The games of Gareth Thomas, aka Gaz are known for their simple yet addicting natures, and while they may not be as eccentric as a Tonypa game, they're almost always neat little timewasters worth checking out. Although they can be quite fun, his games usually don't have a lot of depth to them, and often you'll find them tucked away in a Link Dump rather than being given a full feature. Such was the case with Bubble Cannon, a collision-based game in the style of Gimme Friction Baby.
In Bubble Cannon 2, Gaz has updated that initial offering, keeping the core of the game intact, but changing around some of the nuts and bolts. You still aim and shoot with the mouse, and your goal is still to eliminate balls by colliding them with their similarly-colored mates, but instead of an infinite supply of randomly-colored balls, you're now limited to just a few. In order to keep on playing, you'll have to replenish your supply by eliminating balls that are already in play. Also, the game is now divided into 10 levels, and with each new level you must account for an additional ball color. As in Combine, each additional color increases the difficulty greatly, so while it's possible to breeze through the first few levels, this is not an easily beatable game.
These changes may seem small, but they make a vast difference in the pacing. They introduce a much-needed difficulty ramp that does a great job of sucking the player in, then cranking up the challenge before monotony sets in. There's also a sense of urgency in Bubble Cannon 2, which gives importance to every shot. Under threat of a dwindling ball supply, each shot must be put to the greatest strategic advantage — whether that means eliminating balls from the field or clearing the path for future shots. In short, Bubble Cannon 2 is exactly what the original should have been: engaging and very addicting!
Interesting game, and I really like the Combine-esque mechanic. I think I'd love this game if the bubbles stuck together instead of bouncing around. Maybe Bubble Cannon 3?
I'm trying to envision in my mind how that would work, energythief. I keep thinking of things like Snood or Bubble Spinner, which are great games, but that mechanic is pretty old, and I don't see how it would carry over with each ball having 3 hit points.
I'd love to be proven wrong, though!
Oh dear..
I was addicted to Gimme Friction for a while, and now it's happened again...
Whew, challenging game. I can plan a bank or two or three, but after that it's just blind luck whether or not a bubble ends up in a place where it can be ricocheted into another bubble of the same color later, etc.
Very cool/fun/quick game! Wish it had a high-score chart though... I just put up 184 bubbles popped, 203 shots taken in level 10, but I'm not sure if that's good or not...
@ CK - it does have a hiscore chart... when it asks you for your name...
So I get to level 8, and now I only get one more bubble in the queue, not two? Because it wasn't hard enough already.
'engaging and very addicting'? More like 'really boring'.
Sorry Dylan, I tried to get Gaz to put some gratuitous explosions in, but he just won't listen to reason.
But seriously, I actually did mean what I wrote in the review. I enjoy the simplicity of the game and the challenge to beat it. Doing well requires a combination of strategic decision-making and mentally judging the angles at which things are going to bounce. Sometimes you even have to try a reflex-skill shot.
JIG features games for all kinds of casual gamers, and just because something doesn't float your boat, it doesn't mean you have to tear it down for other people -- especially without any justification to back up your 'really boring' assessment.
Oh, I also wasn't expecting that it's game over if a bubble touches the bottom. That seems like a holdover from, well, GFB indirectly, and I find it out of place in the company of the new and strong and compelling mechanic of the queue; it's a distracting other mode of death looming large. I was expecting just the single bubble that hit the bottom to die permanently, which seems to fit more.
(fwiw this game has me fairly hooked -- wouldn't be commenting if not.)
I like the game - it is very addictive. But the level up window is visible too long and is a little annoying. Will be helpful to have some kind of warning when there is only one ball left (but not like level up window)
'engaging and very addicting'? More like 'really boring'.
Posted by: Dylan
Maybe that's only because you suck at math?
I too like the simplicity of this game but feel it could throw the player the occasional bone or get-out-of-jail card. Maybe a joker or bomb ball with every level up?
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