PlayStation

BoomBots

If you are tired of fighting games and want to be renewed, get this game. It is fun, quick to pick up, and doesn't have to be time-consuming. Half of the time spent playing is because you are watching those wonderful movies. If you have time constraints you can skip past them. But what would be the fun in that. You'll love the wonderful graphics and even more so, Dr. Pick. Like I said in features, it might not seem like a lot and you might wonder if it is worth the money, well it is. You don't have to cram as much stuff into a game as you can fit on a few CD's to make a great game. SouthPeak and DreamWorks proved that with BoomBots.

Those of you looking for a fun game to play for a weekend might want to give Boombots a try. Its humor and fun design will keep you happy for a little while, but the lack of real variety in the gameplay will limit this game's shelf life. Still, it's fun while it lasts.

Boombots is a good buy any day, as long as it is in the bargain bin. Seriously, the only people I’d recommend to buy this title right off the press would be fans of the original Neverhood, who have awaited each game eagerly. It is a wonderful concept for a game, but falls short in many of the categories necessary to make it a truly good fighting game. Occasional graphics errors, a poor control setup, and laughable difficulty all conspire to make this game less than it could have been. The Bottom Line: It’s a one day kind of game, something that I enjoyed, but probably won’t ever play again. Still, I give it high marks for the originality that shines through all of Neverhood’s games and the interesting possibilities of Boombots fan fiction…

Boombots is an enjoyable title but the easy gameplay will turn some players off. As a lighthearted diversion this game is perfect and well suited to the PlayStation environment. The sight gags contained in the cut-scenes add to the fun and reinforce the game's whimsical ambience. Even though the rating is for teens, there is nothing in here that an 8 year-old can't enjoy. The violence is of the most benign variety and shouldn't deter parents in their decision to pick this one up for their kids in the 8 and above age bracket. Nonetheless, some of the bathroom humor may be too much for younger kids so that may be a consideration.

If you like a good challenge, a good laugh, good claymation and cool close up throw scenes, pick up this game and have a good time. However, if you just want a mindless blow-them-up-and-beat-the-game-in-a-half-hour title, this wouldn t be the game for you. And, lastly, aside from the fact this is a fighting game, there are no gory scenes at all which could be a plus or a minus depending on your preference. I give this game 3 and 1/2 GiN Gems because it is a cut above the average combat game on the PlayStation.

And that's about it for Boombots, yet another arena fighter that won't advance the genre at all. I actually recommend this one as a rental, since the fighting isn't that bad and it's worth checking out just for the movies. But for god's sake, don't buy it - you'll never get more than a few days of amusement out of the Boombots.

I can't come down too hard on Boombots, because it doesn't aspire to much more than being a funny game. And it is mildly amusing. But it's a lackluster fighter, and it won't hold your imagination for long once you've played it through. If you want claymation, try James and the Giant Peach, or something by the Aardman studios or Jan Svankmajer. If you want humor, get Stripes or Austin Powers. If you want Mongo power, pick up Blazing Saddles. This game has some elements of all of those things, but it still doesn't add up to much to deal with the boring gameplay.

To end all of the havoc that I made my PSX go through, I scratched the game as bad as a rental from Blockbuster, then I snapped the disk in half and threw it out of the window. To summarize this review with a few words: BoomBots feels like an old Super Nintendo game, the graphics are stale and the gameplay is shallow, please stay away from this game if you know what is good for you.

Boombots is without a doubt in the running for the worst game of the year. The fighting is ill-conceived every step of the way, and the presentation doesn't bring anything to the table either. I shouldn't have to tell you to save your money, but just in case you're the type of person who skips to the end of every review, here it is in plain English: Stay as far away from this game as you possibly can.