BUST-A-MOVE POCKET

by Bobak!

 

US Title: Bust-A-Move Pocket
Japanese Title: Puzzle Bobble Mini
By: Taito
Year: 1999
Size: 8 Megs
Pocket Link? Yes
Dreamcast Link? No
B/W Compatible? Yes
Color Compatible? Yes
Japanese Option? Yes
English Option? Yes

 

Bust-A-Move Pocket: A Pocket Review by Bobak!

 

When the Neo Geo Pocket was announced, it was almost assumed that a Bust-A-Move port would be one of the first games to make the jump to the small screen.  Already an icon among puzzle gamers everywhere, Bust-A-Move Pocket arrived within a year (just in time for the color release).

 

Graphics:  65% 

Nothing spectacular: just no-frills, bare-bones Bust-A-Move-style graphics.  Putting it another way: ideal for the game.  I only have one complaint: A few of the bubble colors can be hard to differentiate unless you have perfect lighting -but this is more of an intrinsic problem with the NGPC itself.  They never put in a backlight -so blame the system before you blame the game. 

 

     

 

Music/SFX:  70%

There's a nice Pocket-rendition of all the classic songs from the original, plus a few more.  On target, above par.

 

Gamplay:  85% 

The control is exactly what is should be.  I actually found it easier to make difficult shots than on the MVS/CD versions.  Also, the puzzles now include special bubbles which eliminate all bubbles of one color (wonderful for chain reactions). Unlike the original Bust-A-Move, which only had 30 single player levels, BAM Pocket has a nice hefty 99.  In addition, there is a relatively easy "vs-CPU" (best 2-of-3) match mode and a challenging "survivor" mode.   With all of these choices, BAM Pocket is great for wasting time on trips, class, jury duty or wherever you find yourself bored with time to kill (I was about to also suggest it for time spent at Disney's California Adventure theme park, but I'll give them a few years to sort it out).  

 

     

 

Overall: 90% 

Bust-A-Move Pocket is everything a Bust-A-Move fans expects -nobody should be disappointed.  There really isn't much more to say, so I guess I'll do one of those cool little Author Bios: 

 

Bobak! Is actually Bobak Ha'Eri, a cool guy from SoCal who's been profiled by the police on numerous occasions.  Most of those were in his high school days in Bakersfield, CA where he was oft mistaken for a gang-banger or car thief -just because he wore tank-tops in 100+ degree weather and drove a nice car.  His favorite episode took place in October 2000 while waiting for the hotel shuttle at Pittsburgh International Airport.   Being used to the total lack of weather in the La-La Land, Bobak decided to wear some stylish Hawaiian threads that made him appear to be a major drug trafficker to two undercover narcotics agents.  The two agents approached our hip review-writer and tried to claim his luggage tags did not match his airline ticket.  Your editor-in-chief, calm as a Hindu cow, just look right at the two officers and said "Really?  Well I don't believe you're cops, so show me ID."  In an awkward moment for them, the two officers obliged.  Once their credentials had been established, your Head-Ed just showed them that both bags and tickets matched (calling their bluff) and then, in the embarrassed small talk that came afterwards, really made the two officers blush when he revealed that we was on assignment working for the then Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Senator Joseph Lieberman.  "Really?" they said in a weak voice, "Oh then, tell the Senator we apologize for the misunderstanding."  I wished them well, but I never brought it up to my boss.

(Yeah, its long... So sue me, I'm the Ed. ^_^)

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