Bust-a-Move Millennium Edition
Game by Taito
Reviewed by Superguy3000
superguy3000@juno.com OR gbcam.50megs.com
Size: No idea
Save: Horribly, no save!
Released: 2000
Works with: Game Boy Color ONLY!
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Opening Snide Remarks: I hadn't played a Bust-a-Move game until just
recently, when I downloaded the demo of the PC version of Bust-a-Move 4, the
incarnation immediately preceding this one.  I was thouroughly satisfied with
the unique, addictive gameplay that went along with that title, so I sought
out Bust-a-Move 4 for Game Boy Color.  Lucky me, I couldn't find it in the
store.  So I had to pay $15 more for Bust-a-Move Millennium, with very few
additions to the first one.  But the purchase was still well worth it.

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Gameplay Descripion: For those who don't know, the Bust-a-Move series is of 
the puzzle genre, involving the bursting of bubbles by connecting chains of
three or more of the same color bubble. Kinda sounds like every other puzzle
game out there, doesn't it?  Well, it isn't.  For one, Bust-a-Move is
extremely addictive, with its bubble-bursting goodness riding by the side of
many cool features like slamming down rows of bubbles on your opponent's
board upon completion of a really big combo.  To truly master Bust-a-Move
Millennium, one must learn countless techniques, ranging from bouncing
bubbles off the walls to snapping them into crevices to sliding them into 
places many wouldn't believe they would fit.  Aiming the bubbles is an
entirely different matter, requiring an eye that can draw an imaginary line
through the launching machine - nobody really knows what that thing is - to
the desired bubble target.  At first, I couldn't even get a bubble to
bounce once and hit its mark, but now I seldom miss a trick shot, thanks to 
playing the game for hours that seemed like minutes.  All in all, the
gameplay is extremely good, but after playing it for awhile it gets boring,
as does the gameplay of most games.  Really the only exceptions to this rule
are FPSs like Face Ball 2000 and timeless puzzlers like Tetris.  Near perfect,
but not quite.

Rating: O O O O * (4 1/2 bubbles)

Liked: Better than most puzzlers out there, very addictive

Hated: Grows a LITTLE bit old after awhile

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Graphics Description: This is definitely a hard element to rate for BAMM. On
one hand, the graphics probably won't get any better than this without a
resolution increase, and on the other hand, the graphics aren't nearly
perfect.  From a necessity point of view, though, you really get all that
you need and then some with BAMM's graphics.  The bubbles all have a light
gleam on them, giving a polished effect (to the bubbles and the game's
graphics).  One of the coolest graphical things in BAMM is the character
animations, different for each of the game's 16 characters and great for each.
The animations actually change as the bubbles get closer and closer to the
launching machine, as does the music, all coming together to create a
frantic mood and forcing the player to launch faster and faster.  As for the
animations during normal play, they range from blinking to flips to even
muscle flexing.  Overall, they're very good. The graphics in BAMM
definitely should not be looked down upon, but they also shouldn't be held
up like a gleaming god of puzzle graphics or anything like that.  Still,
though, well above average for puzzle games.

Rating: O O O *

Liked: You get everything you need and then some.
Hated: But not much more. :)

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Sound/Music Description: Ooh, how I hate it when game developers want to
create a "bouncy" mood!  They always end up sticking some kiddie music in
there that eventually gets turned off in Game Boys across the planet.  Right
off the bat, I'll say that I don't really like the sound in BAMM.  Nosiree.
But there is a wide variety of music, not just a theme song slightly remixed
to create 43 different tracks.  No, there are plenty of music tracks, but
none of them are very pleasant.  However, this is not the fault of the music
crew.  As a musician, I have respect for those who wrote the music for BAMM.
They were probably asked to create something light-hearted, and that's
exactly what they did.  But with light-heartedness comes annoyance. Hmm, a
little below average.  Oh, and there are some sound effects - maybe three
total!

Rating: O O *

Liked: Um, it's there, and there are some SFX.
Hated: Not going to comment. :(

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Play Control/Game Design: Play control is excellent.  Everything works just 
as it should: right and left to move the launching direction, A to launch,
hold B for slight adjustment.  The launcher moves with just the right
looseness, allowing for accuracy and speed between launches, not hampering
gameplay at all.  Good show, Taito.  Hey, that rhymes!  As for the game
design, it's simplistic, but it's there.  The menu is just a bland background
that's probably just a bunch of tiled squares with some text on top, a title,
and a green virus, er, something like that.  He moves his arms and legs in a
disturbing fashion, but it's all good, I guess...  You get more play modes
than BAM4, not the least of which is a story mode that details Bub's quest to
rescue the "golden puzzle" that once protected the land but was stolen by the
evil Dreg.  You also get VS CPU and 1P Endless Play, where you fight through
an endless stream of opponents or an endless stream of one-player puzzles to
unlock 8 of the 16 characters.  In addition to all of this, you get Puzzle
Mode, Challenge Mode, and Link Cable Battle.  The play control and game
design are by far the best areas of BAMM.

Rating: O O O O O 

Liked: Everything
Hated: Nothing

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Improve: Might it be do risky to ask for more modes?  Other than that, stick
in some grunge rock or something.  Just kidding, but they really need to do
something about the music.

RIYL: Bust-a-Move 1-4, Tetris, any puzzle game

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Final Words: Bust-a-Move Millennium is worth the money, plain and simple.
Most review systems don't value sound so much, but judging strictly by the
DMG Ice system, it may not seem like a great game.  Don't let that fool you,
because it is.  Get the game if you value your life.  Just kidding!

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Score
Gameplay: O O O O *
Graphics: O O O *
Sound/Music: O O *
Play Control/Game Design: O O O O O
Personal Opinion: O O O O *
Total: 20


Final Score: 80%

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Currently Known Codes: Play through the 1P and VS CPU Modes to unlock 8
different characters, including the fearsome Dreg.  Be warned, though, that
they disappear after you turn off the game due to the stinky lack of save. :(