GravBlocks+

Game Info

It’s almost unfair for me to have had to review GravBlocks+ from the developer From Nothing Game Studios, especially after I have put about 20 hours into Nintendo’s Pokemon Shuffle.  Granted, the only thing that these two games share in common is that they are Nintendo eShop exclusives and match 3 (never even heard of this term until last week) puzzle titles.  GravBlocks+ is the developer’s first effort on the Nintendo Wii U and is an enhanced port of the Andriod title GravBlocks.

In the story mode, your character gets abducted by aliens and instead of getting probed you are more or less put through vigorous tests to complete challenges to advance to the next level.  There are a total of 90 story missions across five aliens that will challenge your skills.  Once you have completed the challenges that have been laid out, you will move on to the next level.  These missions will range from clearing 4 of one color block, to using a bomb block on a certain color.

GravBlocks+ at it’s core is a match 3 puzzle game, but plays very different from ones that I’ve had the chance to play.  There is just as much Tetris here as there is Candy Crush Saga.  You will notice that you aren’t greeted by a screen of icons when you launch into a game.  Instead, blocks will fall from the top of the level, or the right side of the level, or even the bottom.  One of the more interesting additions is the fact that you can change gravity.  To switch the direction of gravity all you have to do is line up 3 of the same directional arrows.  Gravity also plays a key factor in how you set up your moves.  If you move a block along the edge and then move it where there isn’t a block underneath it, it will fall to the next level of blocks.  There are also special blocks, such as the wild color block and the bomb block that will mix up the game play.  Another different addition is the little electric field that you can dump unwanted blocks into.  This comes in handy as your blocks get close to the top of the screen, which of course is game over.  I’m glad the developer opted to put some semblance of a story mode in, but all it turned out to be was just 3 different challenges and then on to the next stage and got repetitive quickly.

GravBlocks+ is definitely not light on modes.  Challenge mode is most similar to Tetris where you will have blocks falling constantly and are trying to clear them out before the stage piles them up.  It will also speed up as you progress just as in the aforementioned title.  High scores from this mode and also Zen mode will save automatically (unlike some other Wii U title I just reviewed, I’m looking at you Tri-Strip).  Zen mode is basically challenge mode, but it never speeds up or gets anymore difficult.  Destruction mode is the opposite of the two previous modes where you will start with a full screen and have to clear everything as fast as possible.  My favorite mode might have been the Puzzle mode though.  In this mode you are given a set up of blocks and must clear them out within the given number of moves.  The other modes are okay but have the been there done that feel and never really hooked me in.

The controls for the game can be used with the analog stick and buttons or with the stylus if you prefer off-screen play.  There are also an array of options available from switching the controls for left or right handed persons to setting different background images and cursor colors.  I personally preferred the Stylus controls as it felt the most suitable for this genre of the game.  There are also a bunch of accomplishments that can be unlocked and earned which will add some replay value for some.

The graphics are in HD and are overhauled from the Android version but still leave a lot to be desired when looking at other Indie’s eShop offerings.  The textures and blocks look really bland and don’t really stand out to the effort the studio put into maximizing the content of the game.  The soundtrack from Sami Sati is spot on with the techno sci-fi feel and fits the game perfectly.  I would have liked a little more of a blend and maybe some better sound effects to go with the awesome tracks that were put in place.

The Recommendation

With all of the content and work the developer crammed into this game, it’s disappointing that the presentation is what holds it back from being great.  The menus, graphics, and modes are all just been there done that and have an overall feeling of mediocrity. If you can get beyond these flaws though, there is some entertaining puzzle action with some unique concepts and will keep you busy for a while.