Another system, another version of Bust-a-Move. The venerable arcade classic with roots in the 80’s is back, and this time, it’s touch sensitive. The Nintendo DS is proving to be a system uniquely suited to puzzle games, and the latest in bubble bursting fun is a perfect example why. There might not be anything fundamentally new in the gameplay when compared to the endless string of previous Bust-a-Move games, but this classic puzzler feels perfectly at home on the DS.

Touching Bubbles

If you’ve played any of the Bust-a-Move games over the last decade or so, you know the drill. Pick from an array of strange characters, and then go to a Tetris-like game board where colored bubbles must be popped by getting three of the same type to touch. The game’s mix of puzzle, multiplayer, and freefalling challenges has always made it one of the best examples of the genre, and this latest version only reinforces why bursting someone’s bubble can be so much fun.

On the DS, the game earns a new lease on shelf life thanks to the dual screen and touch pad. The top screen shows the main bubble cluster, while the lower screen is your bubble-launching center. Previous games had you aiming right and left with the control pad, but this time you use the stylus to both aim and pull the slingshot-like bubble launcher down to adjust the power of your shot. While you can play the game in the traditional manner, the use of the touch screen is simple, sensible, and far more entertaining.

This innovation alone should prove more than enough to get fans of the game to rush to get Bust-a-Move DS, and hopefully earn it a few new converts. Like most action puzzle games, the brilliance of Bust-a-Move is that it’s the perfect on the go game. You can have matches of any length, play it as an arcade game where the bubbles constantly mount up until you’re overcome with bubbly colors, or solve the hundreds of pre-made puzzle levels. When you’re tired of playing alone, the game also supports five-way multiplayer matches, although you’ll need more than one copy of the game to get the most out of this mode.

Go forth and bust that move

Bust-a-Move DS has quaint, colorful graphics and the usual array of mostly throwaway sound effects and music that fans have come to expect. There are unlockable levels, a hidden character, and other new additions to the DS version, but it’s the use of the system’s unique abilities that make this one of the best versions of the Bust-a-Move ever. Given that the game is cheap right out of the gate ($20), this is definitely one that most DS owners should get.