Snood Blaster

That was my first reaction to this game. After booting it up, another thought came to mind:

"Oh no, another Bust a Move clone? I love that game, but no! I can't play through another clone!"

These gut reactions lasted only a minute. They went away as soon as I started the House of Snood, a mode in which you have to convince several Snoods (small round creatures that work as puzzle pieces) to become tenants in your apartment complex. It sounds like the premise of a lousy RPG. But the way you nab new tenants is actually quite fun. Rather than purchase an overpriced vacancy sign, you'll challenge Snoods in a Bust a Move-style battle. Win and they'll move into your apartment. Lose and they'll go live somewhere else.

If tenant acquisitions were the only difference, Snood Blaster would be a rather shoddy game. But there's more to this Bust a Move clone than meets the eye. Each battle is enhanced with a different ailment: Armageddon, Hyperactive, Chaos, Bombardier and Camouflage. These ailments, or "modes" as the game calls them, prohibit you from playing normally. In Armageddon, players have to battle against the clock as a deadly Danger Bar has been added to the stage. As the bar reaches its limit, brace yourself for the invasion of an additional line of Snoods.

In Chaos mode, players will have to deal with the chaos of having Snoods change sporadically. Hyperactive is the mode that's literally out of control. The Snood cannon sways back and forth automatically, forcing the player to shoot without optimal precision. Bombardier is similar to playing the game without any ailments, but instead feels like a bonus. Bombs are frequently thrown into the mix of Snoods, allowing you to wipe out large quantities of Snoods without having to match three colors as normally required.

When the Snoods don Camouflage, you'll begin the stage without knowing which Snood is which. Instead of the usual multi-colored bunch, players are now given a cluster of light-colored orbs. Where are the red ones? The green Snoods, or blue? Launch a Snood at the cluster to find out. Any orb that gets hit will transform into its rightful Snood.

At the onset, the House of Snoods is just three stories high. Each floor has enough space to house three Snoods, the highest of which earns the most rent. When a Snood agrees to move in, you have a choice between one who is less likely to be disliked, less likely to dislike others, or one that will move to a higher floor. In any case, you run the risk of bringing a tenant that will cause problems for everyone else.

After a few game days (one day passes after every attempt to grab a new tenant), feuding tenants will move out. Alternatively, you can choose to evict tenants that are causing problems. You may also move tenants to new areas of the apartment, either by exchanging their room with another Snood or by direct placement into another vacant spot. In all cases, you’ll use another game day in each attempt. There are only 15 days to fill the three-story apartment. Other apartments will become available as soon as the first is completed.

Though it may sound silly, the House of Snoods is a very effective way of enhancing the overall experience. It also extends the life of the game, as you’ll now have a reason to play for more than 10 minutes.