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)