Do not want: BOOM BLOX

by Chris Greenhough { Feb 6th 2008 at 11:15AM }

Perhaps we've been wearing our cranky pants too tightly, but the latest media from Steven Spielberg's Wii project does not fill us with hope. Of course, we always knew that BOOM BLOX -- a new name for the title as of this morning, and yes, it's okay to feel irritated by the UNNECESSARY CAPITALIZATION -- was going to be a bit like Jenga.

But heavens, this game looks generic, if the first screens are anything to go by. Featuring "thirty wacky characters, more than 300 levels, and an easy-to-use in-game editor that allows players to express their creativity," BOOM BLOX is a block-based puzzle game that makes EA Playground look like a Suda 51 masterpiece.

Perhaps we were expecting a little more from the involvement of a film director who has reaped critical and commercial success in his field for the past few decades. Then again, we've had this debate already.

Gallery: BOOM BLOX

[Via press release]

Tags: boom-blox, casual, ea, electronic-arts, puzzle, spielberg

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Shadow31 @ Feb 6th 2008 11:30AM

OH GOD, WHAT IS THAT THING?!?!? *gunshots* *sobs* NO, I STILL CAN SEE IT IN MY HEAD AFTER SHOOTING MY EYES OUT!!! *more gunshots and all is quiet*

mgroves @ Feb 6th 2008 11:36AM

I don't know...looks interesting to me. Let's see some video and gameplay before making hasty judgements.

UBA @ Feb 6th 2008 1:57PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLVCd9r3Dds

mgroves @ Feb 6th 2008 1:57PM

Okay, so that looks pretty fun.

rTwelve @ Feb 6th 2008 11:46AM

CAPS LOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL

troy @ Feb 6th 2008 11:56AM

Hasty Judgments suck. I only come here once a week tops now (thanks to wiifeed.net and gonintendo.com, much better sites) and that is just to marvel at either A) how excited about yesterday's or the day before's news as though it is recent and not reported up and down the net already or B) How often they just plain hate on stuff they know nothing about.

Some people might see these updates on this game and think 'Wow, I thought it was just going to be like Jenga. I'm surprised that the blocks are turned into characters, that there are 300 levels, that there is a level editor and that you can send your levels as challenges to friends over wiiconnect24. I bet somebody would like this game, even if its not for me.'

This site sees it and goes "How generic, a bunch of characters and level editors in a block game?" How not generic would you like a big block made into a chicken to be man? I don't think there's such a thing as a 'Generic, Run of the Mill Interactive Block-Shaped Chicken.' Sounds pretty damn unique to me. I mean: I don't want to play this game but I don't want to blast it off the face of this earth with hateful thoughts just because its not for me. I just notice there are other names not showing up in the comments regularly or at all anymore that were long time visitors of this site, and I'm sure if more people knew about gonintendo.com (and the helpful wiifeed.net) they would hardly ever come here.

Gonzo @ Feb 6th 2008 1:10PM

Thank you Troy.
I believe we've both been noticing the folks at Wiifanboy becoming increasingly annoying blowhards.

I really don't know what the angle is for them but they've been trying to pass off No more heroes as a masterpiece, which it could have been if Grashopper had finished making the game before rushing it onto shelves. Did you notice their plug here.
Is Grashopper paying wiifanboy or something? I hope so. Otherwise, you have no excuse.

So knowing that you guys (who work at wiifanboy) have no taste at all, I'll probably rent this game. It might actually be fun and hey it might be completed before hitting shelves.

JC Fletcher @ Feb 6th 2008 1:16PM

Hey Gonzo: there's a simpler explanation for our frequent NMH discussion. Did you read the review? There's a subtle clue as to our motivations hidden in there.

We like it. It's a good game and it's interesting.

snkngshps @ Feb 6th 2008 1:23PM

Wow, some harsh words. I share your feelings but not your attitude. I generally get my news from gonintendo.com
1. There's tons of news
2. It's updated almost by-the-minute with the most up-to-date information.

But I still visit site, but not for the news: for the discussion. It's true the news on here is usually old news. I've sent in numerous tips on intersting, or big stories only to have them ignored completely or reported on 3 or 4 days later. But when the news is posted they usually open a nice discussion about it. So yes, I agree, as a news site this probably isn't a top choice, but as a discussion site, this beats any other I've been to. I also appreciate the weekly features such as the VC review and revolutionary.

And to add to this discussion, this honestly looks fun to me. Yes it's a casual game, but it's no jenga. It's a puzzle game with over 300 levels. The different properties that the blocks have are interesting to me and I'm expecting so mind bending puzzles. I wouldn't be suprised for it to get a budget price as well.

Gonzo @ Feb 6th 2008 2:30PM

You guys thought that was a fun game?
You thought it was interesting?
Really?

I read you're review and I have to admit, I threw up a little when you called it a AAA title. What would you have defined it if they had finished making it?

What if the cars did ANYTHING besides drive in a straight line? Something interesting like move when you crash into them. What if the people did ANYTHING besides walking zombielike in a straight line? What if the levels didn't run you in what's essentially a straight line? What if there was anything to do in Santa Destroy other than single player minigames?

Yes Just what we wanted on the wii: a collection of single player minigames.

I know the fighting is fun for a little while but the levels are pretty frikkin far from ridiculously creative and the fact that you deny the monotony (of the fact that you're running down bland corridors fighting the same guys; one is literally a straight grey corridor) in your review says a lot right there. Too bad the moderately fun fighting is only a small portion of the game. The rest of the game is a complete mess and I don't understand how you can mislead people into buying it.

One thing I did agree with you about is that technical concerns like the framerate pop-in doesn't ruin the game's quality. But I think that's because at the times that it's happening, pop-in is the least disastrous part of the experience.

I've been trying to warn people about this game because I'm afraid that if it really does sell well, we're going to see a whole lot of poorly developed trash being rushed to shelves by developers looking for a quick buck. I want some good mature titles for the wii. I was hoping NMH would be the beginning.

Please stop praising mediocrity.

Save The Zombies!

Joe @ Feb 6th 2008 12:02PM

I am shocked you think this game looks bad. Because from what I have seen/played the game is fun. Mind you it was a quick demo but it still was good none the less.

troy @ Feb 6th 2008 12:05PM

I doubt the reactions of certain staff members are even founded in their perceptions. Don't let it bother you.

Blue_Falcon @ Feb 6th 2008 12:11PM

Personally, the game is a DO WANT for me.

Habb @ Feb 6th 2008 12:17PM

This is a puzzle game, correct? As a fan of puzzle games, I'm hesitant to write this off so early.

Let's see some actual video of gameplay, and read some actual reviews before writing this off as a complete loss.

troy @ Feb 6th 2008 12:21PM

I agree. To think the man is writing it off as sucky because it has a cute cartoon chicken and gorrila in it. Like he sees Tetris DS and says 'There's a little scientist running around while connecting to a wifi match, DO NOT WANT!' What a moron.

People do this same thing when a Depeche Mode album comes out. People who loved them for years act like they hate every new song. Then after a week or two they realize how good it is and stop bitching. I never understand why these people don't just drop their judgey bullshit and keep an open mind for about 12 seconds before writing something off they know nothing about. I guess they think it makes them better than the ACTUALLY CREATIVE PEOPLE working in the world to ACTUALLY MAKE STUFF.

troy @ Feb 6th 2008 12:56PM

Ha ha ha you're so funny. This is the one time I'm posting, and guess what: if that's the only thing wrong with what I'm saying you can find not only are you dumb but your mom is as fat as I've been hearing. Which is sad. How often do you hear how fat someone's mom you don't know is? Only when its particularly notable.

danny. @ Feb 6th 2008 1:00PM

missed me

troy @ Feb 6th 2008 12:19PM

Don't you ever realize your game bashing is shitty when only like one person ever agrees with you? And its always the one who sounds 13 and they would always probably LIKE the game if you didn't hate on it. I think that so much of those types of people's reactions are knee jerk and based on what they think the 'scene' would think. You pretend you ARE the scene by acting like your inane judgments are 'canon.' Then these silly little kids get all YEAH BOOM BLOX IS TEH SUCKS and you feel really good about yourself. Lame. Meanwhile, a bunch of rational people who bought their Wii's to have fun feel exactly the opposite and question your bogus judgement.

There are articles and screens from Boom Blox all over the net because of the recent press release. Most of them don't feel the need to take a ridiculing tone. They just discuss the information professionally. Perhaps that is why those sites are -frequented- more -frequently.-

danny. @ Feb 6th 2008 12:52PM

troy, you said you only post once in awhile now... this does not appear to be true.

troy @ Feb 6th 2008 12:56PM

danny. @ Feb 7th 2008 11:38AM

Troy, I have no problem with you liking the game or defending it. I have followed it and watched videos on the game and was particularly impressed with the Rube Goldberg like create a stage the developers made to showcase that mode. I do think that you write your comments is the definition of the greater internet fuckwad theory.

Looking through your posts (congrats, you irritated me enough to do that) I can see you have a history of insulting and retracting, insulting and retracting, etc. There's even a post in there directed towards me that was complementry.

To call me brainless and make weak 'your mother's fat' jokes does not help you with your points.

I couldn't possibly think any less of you.

danny. @ Feb 6th 2008 1:01PM

It's how you said it brother. And why do you have to make fun of my mother just because she's in a wheelchair?

NeverSage @ Feb 6th 2008 1:05PM

Hrm... I'm not jumping into this pseudo-debate about whether or not the game will suck. Though I will say I'm pretty disappointed that the legendary Steven Speilberg isn't making a game with, I dunno, character development or some sort of plot.

He should have just remade ET the game.

troy @ Feb 6th 2008 1:24PM

He is working on another Wii game, the point of which is to cause emotional reactions in the player, apparently. You can find more about it on the web. It's a little deeper, supposedly. Then again, I am posting a lot so you probably don't appreciate this information, according to brainless fuckwad a little upstairs.

NeverSage @ Feb 6th 2008 1:43PM

No, I appreciate it for sure. I hadn't heard about the other game. Gracias, mi amigo.

Alisha Karabinus @ Feb 6th 2008 1:42PM

Okay, guys. We get that some of you don't agree with Chris's assessment, and that's cool. There's no need to say the same thing over and over. The beauty of a site like this -- with multiple writers and all of you guys weighing in -- is that we can all have different opinions. Even everyone on staff doesn't see everything the same way; we often have wildly different opinions on games. But what we also try to do is be honest about those opinions when we write. We're gonna be opinionated. We're people. We're gamers. With, y'know, opinions. Just like you guys. We share ours, you share yours, the world goes round, tra la la.

So let's try to keep it civil, okay? Hate on our opinions all you want. That's cool, we're grown and we can handle the disagreement. But damn, you don't have to pour the salt on the wound and then pee in it and maybe kick a shin or two! ;) In other words... let's all relax a little, maybe.

On one point specifically, to troy: we take a "tone" on everything. Lots of sites put stuff up as is. We don't. We write about it. That's just what we do; it's what we've always done, it's what we're always going to do. That's what this blog is about. Every blog handles things differently. The result? Your mileage may vary. But you know what to expect.

troy @ Feb 6th 2008 1:53PM

Whatever Alisha. You are one of the ones I like. But if you can't see how your staff's constant taking a huge shitty opinion on shit they know nothing about isn't enough to make me take an opinion on something I've seen go on and get worse for two years, then YOU aren't entitled to YOUR opinion, either. Like I say, I think this site is pretty much the lamest Wii News Aggregator site now and I really don't care what your opinion is of me or my posts. If you cared what almost everybody's opinion of half of your staff's post, you'd have a different staff. And as almost everyone agrees with me, I would urge you to reconsider YOUR opinion.