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by Capcom
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 I have never played Devil Dice.
In fact, I had never even heard of Devil Dice. When I first picked up
Bombastic I had no idea that it was a sequel. My history with puzzle
games pretty much began with Tetris and ended with Dr. Mario. I had no
idea what to expect from this little game, with less than exciting cover
art and a name that reveals nothing about the game itself.
 Puzzle gamers will cringe,
but I have to admit to expecting something much more like Tetris.
(Please don’t write me screaming about how there is more to puzzle
gaming than Tetris.) I was wrong--very wrong. Bombastic was totally
unlike any of my previous puzzle gaming experiences (which could just
mean that game pieces didn’t fall from the top to the bottom of the
screen). Perhaps I was unprepared for the experience that is Bombastic.
I think I needed to adjust my brain because at first I just didn’t get
it.
 The game starts out with a
fairly simple explanation. You are a little devil dude that travels
around a game board on top of dice. You want to make group the dice up
by number, thus causing them to explode (of course). Each step causes
the dice to flip and move forward on the board. In order for them to
explode you must group them so that the number of dice matches the
number you are trying to match. For example: if you have two dice with
the number three facing up you want to add another three, or four fours,
or five fives, and so on. Sounds simple enough. The thing you must
consider is with each step, or move across the board, the die flips,
bringing up another number. You need to use a little foresight with each
of your moves. Each explosion causes a chain reaction when the wake hits
a die of one less than the set of dice that exploded. So if you group
five dice with the five dotted side up, they will explode. If the
explosion reaches any dice with the four side up it will touch them off
as well. Then, if that explosion touches a two die, it will explode. I
think you get the idea.
 Bombastic is very difficult
to get a hang of. Luckily the game has lots of explanations and the
quest mode starts with a long training session. Unfortunately the
multi-player mode does not, and I began by diving into the multi-player
mode.
 The multi-player mode can
handle up to five players, whether they are human or controlled by the
CPU. This mode is fast paced and frenzied. While I had some grasp of the
game, I quickly devolved to simply running around, dodging blasts, and
relying on chance. That was when we were playing without the CPU
players. Throw them into the mix and the game quickly degrades into a
slightly methodical mayhem. After a half-dozen matches, or so, I decided
I better give the Quest mode a shot. Perhaps, I thought, I would better
develop my Bombastic skills by playing through a chunk of that.
 When the Quest mode begins you
are introduced to Mr. Machos. He is a colorful, odd, creature that
guides you through the first part of the game. He explains the rules and
a few simple strategies as he leads you through the first part of the
game. It is thorough and helpful, but also tedious and a little boring.
At first you must clear a path through each level to get to the curtain
at the end. Eventually it gets tougher with the addition of enemies that
block your path.
 The Quest mode features a
story, which is a little odd for a game of this type, and it is hardly
worth mentioning. It has something to do with Angels, Demons, and maybe
some Pokemon. I don’t know. I think they interbred and apparently
Pokemon are the bastard children of Angels and Demons. Which still
doesn’t explain Yu-GI-Oh. But like I said the story isn’t important.
 With puzzle games graphics
usually take a back seat. Generally they aren’t that important to how
much fun the game is, but if they aesthetically pleasing it is always a
nice bonus. Bombastic is pretty cute. It has simple little creatures
that inhabit its simple little world. The game board isn’t much other
than square spaces filled with dice. Not flashy, but it really is all
that it has to be.
 There are enough different
modes to keep a person busy and the ability to have as many as five
players is pretty cool. The place where Bombastic suffers is its
accessibility. You have to have a good knowledge of the dice to quickly
roll out a move that will advance you. This makes it hard for someone to
just pick the game up and be relevant in any kind of competition. When
my girlfriend and I tried a multiplayer game against the CPU we were
easily outmatched. This was frustrating and we quickly tired of playing.
That is why Bombastic doesn’t work for me like I feel a puzzle game
should. Puzzle games are designed to be simple and addictive. Quite
often we can’t explain our fascination and yet it is undeniable, and
that is why Tetris is still the bar at which all puzzle games are
measured to this day. No matter how much you want to, you can’t put the
darn game down. With Bombastic I did not have this problem. Instead of
killing time I felt like I was wasting time. Perhaps I am the wrong guy
for this game. In fact I will put in a small disclaimer and say that I
am positive that there are people out there who will truly enjoy this
game. The cell shaded characters are kind cute, the music really isn’t
that bad, and you and a bunch of your friends can all play it together.
But Bombastic just didn’t do it for me.
Matt James (10/30/2003) |
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Snapshot
Ups: Up
to five players simultaneous
Downs:
Hard, to grasp for beginners and hard to put in
the extra time to get good
Platform:
PS2
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