App Review: Bazooka Boy

There are games that are so well-crafted that they grab your attention for a good bit, there are games which you ditch almost right away after installing, and there are games that fall into neither category - such as Bazooka Boy by Supersonic Studios Ltd.

This game is a cheap knock-off of the classic Angry Birds, and it follows the same structure - you have a certain number of shots and your goal is to eliminate every enemy on the screen.

The Premise

At the beginning of every stage, you have three shots with whatever weapon you choose. There are enemies on screen, all of whom you have to kill, either via a direct hit, by causing debris to fall on them, or by causing them to fall to their deaths. In the process, you have to avoid killing yourself via a stray shot or running out of shots.

There are a whole bunch of different weapons, each with their own in-game physics and capabilities. Their power is limited by context - in some environments, some weapons are simply more effective than others. For instance, if all your enemies are arranged in a straight line, the Laser would take them all out in one hit. If your enemies are in staggered locations or covered under a structure, you may want a more surgical solution such as the Driller or the Digger.

The environment is made out of a variety of building blocks.

Basic wooden beams. Imminently destructible, but beware of flying debris!

Stone blocks. Indestructible and a potential hazard.

Rubber blocks. Indestructible, and your missiles bounce off them. Could lead to interesting solutions and utter pandemonium!

Fuel drums. An explosive hazard.

Moving platforms. Adds a level of complexity.

Teleport portals. They come in pairs. Anything that goes into one portal goes out the other. Oh, the chaos!

The Aesthetics

This one merits a solid meh.

Bazooka Boy isn't ugly by any means, but the graphics are really quite simple. It's mostly basic geometric shapes and colors.

The Experience

Solid fun. I really don't know why that is the case, but despite everything I didn't like about it (and there was plenty, I assure you) it still kept me playing. What sorcery is this?!

The Interface

Tap and drag to position the shot. Release to fire. The controls are simple enough. The only problem is that sometimes you may accidentally fire off when you didn't mean to. Other functions, such as changing weapons, are straightforward.

What I liked

Strategic elements. Where you aim for, what weapon you use, when it's done - all this is a factor in deciding whether or not you succeed. And possibly, how well you succeed. There is also a certain element of luck, as sometimes something that should not have worked, turns out to work simply because of a stray bounce from a struck object. The reverse happens as well.

Blood spurting and explosions. The gleeful way that Bazooka Boy approaches violence, is a joy to behold. Honestly, it's so thrilling to just watch an explosion launch an enemy sky-high, and get pelted by stray shrapnel on the way down. And when he finally lands, gets immediately blown into a deeper hole by a landing bomb.

Dressing up your Avatar. The outfit are cheesy, yes. It's also kind of fun.

Challenges. This is a neat touch. You have extra-tricky stages that you have to win with only one shot.

What I didn't

Graphical glitches. Things don't always wore smoothly in Bazooka Boy. The ground may suddenly rise up, pillars may increase in size, and even float in mid-air after their foundations are destroyed.

Inconsistent physics. Explosions can be set off by hitting fuel drums. And sometimes they don't get triggered. Explosions may cause enemies to fly upwards, and sometimes sideways. This can have serious effects on your strategy.

Repeating stages. After a certain point, stages start getting repeated. To be fair, it would be unrealistic to expect an infinite number of unique stages, but a repetition once every five stages is ridiculous.

Could be improved by asking the user if they want to try again for a better score. You can take up to three shots to achieve your target, but sometimes you want to see if you can do it in one. The game just moves on when the target is achieved, without giving the user an option for retrying.

The game keeps cutting to Lazada. This is a huge one. Ads between stages are one thing, but if you're in the middle of taking a shot and end up in Lazada, it's one heck of an annoyance.

Sometimes the stage is over before it begins. Fuel drums explode right away without you doing anything. Stone blocks come crashing down on your avatar as soon as the environment loads. What the hell, Bazooka Boy?!

Conclusion

Bazooka Boy isn't great - that distinction is reserved for more deserving works - but at the same time, it is simplistic bloody entertainment. It can be a really decent time-sucker if you allow it to be. This game is a long way from being perfect, or even good. It certainly has no business occupying my interest for as long as it has.

My Rating

5.5 / 10

Oh, shoot!
T___T