Big Bang Mini | Nintendo DS | Shoot Em Up | January 21st, 2009

Gameplay

The first thing you’ll notice about Big Bang Mini is that it just doesn’t use those face buttons to make everything happen. You’ll be using the stylus to get the job done and get those fireworks in the air. Using the touch screen, you have to glide the fireworks through to the top screen hitting each object that floats through the screen. You’ll be using the touch screen to both navigate and fire. All the while you’ll have to keep track of your ship making sure it isn’t completely obliterated from the left over sparks; you’ll have to take some thinking and planning ahead. You will have to abandon your ship because you have to use the stylus to make flicking motions on the touch screen to get the fireworks going.

Firing those shots doesn’t take much effort, just slide the stylus on the touch screen towards the top part of the screen and you’ll be firing away. You can send an army of bullets, which leaves a bit of craziness on the bottom screen for you when you have to use that ship to dodge everything else afterwards. What you’re essentially doing is firing until everything on the top screen disappears or you collect the star power-ups that raise your power level. These star power-ups appear after every enemy is vanquished and you have to navigate through the enemy’s bullets to reach it. What you can expect though is that probably half the time you’ll be cursing yourself for leaving your ship alone in the corner as it got barraged by enemy fire.

There is a lot of content to keep one busy with Big Bang Mini. It takes quite a few levels to reach the boss at the end. At the end of every level you are given a bonus level to play connect the dots and form a nice Chinese symbol or other recognizable symbol. The bonus levels don’t add much to the overall gameplay, so don’t expect some kind of weapon boost or added power when you reach the next section. There is an arcade mode which is where you’ll be spending most of your time unlocking every level and other stuff inside the game as well.  Arkedo spent a great amount of time making sure that Big Bang Mini was worth your 20 bucks and it certainly doesn’t disappoint in this area.

Outside of the Arcade mode there is also versus mode where you and a friend can battle through the levels in arcade mode using only one DS card. Don’t forget about the online mode where if you don’t have that friend standing in front of you, you can always find someone online that you’re willing to challenge. With online rankings you can see where you stand up against the rest of the world and better your score every time you play. One thing to mention about the bonus levels, they get more detailed as you move along through each level so one starts off easy while as you get towards the boss, the numbers get arranged for a more detailed picture.  While, again, it doesn’t mean much in the long run it’s always nice to have some sort of “ending” so to speak to each challenge. Big Bang Mini accomplishes a lot and developers should take notice at how the stylus is used effectively to making gameplay easy to use and fun to play.

 

Big Bang Mini probably has some of best graphics around with its unique art style. It isn’t taking much and giving a whole lot in terms of presentation. While you could say that it’s about as basic as it gets, you can’t deny that it’s effective in getting your attention and keeping your attention throughout your session with the game. There are too many distractions that would cause you to lose focus on the gameplay itself and keeps a consistent vibe throughout the levels.

Up beat techno music fills the background that changes through each level. The variety is quite different and keeps the level moving with seamless transition. Boss levels of course have their own sense of character in the music. While there are some generic themes here and there that might be recurring, Big Bang Mini tries to keep things light hearted and enjoyable especially considering the game content itself. You’ll visit many different locations and thus will hear a variety of tunes that harkens back to the midi days of music in the good old times of gaming.

 

Big Bang Mini deserves all the credit that it gets. It’s unique control style that actually works on the DS, make it an appealing title on the shelves. The stylus control is what brings Big Bang Mini over the top. You don’t see a DS title like this everyday that takes advantage of the DS hardware.

Versus mode is where this title shines because you’ll be able to play against a friend whether online or against another DS through sync play. Online play gives you the chance to view leaderboards (Online rankings) to see where you match up against other players around the world. Another neat addition is the Final Bouquet which after your hard work throughout each level, you’ll be able to design a “one of a kind masterpiece” that will light up on the top screen as you complete each level.

 

Big Bang Mini will unduly go overlooked as an underrated title that some will probably see as nothing special. But, if you’re looking for a time waster then Big Bang Mini might be what you’re looking for. Especially at the cheap price of $19.99, you can’t really pass that up. Yes, it has a very casual crowd look, but once you dig deep into the game you’ll easily change your mind about it. If not, then at least you can say that you gave it a try. The DS is full of possibilities and Big Bang Mini is just one of those possibilities that make the DS such an appealing piece of handheld.