Caltrops - Gamerasutra - What's the grand strategy then?

Forum Overview :: Gamerasutra

by FABIO 09/06/2005, 9:02pm PDT

and more importantly, when is it required? I'm apparently not seeing it and I beat every possible ending in just a couple hours. There's no challenge at all, except in trying to figure out the properties of the different races since the game doesn't tell you shit (all I've figured out, and all you really need to know, is that Luna = Luna/Heavendor = instant win). While I appreciate the cheap shot so old that even BDR gave up on it, I'm wondering who's really sucking here if you're not totally breezing through this thing.

Drag 3 like blocks to the bottom, while the stack is in the air (or even 5 seconds after it lands, it doesn't matter), line up more blocks with it at bottom to increase launched stack width. Repeat until you have a launched stack the entire width of the screen and launch that. Then repeat that. Again and again. If even that little montessouri task is too much for you, just randomly wave the stylus around like mad and you'd still have a decent chance of pulling through.

I think the problem is that the game is practically 2 dimensional. Blocks fall in a straight verticle line. You can only move blocks in a straight verticle line. Blocks launch in a straight verticle line. The only horizontal aspect is widening your stack when it settles down (so that you can vertically launch a bigger stack).

It's just a puzzle-light twitch game with slick presentation. Tetris Attack has ten times the strategy and depth, while Bust a Move is just a more enjoyable quick play. I think people are raving about it because it's one of the easiest puzzle game to come out, ever, and it makes them feel like grand strategists or whatever.

I guess I really just have one question: music, graphics, and charming little plot aside, how is this even slightly better than 90% of the Tetris clones since the NES? I guess it's better than Klax, so there you go.