New Wii Game Designed by Spielberg
Movie Director Turns Creative Attention to Video Games
On May 6th, Nintendo Wii will release a new game designed by Steven Spielberg as one of a three-game deal with the movie director.
Steven Spielberg, a name synonymous with filmmaking, is popping up on the video game scene, having designed a new game coming out for Nintendo Wii. The new game is called “Boom Blox,” the first of a three-game deal between Spielberg and Electronic Arts, or EA, as the company is better known. The game consists of building up stacks of blocks and breaking them down at a rapid speed. Special gem blocks are then collected from the fallen debris.
The Rules
The game contains 300 levels with several game modes and 30 different kinds of blocks. There is also a feature where players can create their own levels and game rules. It was inspired by the mega-popular Wii Sports with Shigeru Miyamoto, the Japanese video game designer who is responsible for legendary video games such as Mario, Donkey Kong, and Star Fox. He then met with EA in between film projects to design the family friendly game. Early versions were tested at home with his family.
Boom Blox is designed for 6- to 12-year-olds to play, but it is meant to appeal to any age level. The game’s rules are basically reverse of Jenga, a block stacking game. It begins with a stack of basic building blocks of different shapes and sizes. The player’s goal is to throw objects at the blocks to knock it down. Players use the Wii remote to target specific weak points in the structure. There is an option to rotate the camera to zoom in on every nook and cranny in every block. They then lock in their aim and then draw the remote back and flick it forward like a fishing line to toss a projectile at it.
Most of the projectiles consist of sports equipment including baseballs, bowling balls, eight balls and footballs. Each is designed to impact the structure with the appropriate mass and velocity for that specific object. What results is an eruption of explosion on the screen. Some blocks are designed to cripple the entire structure with one shot. Others are designed to explode on impact.
Other Features
There are several versions of this game to play, including one based on shuffle board called "Puck Attack." One mode is set up like a basic video game with four worlds of different themes, a medieval world, the wild west, a haunted world, and tiki island. Here, players battle evil Blox creatures to advance to the next level. There are also over 70 levels and 11 game modes designed for two to four players in a type of party game. When on their own, players can experiment with creating new weapons, including block destroying machines and new characters to work these devices.
Release Date
The game is due to be released on May 6, 2008. Its rewarding players for their knowledge of physics and creativity is already winning over parents. The next of Spielberg’s three game deal set to come out is code named “LMNO” and deals with a mystery. The third is yet to be announced.
