In the event that you didn’t know, you really should have circled July 29^th on your game calendar, Space Bust a Move for the Nintendo DS (That is Space Puzzle Bobble for you “cool” people) is going to rock your puzzle game playing ass off. I thought I would give you a friendly reminder and take a look at why Bub, Bob, and that crazy bubble launching arrow thingie kick so much ass. I have been a pretty hardcore puzzle game player for some time now, and I am always excited when a new version of any time tested classic formula gets an American release; especially when it has a head-to-head component and more especially when it is handheld and MOST ESPECIALLY when it is Bust a Move.

I have noticed in my time playing puzzle games that Bust a Move never really got the play that other puzzle games did, despite the fact that it was fun, fast paced, and had quite a good head-to-head component. Almost every system has had a good version of Bust a Move and the game play has changed slightly on every release, slowly adding various modes, bubble types, removing the “ceiling” of the levels in Bust a Move 99 (Puzzle Bobble 3 1996), retooling of specific scoring mechanics, and the “chain combos” and “rainbow Bubbles” introduced in Bust a Move 4 back in ’97. Taito, either wisely or accidentally, has aged Bust a Move into a fine wine. Even forays into early DS touch screen development produced one of the finest DS stylus controlled puzzle games for the system, bested in my opinion, only by Intelligent Systems Planet Puzzle League (Panel De Pon DS) and Q Entertainments Meteos series. The stylus control was well implemented, changed the game enough to deliver a new experience and held up at high level play.

With all that awesome, why no love? I don’t have a clue. I think that puzzle games in general don’t get the play they ought to, players either focus on the single player portion of a puzzler or can never find anyone to play puzzle games with. There have been more than a few times that I have been at a games convention and put my feelers out there for some Meteos/Puyo Pop Fever/Planet Puzzle League matches and was met by blank stares and offers to play Mario Kart. I think Bust a move suffers from the fact that you both have to think and perform, really quickly, and just like games of that type (Puzzle League, Puyo Pop, I’m looking at you!) it’s that execution requirement and pattern memorization that keeps people from playing them as much as they would. Kinda like fighting games, only with more sequential thinking and less chess-like strategic branching. (multiple options for various reaction possibilities, or absence thereof.) Luckily, Bust a Move is really easy to learn and the aiming and shooting of bubbles comes naturally. As such people pick up the game quickly and play the hell out of sinlge player and never touch it again, which is lame by any and all accounts. There is a lot of good fun to be had in the versus modes and I encourage all puzzle game players to give it a shot if they haven’t already.

My first experience with Bust a Move was at an arcade on a Neogeo cabinet. The fast game play and skill based aiming aspect really drew me in, and the vs. component, which I still play to this day, really cemented Bust a Move as one of my favorite head-to-head puzzle games. It’s fast as hell, equal portions skill and knowledge/strategy, and set up – with 2 out of 3 rounds, just like a fighting game, victory is cut and dry. It made for some very fun and heated battles. The game play is not quite as cut throat as say Puzzle Fighter, Panel De Pon or Puyo Pop (which has gotten totally out of fucking control and somehow more awesome) but it certainly deserves its place among the better head-to-head puzzle games, and has definitely earned its place as one of the best puzzle games for its creative and highly addictive single player modes.

If you have always been a Bust a Move fan, and don’t play the versus mode, play more of it. If by any weird chance you don’t play or haven’t tried Bust a Move, give it a shot. It truly is quite good. With 4 player online and a plethora of single player modes, Space Bust a Move is a great deal at $20. Get on this. Now.

Space Bust a move is available for the Nintendo DS July 28^th.

System: Nintendo DS
Developer: Taito (Square Enix)
Publisher: Square Enix
Price: $19.99