Games for Lunch: Boom Blox

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0:20 It's rather easy to destroy the multi-towered manor in Stage 2, but it's pretty hard to do it in just two throws for the gold medal. Nice balance between easy access and difficult challenge. The trick seems to be throwing a second ball before the first explosion can displace one of the red bomb blox.

0:21 Stage 3 is much easier -- just knocking two chemical blox together practically destroys the whole thing. The blocky Bahhs bahh in the background amid the destruction. SO CUTE!

0:23 On Stage 4, the chemical blox come tantalizingly close to hitting each other, but not quite. Frustrating. I'm not gonna be a perfectionist, though. I'm going to take my silver medal and move on.

0:26 My perfectionist streak comes out again as I try to create a chain reaction to destroy six towers with one throw on Stage 5. Almost get it, but one gem gets lodged in a decimated tower. Grrr... guess I'll accept the silver.

0:31 Ahhh... it's so incredibly satisfying watching a massive chain reaction that totally decimates a board full of blox. The satisfaction is marred only by the little gem blox that's left standing all alone at the end. Grumble....

0:32 Interesting strategy on Stage 7... I have to reposition a red bomb blox by toppling over one tower to fall into another. The idea is reprised in Stage 8, with toppling towers causing an explosive chain reaction. The physics model seems conducive to a lot of interesting puzzle ideas.

0:34 A few strong throws at the base of Stage 8 cause everything above to slowly tumble over. Very nice. The Gem Harvest area is done, with six gold and two silver medals. I'll take it, I guess.

0:35 On to the Sneaky Thieves area. "All the gems the Bahhs collected/Now earned attention unexpected. For just outside the castle wall/The mighty Grrs have come to call. The sheep are brave and will not stray. The plan to stand and fight today!" It's just like "Braveheart," but with sheep!

0:37 The gameplay is totally different here. I'm protecting the gems from advancing Grrs (read: block bears) by throwing explosive balls. The bears are incredibly slow, but so is my aiming and camera movement, so it evens out. Constantly moving the camera to protect my flank is a little annoying, too.

0:39 My bombs also destroy the walls that are protecting gems in Stage 2. A tad more interesting, but it's still a little too twitchy for the control scheme, I feel.

0:42 Through four bear-destroying levels, now. Even when a gem gets stolen, it's rather easy to hit the guy before he escape with it. It might get tougher, but I doubt it will get more interesting.

0:43 Stage 5 tells me to use chemical blocks to my advantage to destroy more bears, but it's never really necessary... I just aim right at them like I always have...

0:46 Stage 6 finishes out the area without a single gem being stolen. Yawn. "The bahhs cheered on their victory cries/The sheep had made their stand. But the Ooks snuck in and stole their prize/and took it from their land. The gems now with the monkey clan/and locked up safe away. But late that night the Bahhs did plan/attack the following day!" Those are some mad-looking sheep!