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| | Title:
Boom Boom Rocket
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System:
Xbox Live Arcade
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Genre:
Music
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Publisher:
Electronic Arts
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Developer:
Bizarre Creations
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Release:
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Online:
Yes
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ESRB:
Everyone (E)
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Music based rhythm games seem to be coming out of the woodwork recently. If it isn’t a new release for Guitar Hero, it’s an update to the popular dancing game sensation Dance Dance Revolution. It was only a matter of time then, when Xbox Live would come along with their own entry into this still relatively untapped market (I mean where is Drum Hero). Built by the boys and girls who brought us Project Gotham Racing 3, Boom Boom Rocket is exactly what you’d expect from a downloadable rhythm based game. It’s fun for the first five hours, until the songs get boring, the difficulty stalls, and the replay value hits the floor.
Boom Boom Rocket is an easy game to play. All it requires is one thumb, unlike the more active DDR or Guitar Hero. Set to music, colored orbs (which correspond to the correct button) with arrows on them launch themselves like fireworks towards a rhythm line. Hit the right button once it reaches the line and the points and song continue. Anyone who has played a rhythm based game will instantly know what to do. It’s not like the genre can be refined past the simple “hit the right thing when it reaches the right spot,” gameplay mechanic. This makes the game accessible, even to some of the casual gamers. This ultimately equals more dollars for MS, and that’s all what we want right?
The problem with Boom Boom Rocket though is that the game is too accessible. In short; it’s pretty damn easy. While there are three difficulty settings I found myself picking Hard right away to even get a remote challenge out of the game. Worse still is that the button rhythm layouts don’t require that much skill to get down. A majority of the button presses go right along with the main beat of the song which makes mastering each tune relatively easy after the third or fourth try. Implied button presses (like those found in DDR) are used sparingly in Boom Boom Rocket which, for the hardcore rhythm crowd, is disappointing. Granted Boom Boom Rocket does try to amp up the difficulty by including an endurance mode where the songs get progressively faster but all that is required is a good memory and any song is mastered. If anything missing a note feels more like the fault of the Xbox 360 controller then the person holding it.
A great way to describe this game would be “DDR Lite” when it not only comes to the gameplay but also the music. The song selections of Boom Boom Rocket are unique at best. The team decided to take an avenue not yet explored by the trippy DDR, or the rocking Guitar Hero. BBR has classical music. Techno remixes of classical music. The music by no means sucks but it’s not very good either. It’s forgettable. We all know the tunes, and once the game is over the songs won’t be jumping around in our heads for a day or two like DDR. Techno fans shouldn’t expect anything to challenge their favorite bands. It also doesn’t help that the list of songs isn’t that long when compared to other music based games. Here’s hoping FREE downloadable songs are in the near future.
The one place though that BBR does seem to shine is in its graphics. While not exactly amazing by 360 standards, when it comes to XBL games, BBR has to be the king of particle effects. The fireworks that explode when a correct button is hit look pretty damn good, and do their job well of confusing the player as he watches for the next correct button to hit. An experienced gamer will be able to fill his HDTV with a medley of impressive colors and shapes which will make anyone found of eye candy at least watch for a minute or so. Heck they might even want to try the game out themselves.
So while Boom Boom Rocket isn’t entirely challenging, or have entire “oh my god I love that song” music, it does have its good points. It’s accessible to a wide amount of gamers, is fairly pretty to look at, and if techno remixes of classical music is your thing then why the heck are you still reading this review. Pick it up if you’re board, but if DDR and Guitar Hero are what keeps you up at night don’t expect the same from Boom Boom Rocket.
Pages
| The Core Score |
Overall
7.0 |
| Fun |
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7.0 |
| Gameplay |
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7.5 |
| Graphics |
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8.0 |
| Audio |
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7.5 |
| Replay |
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7.0 |
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| Kid Safe Score |
| 10 Great |
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Unless fireworks worry you parents, there is nothing wrong with game for kids of all ages. |
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