Next-Jenga Gaming

Boom Blox

Years ago, it was announced that Electronic Arts and Steven Spielberg were gonna get together and make a few games. I, personally was expecting some sort of game version of War of the Worlds or Minority Report, but instead we got the puzzling puzzle game. And while I’m not sure just how much influence Spielberg had, Boom Blox is definitely a worthy carrier of his name.

Boom Blox is most similar to classic board game Jenga (thus the title pun, get it? like next-gen?). There are a variety of game modes in this package, all centering around destroying structures made out of said “blox.” Some games require you to pull specific blox without toppling others, while others ask you to destroy the structures by throwing balls at them.

There is also an adventure mode, which is the story of these animal characters. You help them out by defending them and their forts and clearing paths for them. The other single-player mode involves solving specific challenges, allowing players to hone their skills in their favorite blox-destroying challenges. With multiple score goals for each level, there’s plenty here to keep solitary gamers satisfied.

Boom Blox also boasts a multiplayer mode and a level editor. In party mode, players can either share a screen or go split screen and either work together and compete amongst each other. I haven’t really played the mode yet, but it seems like it would be very fun. The level editor is fairly robust and offers everything a designer-wannabe would need.

Boom Blox is the game that has distracted me from finishing GTA4. That should be enough to explain how fun it is. Its depth means that its price is well-justified, and it is absolutely one of the most entertaining games on the Wii. If you have a Wii, this is definitely something to check out.