Boom Blox Bash Party
© 2009 Electronic Arts, Inc.
Building on the addicting nature of tossing pebbles at piles of blocks, this second edition of Boom Blox has twice as much content as last year's game with some noteworthy features, such as the ability to play in zero gravity and underwater. It is also easier to create, upload, download, and rate puzzles than the first version -- giving the game a social dimension. After you log into one of the six game-save slots, you choose a mode of play -- depending upon if you are alone or playing with another player. Our testers noted that the game could be easier for four players to pick up and play, especially considering the word "party" is in the title. We would've liked to just be able to pick up a remote and start tossing; instead, the game is better suited to teams of two, who share the same remote. In the competition mode, one player has to wait to take turns. There are four ways to move blocks -- by throwing, grabbing, firing a cannon, or shooting a sling. There are nine types of blocks with different functions. For example, the gem blocks score points, while the virus blocks explode and infect surrounding blocks. Hundreds of puzzles are arranged into four themes (showtime, pirate, heroic and space). As you play, you learn a lot about patterns, geometry and structures. For example, you learn to spot the vulnerabilities in a seemingly strong structure. Younger children were frustrated by the requirement that you need to press two buttons simultaneously when throwing. This takes some getting used to. Additional levels can be downloaded, or created and shared with others. The expanded Create Mode provides better tools. Created by EA Casual Studios. See also FlingSmash.
$40, Wii
Teaches: programming, spatial relations, geometry, logic, gross motor coordination, creativity, programming
CTR Rating: 92%