Boom Blox

Developer: EA Los Angeles
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: May 6, 2008
System: Wii
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site

In a nutshell: The best game ever made about booming Blox.

0:00 This game has Steven Spielberg and some decent critical acclaim behind it, so I don't see how it can go wrong. Then again, so did the new Indiana Jones movie, and that was awful...

0:01 Rectangular, block-shaped cows by in the title screen's background, mooing all the while. An automatic attract mode tells me to "Meet the Blox" and shows block-shaped jungle natives, skeletons, chickens and more. "Throw, Grab & Blast your way to victory." An on-screen remote shows Jenga-like gameplay mixed in with ball-throwing explosions. The level creation tool is shown in a few time-lapse seconds. If only it were so quick in real life.

0:03 I can choose from a gopher, a sheep, a penguin, a chicken, a cow or a dog for my file. They're all equally block-shaped, but the penguin is cutest. Everything but the "Throw 'Em" Training is locked, so I guess I know what I'm starting with...

0:05 "Welcome! It takes good aim and strong throws to blast your way through BOOM BLOX (TM)!!" Two exclamation points look very odd after a trademark insignia.

0:06 Aim with the pointer, then hold the A button to hold the aim, then make a throwing motion and let go of A. This throws a ball that knocks the relatively lightweight blocks around rather realistically. Neat, but I can't seem to get a weak throw, even when I try. They're all "power throws" or "strong throws."

Read the full review at Crispy Gamer