Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: BudCat

I love Katamari Damacy. I also happen to enjoy scrolling shooters. What happens when you combine the two? You get Blast Works, a game that was, unfortunately, mostly ignored at retail shelves...I saw it in $10 clearance bins within four months of its release. It's a shame because this innovative title, while rough around the edges, was a neat concept that had never been done before. Basically, as you shoot enemies out of the sky, if you fly into them, you can stick to them and use their firepower. Enemies can shoot them, off, so you’ll find yourself pressing a button to “hide” all of the ships that you’ve added as you maneuver through bullets. It’s entertaining trying to balance your time between using the additional firepower of the enemies that you’ve collected and hiding everything so you can maneuver through swarms of bullets without losing that extra ammo. I was completely addicted to this gem for a while...And very disappointed when it became apparent that it sold poorly. My dream of a Blast Works sequel will likely never become a reality.

Review added: 08/19/2019

Boom Blox

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: EA LA

Boom Blox is kind of like Jenga...If Jenga was loaded with personality. Then again, if you've watched any of the Steven Spielberg cartoons like Tiny Toon Adventures, Freakazoid, Animaniacs, etc. then it's not surprising that a game presented by Spielberg, such as this one, is almost as entertaining to experience as those cartoons. I'd be willing to go out on a limb and state that this is one of the most entertaining puzzle games that I've played as far as sheer personality goes. To compare it to a more well-known video game release, Boom Blox kind of plays like a 3D Angry Birds, with the goal of throwing stuff into a pile in hopes that you topple it all over. So, if you like throwing stuff to make things topple and collapse, but prefer not to have characters with avian anger issues, then Boom Blox may be the Wii game for you.

Review added: 09/24/2021