It was in 1995 when I first discovered and played my first game of Bust-A-Move, the bubble-popping puzzle game. I got so addicted, in fact, that I called in sick to play it. I would play this game for five or six hours at a time, barely moving from the sofa or chair. I could think about nothing but getting to the next level, then getting to a level I had not been to before - all in that one sitting. I wasn't moving until I made it to the next level!


Game Overview:

The object of Bust-A-Move for Super Nintendo is to pop bubbles in a wall of bubbles that is continuously lowering to the bottom of the screen. You will have a colored bubble to launch at all times, and the idea is to shoot that bubble into a group of two or more of the same colored bubbles, making them disappear. You have to clear the entire wall of bubbles before they reach the line at the bottom of the screen.

There are three modes of play. The first is "1 Player", which is where you have the entire screen to yourself. Clear the walls of bubbles and move on to the next level. When you quit, the level you last advanced to will be saved. When you start the game again, either in that sitting or on another day, you will have the option to either start a new game from level 1, or enter a password provided previously in order to continue from the level you last played. There are 100 levels or "rounds" in this mode.

The second mode is "2 player". This mode can be played by two human players or it can be played by one human player and the game system's computer-controlled opponent. The screen is divided in half, and each player gets one half. Pop as many bubbles as you can and eliminate all of them before your opponent eliminates his. In this mode, the bubbles are moving down to the line at the bottom of the screen just like they do in "1 player" mode. There is an additional "vs. computer battle" mode, which is a series of three, five or seven matches (your choice). In this mode, there are ten different computer-controlled opponents to play against, and each one is harder than the previous one.

The third mode is "Challenge Record". This mode is for one player. The object of this mode is to, of course, break as many bubbles as you can while racking up points. The bubbles keep appearing quickly, and the object is to challenge the world's best "bubble busting record". This game continues on until you make a mistake (which is shooting a bubble into other bubbles that aren't the same color).

There are eight bubble colors in the games, and four special bubbles that come up once in a while. These bubbles do things like create lightning, fire and water to make several bubbles disappear at once.

No matter what mode you are playing, you can customize the difficulty levels for yourself or for your computer-controlled opponent. The levels are "Difficult", "Normal" or "Easy".


My Experience:

Even back in 1995 when I stayed at home because I wanted to play Bust-A-Move for Super Nintendo, I played this game because I wanted a fun game that didn't require me to think. I don't like complicated games - give me a game of Tetris or Zuma and I'm happy.

The concept of Bust-A-Move for Super Nintendo is easy enough for anyone to learn. Just bust those bubbles as fast as you can and try to rack up the points. The points in the game never really meant anything to me, because I only cared about moving to the next level.

My mom was also addicted to this game, as I lived with her at that time. We used to have conversations that went like this:

Mom: "Have you seen the stained glass window background yet?"
Me: "No...wait..is that before or after the sand background?"
Mom: "It's way after. Is the sand background the farthest you've gone? You'd better get moving!"

The backgrounds of Bust-A-Move for Super Nintendo change as you move through the different levels. For 1990's technology, both the bubbles and the backgrounds had pretty good graphics. The bubbles looked shiny and sparkly, and the backgrounds weren't as grainy as they could have been.

I mainly played the "1 player" mode because, again, I liked to see how far I could advance. My mom and I played the "2 player" mode sometimes, but we both preferred the "1 player" mode. The "2 player" mode is definitely a bit more challenging, because bubbles fly onto your side of the screen occasionally as your opponent pops them. If you are popping bubbles way faster than your opponent, they will likely lose against you, as the system is sending too many bubbles to their side.

I have never made it to the end of Bust-A-Move in the "1 player" mode. I don't think I have even made it halfway through! It is definitely challenging, and the levels get harder and harder. There are some levels that I just could not get past, no matter how many times I tried them over and over.

I always found the "Challenge Record" mode to be really frustrating. There was no way to know what record you were trying to beat, and as soon as you popped bubbles, more appeared. Unlike the other modes, you had no way to keep up, as bubbles kept appearing. It's an endless mode and isn't really that much fun. In addition, as soon as you make one mistake, the system makes you start over.

There are two cartoon "mascots", "Bub and "Bob", that are always hanging around but have no real purpose. They are really annoying little dragon-looking creatures and are too childish for my taste.

The music for Bust-A-Move For Super Nintendo is obnoxious just like all music for all puzzle games. I always turn the volume down and ignore it!

Overall, Bust-A-Move for Super Nintendo is a great way to kill time. I was very, very addicted to it at one point in my life, and I could easily get addicted to it again. It's a great game for anyone of any age to play. It's probably not going to appeal to young boys or to men (my boyfriend thinks it's the most ridiculous game ever made, and his young nephews look at me like I'm an alien when I tell them about this game), but several women I know love this game. It's my favorite video game of all time and it never fails to be a challenge to me without making me think. My job is mentally tiring, and I know that when I sit down to play Bust-A-Move for Super Nintendo, I don't have to think too hard. I can pop a few bubbles and then quit whenever I want.


Price and Purchasing Information:

Bust-A-Move for Super Nintendo is no longer sold in stores but you may be able to find it in used video game stores such as EB Games or Game Stop or online. A few online used video game retailers to try would be gamequestdirect.com and ebgames.com. As a last resort, try Ebay.


My Other Game Reviews:

Twistingo For Windows
Happy Feet For Playstation 2
Wheel of Fortune For Playstation 2
Namco Museum Battle For Sony PSP
Super Bubble Pop For Nintendo GameCube


Recommended: Yes