levels to beat, this comes in mighty handy

SICK POWER-UPS

Barriers can be a true lifesaver as can the “Viagra” power-up. Touch the blue capsule and watch your ship grow!

There’s a limit to how long it can grow but at its max, it can cover damn near one half the playing field! Nice.

Another awesome power-up, this capsule shoots out eight balls. Brings new meaning to the term, “Balls to the walls,” no?

FUN LEVELS

So pass it cross the table like ping pong.
I’m gone, beating my chest like King Kong.
And when it comes to get another stogie…
fools all kick in like Shinobi. I GOT 5 ON IT!

[More like this, right? -Ed.] Har har — *[More like this, right? -Ed.]* I swear, it *really was* 5 minutes

Little bad guys litter some of the stages — Little enemies litter some of the stages

Arkanoid: Doh It Again throws a boss at you every once in a while. This is a nice break from the norm and helps to add some much needed variety to freshen things up.

Backgrounds change every 11 levels. The backgrounds are well done and add a certain atmosphere to the game. I particularly like the one with the humans traveling in space.

Boss fights are the best part of this game. It adds a fresh feel to an old formula. They’re very much welcomed, indeed.

TABLE FOR TWO, PLEASE

Game B is my favorite mood — Game B is my favorite mode

Arkanoid is pretty fun on your own but it really shines when playing with a buddy. There are three different 2 player modes. Game A has you and a bud alternating turns. Game C pits both players against the same map and the first to clear said map is declared victorious. But Game B is clearly the bread winner. Team up with a friend in some awesome co-op action. Player 2 plays behind you and can swat away any ball player 1 misses. You switch places for each level. This is incredibly fun and one of the better 2 player co-op experiences on the SNES.

This isn't shabby but it's got nothing on Mode B — This isn’t shabby but it’s got nothing on Mode B

This is so true. I’ve played this mode with my sister in law and my girlfriend. Both of them are casual game players and don’t go out of their way to play games as a solo hobby. But they both loved playing this game. It’s perfect to play with a friend or significant other who isn’t into video games. It’s so simple and fun that anyone can play this and have a good time.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

December 1997. EGM issue #102 (January 1998) arrived in my mailbox. We were in the thick of the 32-bit era as you can see from the cover. Resident Evil 2 was the big title at the time. Yet in the back of the magazine, in the reviews section, I saw something that caught my eye. There was a Super Nintendo game being reviewed! It had been forever since EGM last reviewed a Super Nintendo game. Fun trivia tip: Arkanoid was the last SNES game EGM ever reviewed. It received scores of 7.0, 7.5, 8.0 and 8.5. Very respectable scores indeed. My brother and I were both out of the Super Nintendo scene by then but still, I remember being happy seeing the review. It was like seeing a dear old friend again after so many years and finding out that life had been good to them.

This was a comforting sight to see back in late 1997

CLOSING THOUGHTS

There’s something cool and soothing about Arkanoid: Doh It Again. Maybe it’s the contrasting combination of retro gaming goodness spliced with futuristic ambience. Or maybe it’s the awesome and addictive co-op 2 player mode that is instantly accessible to all. It’s probably all of that and then some. The graphics won’t wow anyone but they get the job done, although on some stages it can get tough at times to make out the ball due to the background. Some of the tunes fit well like a glove and there’s nothing like the sound of your ball bouncing off of a bad guy. The game has a timeless quality to it. Whenever the latest game lets me down, I know Arkanoid will always be there ready to whisk me to a far away world where lasers thrive and Easter Island heads rule.

Several years ago my sister in law wanted to sample one of my Super Nintendo games. She’s not much of a gamer at all, mind you. I mulled over my collection trying to select just the right 2 player experience that she might enjoy. It was an instant no-brainer the second my eyes landed on Arkanoid. As soon as we set up the 2 player co-op mode, we were both talking trash at the TV, high-fiving each other and shouting at every missed ball and subsequent second player save. It quickly dawned on me then and there that Arkanoid: Doh It Again presents one of the best 2 player experiences on the SNES. More recently, I’ve introduced this game to my girlfriend and she too digs the co-op mode. Sadly, because it came out so late in the system’s life, Arkanoid is something of an unsung gem in the SNES library. It’s one of those rare special games that anyone can pick up and play whether they’re 8 or 80. Not to mention have a blast along the way. As such, Arkanoid is definitely deserving of a spot in any SNES collection.

Graphics: 7
Sound: 8
Gameplay: 8.5
Longevity: 8.5

Overall: 8.5