Big Bang Mini

February 11,2009 - Big Bang Mini is one of those games where not much has to be known for it to be good. Nobody knows about the game’s developer Arkedo Studio, and nobody knows much about its publisher Southpeak Studios. All anybody knows is that Big Bang Mini is a game with a totally unique premise with enough simple, yet addicting, gameplay to call it a must-have title for the ages.

Big Bang Mini is about one thing: fireworks. Explained in the game’s wonderful tutorial mode, the game is fully played using the stylus and the touch screen. The player takes control of a shape on the bottom screen—at first it’s a triangle, but as the player progresses through the game’s nine worlds, the player takes the form of different shapes. Using the stylus, the player can make that shape move all over the screen, mainly to avoid projectiles and other debris that can fall from the top screen to the bottom, and even the sides. When sliding the stylus upwards, away from the shape, a flame is fired to the top screen. The top screen has all sorts of targets to hit, and for every target that’s hit, a star falls to the bottom screen. It is then necessary for the player to drag the shape over to the star to collect it, because in order to complete a level, the star gauge on the left side has to be filled. That’s the object of the game: fill the star gauge up.

But that’s easier said than done. At first, the game might seem extremely easy, but since levels can so easily and quickly be finished, players might get carried away and shoot everywhere. For every shot that misses, the fireworks and debris will scatter and fall to the bottom screen, and that’s where the elusive skill comes in. If any part of the shape touches that dangerous debris, the game is over. It’s that simple. So while it’s easy to carried away, in order to keep things simple, it’s best not to. Gameplay is extremely hectic, and only the player can make it more hectic.

Each world consists of nine levels and a boss stage. At the end of each stage is a bonus section that requires the player to move the shape to connect certain dots to form a constellation. While the constellations aren’t required to unlock later levels, completing them is the main true way to essentially “beat” a level, because each level is represented by its appropriate constellation. The constellation usually depends on what world the player plays in. For example, the first world in the game is Hong Kong, China, so most of the constellations will consist of special Chinese New Year kind of pictures. The Hong Kong theme will also require players to shoot pandas (which is kind of sad, considering they’re an endangered species) and the boss is a certain statue from Chinese folklore. Other worlds players will be shooting fireworks in include the special ice-themed Aurora, Kamakra, Luxor, and even other real places such as New York, Paris, and Rio De Janeiro.

If there’s one complaint that anybody can make about the game, it’s that there are a lot of prerequisites to gain most of locked content in the game. For example, you’re forced to complete the tutorial before playing the arcade game. You can’t play challenge mode (a survival mode that includes points and high scores) until you get passed the Luxor boss. Relax mode, a part of the game where you can’t die, requires you to complete all the bonus zones (which really aren’t that easy), and there’s even a really cool Mission mode—but you can’t play that until you beat the Arcade (which is comprised of more than 90 levels.) But since the game includes instructions with how to unlock each mode, at least it gives players with a reason to keep playing—as if the game’s awesomeness wasn’t already enough of a reason to keep playing.

The game’s visual presentation is nothing short of superb. Aside from maybe Lumines and Space Invaders Extreme, nothing really comes close to the look of Big Bang Mini. Everything takes place in the sky under a fast paced camera, flying through, and the neon-themed environments all look great. There are quite a few hand-drawn targets to shoot, and even the fire players shoot looks awesome. Big Bang Mini just looks as great as it plays.

The sound is also up there with the game’s look, most notably because of the game’s original music. The music somehow finds a way to easily mesh with each of the game’s nine worlds. The Hong Kong-themed music sounds something similar to what the Chinese offered in the Olympic Games last summer, and the icy theme provided in the Aurora allowed for some hectic winter fun. The music does a good job of telling players where they are, and considering the sound is supposed to help enrich the experience, it further proves that Big Bang Mini virtually does everything it’s supposed to do.

Big Bang Mini is a game that will come as a pleasant surprise for anybody that gives it a shot. It features nearly flawless controls, gorgeous visuals, terrific sound, and a bounty of modes and extras to unlock—all for the budget price of $19.99, which is definitely a good price with the times we’re in. On top of that, there’s a solid mutliplayer mode that only requires one card to boot. All that being said, Big Bang Mini is what the DS is all about, and you should definitely pick this one up when you get a chance.

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