Bombastic is the sequel to the Playstation puzzle game Devil Dice where players manipulated dice in such a way to make the numbers match; kind of like Tetris with dice. Bombastic on the Playstation 2 stars half-angel, half-devil critters called Aqui. In Bombastic, you control the little Aqui as they walk on the dice. Each step rolls the dice on to the next side. You then have to arrange the dice corresponding to the face on top. For example, if there is a dice with a 3 on top, you want to try to match two more 3’s with it to make them explode. It’s a bit confusing at first, but ends up an entertaining and intense game.

The controls are extremely simple, since all you do is control the Aqui. Up, down, left, and right roll the dice in each direction. The graphics have a light-hearted cel-shaded look, making the game feel happy and fun. Sometimes the perspective can make you think you’re on a different dice sometimes, but other than that the game looks and controls great. The soundtrack is full of upbeat techno that fits great with the game. They’re usually set to a steady beat and provide excellent background music to the gameplay.

The Quest Mode is kind of the main mode in Bombastic. It follows the Aqui as they embark on a journey through different environments riddled with enemies and puzzles. Each level is full of monsters and various scenarios to navigate your way through. It’s not too tough to just rush through to the finish, but if you die or leave enemies behind you won’t get as good of a score. The trick is to try and get a Perfect, meaning you didn’t die and you eliminated all the enemies in the level. This feature adds some replay to the game for those anal gamers (like myself) that need to unlock everything.

Aside from Quest Mode, Bombastic offers various modes for one or more players. The ones available from the start are Trial and Wars. Wars is an all out battle royale in which up to five players using a multitap share a board and try to score the most points. This mode gets extremely hectic and more frustrating than any of the other modes.  

Trial Mode is made up of three different modes. Trial Modes are meant for one to two players, and include Standard, Limited, and Attack. In Standard mode, players try to survive until level 100 while also competing for points. So players must work together to stay alive, but at the same time compete for combos and chains.

Limited is a timed mode where one or two players attempt to score as many points as possible in three minutes. This is a good mode for honing your scoring skills and getting used to creating combos quickly.

Attack mode is a unique mode where you are given certain criteria to beat a certain mission. The twist is that when you enter this mode, there aren’t any missions. Capcom has set up a system where players must visit their website and receive a password. Once you enter that password into the game, a mission is unlocked. This is a great idea in my opinion, and keeps the game fresh and new each time a new password is released.

Bombastic is a simple, yet mentally involving puzzle game. It’s a great multiplayer game and will finally give that multitap that’s been gathering dust some use. The different multiplayer modes get pretty intense and rivalries flare as friends steal friends’ combos; it’s all in good fun, though! Bombastic is definitely one of the best puzzle games I’ve seen in awhile, so anyone who’s a fan should give it a shot.

Gameplay: 8.5
The single player mode can get pretty boring after awhile, but the multiplayer modes last for hours. The simple concept and controls allow for anyone with hands to learn the game quickly and easily.

Graphics: 7 
The backgrounds aren’t too detailed, but that gives them a cartoon-style look. The whole game feels like something out of Toontown, which isn’t a bad thing at all. The Aqui and various monsters you encounter look excellent in all their cel-shaded glory.

Sound: 9.5
From the pounding beats to the exploding dice, Bombastic is full of appropriate sound effects. The Aqui all have cute little voices when they celebrate a victory or cry in defeat. The music definitely keeps the pace of the game, slow and steady as you get started, but building up faster and faster as the action grows more frantic.

Difficulty: Medium
Bombastic isn’t really difficult, but it may take some people awhile to get the dice properties down…luckily there are tutorials to give you tips on how to manipulate the dice.

Concept: 8.5 
Matching sides of dice was a brilliant idea for a puzzle game. When all you can do is roll it, it takes intelligence and fast thinking to beat your opponent to the next combo. It’s the perfect balance between thinking and simple play mechanics.

Multiplayer: 9
The different multiplayer games can last for hours. My favorite is definitely Standard mode; you have to work with your opponent to continue, but at the same time compete with them to get more points. When you start stealing each other’s combos back and forth it can get pretty intense.

Overall: 8.2
While the single player modes are fun, the multiplayer modes are one step better. Bombastic is a great game for puzzle game fans or people with lots of friends. It’s smart, intense, and simple; making it a great game to just pick up and play. And for 30 bucks, how can you go wrong?