It’s been quite a few years since Angry Birds took the app world by storm and no matter how many updates or seasonal makeovers it may get, nothing will quite replicate the initial pleasure that us gamers had when we launched our first squeaking missile towards the thieving, porcine enemy. This is why I was so excited to try out Bomb The Monsters, the new iPhone and Android game from Immanitas Entertainment, to feel that ephemeral adrenaline rush that can only be experienced when blowing up cartoon figures.
Putting my screaming psychological issues aside, I really do feel that this game will appeal to everyone, especially those who like to kill time on their phone without needing WiFi or 3G access and, hey, if you like blowing stuff up, then it’s all the better.
The soundtrack is in a jaunty musak style, which is redolent of the music in the Star Wars game for the now-antiquated NES; the tune delivered me in a Proustian rush back to my childhood, where my fascination for zapping aliens exploding monsters clearly began. The story attached to the game is that of a painter who just wants to live happily ever after with his lovely wife; unfortunately, intergalactic fate has other things in store for him and grumpy green monsters descend on Earth, capturing his wife and threatening to destroy the planet. Fortuitously, the painter is armed with a a supply of animated bombs that he can deploy in an attempt to combat the hordes of slimy beasts. Sound like a Michael Bay film in the making? Well, it’s certainly as action-packed as Transformers and as addictive as Armageddon; I haven’t got to the level that unlocks Megan Fox yet, but it can only be a few clicks away…
The gameplay is simple yet effective; you place the bombs around the screen and detonate them whenever you see fit (Tip: you can place multiple bombs in different places before setting them off, creating a really BIG boom); the aim is to get rid of the monsters with as few detonations as possible. If you achieve it with one or two bombs (depending on the level), you are awarded a medal; you have to receive medals for all 10 levels per chapter before you can move on to the next set of tasks.
Making things a little more difficult, there are some ‘Brainless’ characters that occupy some of the levels, who you shouldn’t harm; if they disappear off the screen, God bless ’em, you can kiss your chances of advancing goodbye. Additionally, you are set certain goals to achieve, such as ‘ECO Friendly’, which requires you to destroy 100 boxes or crates and ‘Veteran’, which you get by blasting 100 monsters. These can be viewed in your treasure trove on the home screen. One really nice touch is that the painter draws a picture of each new monster in the between-levels video segments, giving you a warning as to what you’re going to come up with next.
The game is fully automated towards social media, with Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube plugins; share your scores and boast about your progress along the way.
The levels change enough to keep you interested; monsters start balancing on precarious beams and you have to work out increasingly difficult, non-linear ways in which you can blast some of them over solid tree trunks (Clue: pile a bunch of bombs under its ass before pressing the Big Red Button). It is for this reason that I would encourage you to download the paid version as you get 60+ levels and a wide range of challenges and characters as opposed to the free version in which you just get a teasing taste of two levels. However, for those that like to try before you buy, give the freebie a go – you won’t be disappointed.
So, will this game be the next Angry Birds? Only time will tell (plus you guys downloading it and trying it out!), but I am sure of one thing – by blowing up all of these creepy monsters on a daily basis, I do not get anywhere near as many urges to raid a pet store armed with bangers and plan a full on assault on my local pig farm. This can only be a good thing.
