Bust-A-Move Deluxe review

Busily bust and bobble bubbles with Bub and Bob

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Classic puzzle gameplay

  • +

    Four cool exclusive modes

  • +

    Sweet multiplayer twists

Cons

  • -

    No analog stick support

  • -

    Irritating music

  • -

    Fundamentally repetitive

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Bust-A-Move's brand of bubble-shooting gets ported from platform to platform almost by default, seemingly immune to innovation. The PSP version shakes some cobwebs loose, adding some new tricks and a haunted-house theme that contrasts with the ever-present blank-stared cuteness of the twelve cartoon characters.

For those who've never played a Bust-A-Move before, the concept is simple: Aim a crossbow to launch colored bubbles into a playing field that's full of them, matching up three or more to pop themand clear the field. Special bubbles bowl a path through the crowd, blow up neighbors orerase particular colors from the board entirely. The whole shebang is colorful as hell, and eschews fashionable 3D graphics in favor of sharp old-school sprites. Lining up shots is simple, but requires true geometric skill to nail the best popping opportunities. Oddly, the analog stick does nothing, the manual's protestations to the contrary notwithstanding.

Deluxe throws in four exclusive new modes for bubble-popping veterans: Running Launcher oscillates the platform back and forth; Mix 'Em Up constantly changes the color of bubbles on the field; Shot forces you to clear a board using one well-placed snipe; and Time Warp unpredictably (and nauseatingly) varies play speed. All could've easily been vapid gimmicks, but instead prove interesting variations, requiring unique strategic tweaks. These are in addition to the familiar 300-puzzle classic mode, a challenging Ghost variation that renders bubbles insubstantial until bounced off a wall, See-Saw balance puzzles and Blind fields that only reveal colors of bubbles you've bumped.

More info

GenreFamily
DescriptionOver a thousand levels, four exclusive modes, and groovy Wi-Fi multiplayer support make this a classic puzzler worth playing.
Platform"PSP"
US censor rating"Everyone"
UK censor rating""
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
More
CATEGORIES
Latest in Puzzle
Key art for in Is This Seat Taken? showing shapes waiting at a bus stop
This puzzle game almost made me want to talk to strangers after its chill Steam Next Fest demo got me hooked on organizing seating charts
Screenshot from Mindwave
This weird WarioWare-like's demo got thousands of positive Steam reviews, and now its Kickstarter's $40,000 goal has been smashed 11 times over
While Waiting screenshot showcasing the main character waiting for class to end with an Indie Spotlight tag in the corner
This puzzle game has done the impossible: waiting around for something to happen has never, ever been this fun
Wilmot Works It Out screenshot showing Wilmot who's a square with a face receiving a delivery of puzzle pieces at the front door
Wilmot Works It Out might be the perfect puzzle game if you hate Jigsaws as much as I do
Green symbols on a computer screen making up a skull and the words "Hacked by Hal"
In a huge win for niche games, this solo dev's 4-hour software adventure has racked up $1 million in revenue
Sutte Hakkun
The obscure SNES puzzler Nintendo originally distributed via satellite broadcast has just been released outside of Japan for the first time on Nintendo Switch Online
Latest in Reviews
Doggerland player board
Doggerland review: "A delicate dance of survival and management that doesn't feel weighted toward a single strategy"
Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 DEX gaming mouse standing upright on a wooden desk
Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 DEX review: "a force to be reckoned with"
Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again season 1 review: "There have been far worse Marvel projects, but few as disappointing as this"
RTX 5070 Founders Edition and Asus Prime OC graphics card standing vertical on woodgrain desk next to plant and monitor
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 review: "far from a RTX 4090 rival, but I’d still call it a solid 4K GPU"
The two characters in Split Fiction dressed in fantasy gear each with a dragon on their back
Split Fiction review: "Cements Hazelight as the master of co-op games"
Acer Nitro V 14 gaming laptop on a wooden desk
Acer Nitro V 14 review: "a solid value proposition… if you can find one"