The Nintendo Wii hasn’t been delivering gamers many satisfying third-party games yet. We’ve been relying on games from Nintendo - yet today, we only have roughly three third-party games that truly lived up to the hype. Games such as No More Heroes, the Adventures of Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbados Treasure, and Rayman Raving Rabbids come to mind, but it’s really difficult to think of good third-party games for the Nintendo Wii. Well, you can add a new game to the excellent third-party game list: Boom Blox.

Boom Blox was created by famous director Steven Spielberg (Directed such films as E.T. and War of the Worlds), and published by none other than Electronic Arts. Steven Spielberg was so astonished by the ‘power’ of the Wii remote, that he wanted to create a Wii game which would bring families together, just like he does at home with his kids. This inspiration resulted in a "tower-throwing" game.

The title Boom Blox is pretty explanatory; it involves blowing up blocks that are stacked upon each other in different piles of other blocks. The piles can vary in shape and size. To tumble over a block or tower, you simply use your Wii remote as a ‘pitcher’. You aim where you’d like to hit, hold the A button, and either deliver a soft or powerful throw. The pitch and force of how you flick the Wii remote will determine how the ball reacts to the blocks. If you throw it lightly, you won’t tumble over the block pile, for where you deliver a powerful throw, you will have a higher chance for tumbling over the blocks.


It’s not all about throwing though. The puzzles range from different styles. By styles, I mean shape, size and other types of blocks. The blocks could be scattered all over the map, or on top of things. The blocks/piles can be very high, to very small, and other types of blocks perform different functions. There are seven types of blocks; you have the standard point block that gives you the amount of points by the number that is pasted on the block when you break it, the simple block which can hold other blocks on to it, the Gem block which counts as points, the Bomb block which explodes when you hit it, the Vanishing block which is when the block vanishes when you hit it, the Chemical block which explodes when two chemical blocks collide together and lastly a Firework block which creates fireworks when you hit it. With these different types of blocks, you will have a great fun.

The awesome ‘feature’ about Boom Blox, and what really makes it a good block-piling game is the physics mechanics, which is all done very well. The tower and/or blocks react perfectly to amount of force and the position you throw the ball in. The physics mechanics are the main key candy in Boom Blox.


Aside from the basic gameplay, there are three different single player adventure modes that will leave you busy for hours to come. You have Adventure Mode, which makes you have to destroy a tower of blocks within a throwing capacity. Then there is Explore Mode, where they teach you about the physics of the game and teaches you new techniques. Finally, there is Create Mode. The title says it all. You are given a blank area for where you can go nuts and make up your own challenges or just toy around and just blow things up to relieve some stress. With the Create Mode, you are given the chance to share your created challenges and masterpieces to friends using the WiiConnect24 service. Like for other Wii games, friend codes are required.


Along with the action packed single player experience, you have the fully loaded Multiplayer mode that will leave friends playing for hours and hours. The multiplayer experience can be played up to four players. You have the Tower mode which basically is a pile of blocks stacked upon each other, and taking turns, you’d have to throw balls at the stack causing blocks to fall. You also have a Battle mode for where you have a certain amount of balls, and on each side of your team you have a castle of blocks. You simply throw the balls at each others castle, and try to get the most points. Just to name another mode, because there are so many of them, you have the Backboard game, which is a game where you take turns hitting blocks at targets. The blocks are aligned in a straight like and on the other side you have a marker of x2, x3, x4, and it varies. The markers multiply your score. The blocks have numbers pasted on them. This indicates how many points are in that block. I could of went on and on about multiplayer, but there are so many modes to talk about. Also, I would like you guys to rent this game and find more about it.


The only downfall towards the multiplayer is the fact that it has no online mode (besides using the WiiConnect24 to switch levels to friends). I believe that they could have expanded the game even more with online.

As for the graphics, it’s pretty basic. Of course, they aren’t as good as your standard Nintendo Wii game, but that reason is simply because you won’t be paying close attention to the graphics. You will be paying all your attention to the gameplay mechanics. But in all a doubt, it’s still a beautiful game. From the explosions, to the little cute Beaver blocks.

Boom Blox is a tremendous game that you can play at parties, with your Grandma, or even with your little brother for hours to come. It delivers three hundred action packed puzzles that will leave your brain in a mystery, and in stress, but you will have a good laugh and realize that all you had to do to complete the puzzle was to throw the ball at that one block. Boom Blox is a must have for Nintendo Wii owners.

Boom Blox for the Nintendo Wii gets a nine out of ten.