Reviewed: October 26, 2003
Reviewed by: Miguel Cervantes
Publisher
littleshinyobjects.com
Developer
littleshinyobjects.com
Released: October 21, 2003
Genre: Puzzle
Players: 1
ESRB: Everyone
8
7
7
8
8.0
System Requirements
In this day and age of interactive entertainment, PC gaming is developing at breakneck speeds, delivering graphics, sound and content that consistently builds and improves upon the work of prior generations. In less than ten years we’ve gone from beige boxes to neon case mods, 3-watt speakers to 7.1 surround sound and rickety monochrome graphics to mind blowing real-time 3d animation that is fast nipping at the heels of Toy Story. And yet amidst the sound and the fury of today’s hottest games, there still exists a genre whose roots go back to our earliest days as cave-dwelling 486 users, puzzle games. Of course, most of us with GameBoy’s remember Tetris, and many are familiar with more recent addictive hits such as Bejewelled, but did you know that puzzles are one of the bedrock foundations upon which most games are built, and that most popular games of today still incorporate aspects of puzzle games?
Indeed, those of us who played the original Wolfenstein and Doom, riding elevators, pushing objects and collecting power ups were engaging in puzzle exercises for the most part; the shooting was ancillary, a mere afterthought to “kill” (which ironically was exactly what we were doing) time in between puzzles. Bearing in mind the influence Doom and Wolfenstein have had over subsequent generations, it’s amazing to see how thoroughly puzzles have integrated themselves with our favorite games. Who would’ve thought that some of the hottest FPS shooters today – Medal of Honor, Max Payne, Unreal Tournament and Quake – still incorporate some of the most classic textbook examples of puzzle games?
Today, puzzle games continue to thrive as a separate genre of the their own, delighting, confounding and amazing those who play them. Light, compact and easy to get in and out of, puzzle games are still the platform of choice for those who prefer a dose of mental stimulation along with a decline in their workplace productivity.
Continuing in this proud tradition comes Bamboozle, the latest puzzle release from developer Little Shiny Objects. Bursting upon the desktop in a compact window bedecked in a panoply of jungle colors and accompanied by sprightly music, few would suspect the challenge that Bamboozle holds locked within. But don’t be fooled by its seemingly innocent appearance. Bamboozle holds an immensely challenging and rewarding puzzle experience that promises to engage your attention and hold it for hours upon end.
The premise of Bamboozle is very simple. As an intrepid explorer on safari, your objective is to move your car (a red jeep) from one end of the map, through the ‘jungle’ to the other end, where X marks the spot on your map. Standing in your way are several obstacles, rectangular blocks of varying size and length upon which are drawn all the various vicissitudes (both animal and plant) that mother nature can throw in your path. This includes all your favorites – monkeys, lions, hippopotami, rivers, bamboo sticks – even the Morai, those forbidding head statues from Easter Island make a cameo appearance.
Each level consists of about 15 different map challenges, arranged in order of difficulty from easy to moderate and hard to expert. The ultimate goal of each level is to capture an elusive artifact or mysterious animal, such as the King Kukaburra or Ignominious Idol.
Upon first playing, you’ll find that there’s quite a bit to like about Bamboozle. Getting started is a breeze – there’s almost no learning curve for new players and whether you’re a puzzle veteran or complete newbie (like me) you’ll be able to jump in right away and start enjoying the game. You’re free to pick any quest you’d like to embark upon, from the Pursuit of the Pinstriped Panda to the Mystery of the Morose Mummy. Once you’ve decided upon your quest you’ll discover that each map challenge is arrayed in chronological order, color-coded to denote difficulty, but you are free to jump around and try any map you’d prefer, whether it be the first teaser puzzle or the last and most challenging mind-twister. Completed map challenges are designated with a pair of footsteps, but you’re allowed to go back and replay them as often as you’d like.
The map challenges themselves are delightfully twisted. Much of your object movement is limited to vertical or horizontal shifting. Your jeep for instance can only move right or left, and objects are given the ability to move up/down or left/right, but not both, making the task of arranging them so you can proceed quite a challenge. Though it doesn’t seem so at first, every piece on the playing board is connected, and moving one piece can affect the entire layout, impeding your passage, or, as you’ll sometimes found out, miraculously opening up a path to freedom. Move a long-necked giraffe here, so your jeep can inch forward there, may cause the monkey above you to become bottlenecked between two bamboo sticks. It sounds more confounding than it really is, but even if you find that all your object moving has cluttered the map and completely stumped you, you’re free to reset the game board and start over again, without incurring a penalty.
In fact, if there’s anything consistent throughout the game besides the delightful safari theme or playful naming scheme, it’s that Bamboozle is about fun, not about punishing the player or making life overwhelmingly miserable (as some puzzle games are so adept at doing). Admittedly, there will be times when a puzzle will have you completely stumped, especially as you progress closer towards the final prize. In this case, some helpful player hints might make the difference between a challenge and a hair puller, something Little Shiny Objects omitted. One of the greatest challenges for puzzle games is walking that tightrope between intellectually challenging content and plain impossibility, and it’s evident that Bamboozle crosses this precipice well. You’re never ‘stuck’ in just one level, and are free to roam around and enjoy other levels/maps if one becomes too particularly challenging.
Bamboozle’s design is absolutely splendid. From the moment the game is begun to the very last puzzle move the players eyes are treated to an environment that is thoroughly safari. The use of sharp, bright greens, browns and beige convey an absolutely authentic Banana Republic feel that never takes itself overly seriously. The playing pieces are detailed well, and the backdrop for each map challenge consists of a wide array of wood/papyrus-like chess-boards framed by ferns and bamboo sticks. As mentioned earlier, each map challenge is color coded by its own dot, making it easy to track your progress and select appropriate difficulty levels.
This splendid attention to detail has a tremendous effect upon the nature of the game itself – instead of simply connecting the dots and moving the objects in a mechanical response to the game’s demands, you can abstractly imagine yourself making your way through a jungle safari on an Indiana Jones-like quest. There are a few things which could have made this game’s graphics even better however – the ability to resize the playing window would have been appreciated, in addition to enhanced 3d objects with attendant ‘jungle’ sounds as you play.
There are only a few separate tracks that make up Bamboozle’s musical repertoire. The playful upbeat pipes that greet you at the menu seem to fit perfectly with the game’s decor, and lest you be afraid that this bouncy melody follow you into the map challenge have no fear, for as soon as play commences the menu music gives way to a calm, meditative pipe and keyboard ensemble that invokes images of the misty Andes mountains and remote jungle passes. In fact, you’ll probably find that the in-game music helps to deepen and enhance your concentration. If not, Bamboozle gives you the option of muting both the music and sound effects.
Moving objects across the playing board elicits an interesting sound – rather like a big slab of stone slowly being pushed aside in some long forgotten tomb. It’s nice, but a little more variety would have been welcome – perhaps a separate engine sound for your jeep and an Aha!-like warning when you’re close to solving the puzzle. Lastly, when you reach X and solve the puzzle, your triumph is heralded by a pulsating bass drum and tambourine, rather like a short native victory chant. Since some of the puzzles can be quite difficult to solve, adding a bit more fanfare to the victory tunes would have been appreciated.
A lot to like here. Plenty of map challenges and a plethora of level quests guarantee that this game will have a long life span on your hard drive. In fact, as a puzzle game, Bamboozle’s replay value is second only to that of online multiplayer games like Counterstrike. Had Bamboozle offered a 2-player competition mode, the pot would have been even sweeter.
Bamboozle is a classic puzzle game in every sense of the word. It provides engaging, thoughtful puzzles for players in a playful environment, and gives you plenty of room for level exploration. Small and compact, Bamboozle doesn’t hog the desktop or your hard drive and is appropriate for all ages. Kudos to the folks at Little Shiny Objects for bringing us a puzzle game that’s as entertaining and challenging as its name implies.