I had no intention of covering a mobile game this week, but as it’s January and the release window is deader than a door nail (what does that even mean?) I decided to give one a try. It just so happens that Bust-A-Move Islands just dropped and it also just so happens that I’m a big fan of the series. It seems like the two would make a great fit when you look at it on paper.
Bust-A-Move is known for quick fun that is extremely easy to pick up and play and the mobile platform allows for easy, short bursts of playtime. More often than not I find myself playing games on my mobile when I’m waiting in line, waiting for a video on YouTube to upload, or all sorts of mundane task that don’t last all that long. Bust-A-Move Islands serves that purpose, so it’s already off to a great start.
I guess it comes to no surprise that there are in-app purchases with the game. I’m no fan of this practice with companies saying a game is free, when in reality it requires cold hard cash to even play it at your own pace. Knowing this I went into this review with a fair bit of scepticism, even though I’m a fan of the series. The last thing that I, or any fan wants, is some sort of idiotic cool-down between boards that can only be bypassed by some ridiculous and arbitrary wait-time, or by spending real money on gems, coins, icons, hearts, asses, or whatever the developers decide to use. Thankfully Bust-A-Move Islands doesn’t commit a crime so heinous.
The game plays out like any other Bust-A-Move games of the past dozen years. Your job is to create a matching set of three or more colored bubbles, popping them in the process. Instead of the classic Bejeweled style of touching/sliding gems, in Bust-A-Move you rely on your cannon to launch bubbles toward to top of the board. To accomplish this you can drag the cannon side to side and launch a bubble, or simply tap on the screen where you want a bubble to be launched.
What makes this fun is that you’ll have to avoid other bubbles to chain bigger and better combos by banking your shot off the boards walls. Both methods of control works equally well, something that can’t be said for other classic arcade games that eventually get ported to mobiles. Bust-A-Move really does manage to take the best elements of games like Tetris, Columns, Bejeweled, and others.
Graphically the game earns top marks. On my Nexus 5 Android device (the game is also available on iOS) is looks crisp and colorful.The bright, vibrant world is a delight and the game runs without a high, even when on high-res mode. High-res mode is very nice, but if you are using an older device, or one not as powerful, you can disable it to earn yourself a boost in performance. The developers behind Bust-A-Move Islands really took care to make it compatible with as many devices as possible. On the sound front the game also does well, taking care to recreate the authentic Bust-A-Move experience on an auditory level. It’s not going to win any awards, it is an arcade game after all, but the sound is charming and helps set the mood during play.
You can also expect a large numbers of items that can be used during play. The classic ball trace is of course here, making lining up shots a much easier affair, but there are lots of new items that help keep gameplay fresh. As many levels will require you to dispose of blocks, boxes, etc, that can’t be popped directly, these new items really do come in handy. Here is where that pesky in-app purchase first reared its ugly little head. By playing through levels you’ll of course earn these items, but you can also access the store and outright by them. In the few hours I spent with the title I never once felt the need to purchase upgrades, but your mileage may vary.
Remember back in the beginning of this long-winded diatribe when I mention hoping I wouldn’t see a form of paying real money to play each stage? Well, it seems like my fear weren’t unfounded. Playing each stage will require the use of a heart, of which you have five of. So you’re thinking that after playing five stages you’ll be forced to wait, or to just pay to get more hearts. While this may become more of a problem very deep into the game, the first few hours I played, over the course of nearly thirty stages I never once had less than five hearts.
You see, you will be rewarded for paying well on stages as well as having all your hearts refilled when you get a level upgrade. This makes the need for actual payment minimal, but you could always just bug you friends on Facebook to give you hearts. It’s not the greatest system, and I’d musch rather spend a few bucks to just own the full game outright, it does tend to stay out of the way, unlike many bigger pay-to-win games.
If you are a fan of the series, or looking for a quick distraction that will keep you entertained for weeks to come, you really can’t beat Bust-A-Move Islands. It’s hard to find any major flaws here, aside from the pay-to-play elements on the upper levels, and being able to relive that classic Bust-A-Move gameplay on the go make this one an easy recommendation. You can download the game from the links below and don’t forget to check out our gallery of screenshots as well.
About Author
