Protect her at all costs. Seeing her all beat up isn't pleasant.
Oh Buka, you’re a strange one. Strange, and yet at the same time utterly compelling. Originally born on the Android platform, Buka follows the journey of a large blue sphere which floats around space as she journeys towards her ‘happy place’. Trying to stop her from reaching this destination are evil asteroid like beings, who will collide into poor little Buka, thwarting her plans for happiness. Buka is an incredibly hard game to classify genre-wise, although is probably best to imagine in terms of twin-stick-shooters. Think Geometry Wars, except stripped of all its lives, multiplyers and bombs, and replaced with touch controls, adorable visuals and a big blue sphere.
So, the object of the game is to protect Buka from the nasties of space, helping her to reach her happy place. Doing this is simple; Buka can either be moved around the screen with the accelerometer, or with a quick flick of the finger (your preferred control method can be set in the options), and asteroids can be destroyed by dragging your finger across the screen to create an explosion. As you drag, the light emitting from under your finger will grow, and the longer you leave it, the bigger the explosion will be. You can also tap the screen to create a small sonar blast, which can be used to change the direction of oncoming enemies. Control wise the game is flawless, and really does suit the iPhone down to a tee.
The first few stages of the game are simple enough, and involve simple, slow moving enemies which will provide little trouble to even the most inexperienced gamer. The game quickly ramps up in difficulty however, and the latter levels may seem impossible at first glance. Much like the vaguely comparable Geometry Wars, skill comes through experience, and learning the best way to succeed in Buka takes time. The game requires quick thinking, and even quicker reaction times to get Buka to her a ‘Happy Place’ – a task which I feel compelled to continue after writing this review.
The game boasts numerous enemy types, ranging in speed size and threat. After destroying an asteroid, it will disintegrate into smaller pieces, or ‘chunky chunks’ as Buka affectionately refers to them as. These also need to be disposed of; else they too will end up colliding with and hurting poor Buka. As Buka sustains more and more damage, her appearance changes accordingly, and if she gets hit too much, her perfectly spherical body will become a canvas of black eyes and bruises. This is a strangely distressing event to witness as a player, and forces the player to care about Buka, and spurring them to protect her better next time.
Ultimately, it’s this attachment to Buka that gives the game it’s hook. If Buka wasn’t as cute, charming and humorous as she is, the game wouldn’t be half as much fun. The limited dialogue is brilliantly scripted and as well as giving Buka her unique personality, provides the game with some genuinely funny moments. For example, Buka refers to your score as her ‘happy numbers’, asks if you prefer ‘tilty tilt’ controls and says 'you are so nice to me'. In combination with the adorable visuals and soothing soundtrack, the game has a strangely meditative quality to it.
Buka is one of those games that is perfectly suited the iPhone as a gaming platform. While some games are clunky and cumbersome to play, Buka offers an experience that effortlessly lends itself to the touch screen. A beautifully presented, thoroughly entertaining and hopelessely addictive title. As I said at the very beginning of this review, Buka is strange, but as a result of that is right up there with the iPhone’s finest.
- Sound: 8
- Graphics: 8
- Gameplay: 8
- Longevity: 8
9
Superb
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2 comments
Jamin / 3rd Jun 2009
I thought the same thing, but I'm assured by Hexage themselves that she is indeed a 'she'.
Cheeky Monkey / 3rd Jun 2009
She looks like a dude! :P