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Crash Boom Bang - First Look Mini Preview
Chris Leyton
19/07/2006
Bungs, bribes and betting galore, Crash's latest adventure promises to put the fun back into party games...
Crash Bandicoot takes to the board for the second time in his latest adventure, Crash Boom Bang for the Nintendo DS. But before we dismiss this as yet another Mario Party wannabe (how many do we need), it's worth noting that Dimps have one or two tricks up its sleeve to ensure this is a party we all want to be invited to.
Despite Crash' success throughout Japan, Crash Boom Bang represents the first title to be developed by a Japanese developer. Although everything seems to have gone a little quiet with the orange-furred marsupial, Vivendi Games were keen to stress the importance that they're still placing behind Crash, with Radical Entertainment still very much part of the plan and confirmation that an appearance on the Nintendo Wii is planned.
Embarking on a worldwide race to win a multi-million dollar prize, Crash and his friends are in actual fact unknowingly part of the race's sponsor, Viscount Devil, plans to discover an ancient lost city and the famed magical "Super Big Power Stone" that resides there. With the choice of eight characters including Crash, Coco, Fake Crash, Crunch, Cortex, Pinstripe, Pura and the long-awaited return of Tawna (banned from Crash Bandicoot games since the very first title because of her overly sexual nature!), it's up to Crash and his friends to win the big race and save the world from the Viscount Devil and Cortex's plotting schemes.
Customisation is a key element to Crash Boom Bang, whether checking out the 40 different types of costumes to wear or designing your own message to display with the 'Motion Panel Communicator'. All of this is handled in the 'My Room' mode, which presents a unique environment for each character, such as a Disco for Pinstripe. Packed with plenty of smart little touches, such as a character shivering when you leave them with nothing but their underwear, the most important element is the Motion Panel. Essentially a variation on the DS' very own PictoChat, Motion Panel allows players to communicate with one another, using pre-determined words, phrases and graphics or designing their own - the true touch of genius, however, is its actual use within the game.
On initial inspection Crash Boom Bang appears to play just like any other party game out there, roll a dice, move around the six different boards/stages and compete in amusing mini-games every now and then; the same old formula that has been behind eight different Mario Party games and countless other clones. Mini-games kick in when two or more players are sharing the same spot, or when a player lands on either a 'Battle Square' or 'Battle Royal' - the latter being the only time that four players get to compete against each other, as usually the fourth is involved in the underhand world of betting on the result and having a say on the outcome!
Because games are limited to three players, the fourth has the ability to bet on the outcome, with the chance to be deceitful and upset the odds by assisting the character that they've chosen. A common example is the age-old coin under a cup magic trick, which is played back at a slower speed to the fourth player, who can then indicate which cup the coin is under to the player they're betting on. It's not just about helping out though, as you can also slap your created Motion Panel onto the screen of an opponent, obscuring their view, their controls and their hopes of winning until they blow the image away with the DS microphone. The ability to bet on the outcome and have a say on the result should lift Crash Boom Bang above the general malaise shown towards the party genre, particularly in frenzied bouts of Wi-Fi mayhem and with the ability to really infuriate your friends with some choice messages on the Motion Panel.
With 40 different mini-games on offer Dimps central focus has been to utilise each of the DS features as much as possible. The stylus is used exclusively throughout, in tasks that see players competing in 'Gladiators' styled atlaspheres; rowing down a river using strokes of the stylus; swinging the Olympic hammer and catching apples from above whilst avoiding bombs, to mention but a few of those that we sampled. There's some concern that contact between the stylus and touchscreen requires fiddly levels of precision, however, I'm prepared to put that down to a lack of skill on my behalf and a hot hotel in London at this stage.
Naturally Crash Boom Bang is all about the multiplayer, so it's a little disappointing to learn that the game won't support the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service, despite Nintendo's wishes. With development on the title beginning too early this time around, the team are hopeful that a future title in the series might realise the natural benefits of a game like Crash Bang Boom on Nintendo's online service; for now, however, DS owners can look forward to Wi-Fi support for four players and the ability to sample the action with DS Download Play with five mini-games on offer.
Crash Boom Bang promises to be a party game that puts the fun back into the genre. Instead of cheap gimmicks the use of betting and the Motion Panel Communicator to affect the outcome should be a natural fit for the style of gameplay, and bring something fresh to a genre that isn't typically known for innovation.
With heavy customisation and trading options along with plenty to unlock, this is one Crash Bandicoot title that we can't wait to see more of.
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