Big Bang Mini: Trippier than your dad’s disco records!
Unconventional doesn’t even begin to describe Big Bang Mini. Somewhere between the inexplicably amazing lenticular box art, the manic shooting action, the pyromania and the animal cruelty, I got lost. Perhaps the best way to categorically describe Big Bang Mini would be that it’s an odd amalgam of the PlayStation 2 launch title Fantavision (an apt comparison the four-person team over at Arkedo apparently resent!) and your everyday manic Cave or Treasure shoot-‘em-up.
Big Bang Mini’s controls are a simple affair—you play as a sentient object on the bottom screen, dragging it to wherever you want to move, with shooting being controlled by flicking the stylus towards wherever you want to fire. Here’s the thing though: you can’t move and shoot at the same time, and you can’t just spam shots like crazy—going all kamikaze will result in an unconscionable hail of bullets as every shot you miss explodes in a shower of sparks that fly back to your ship. This game definitely requires a lot of finesse and strategy, but don’t let that discourage you.
Each of the nine worlds has its own distinct theme with varying styles of music and visuals while staying true to the psychedelic look. From bitpop and pixel art to pompous faux-pop art, each world is adorned with unique backgrounds, firework effects, enemies, and player crafts. Conversely, your ship’s abilities change drastically as you move on, so don’t get comfortable with just one playing style. The game does so much stuff to throw you off—visually and gameplay-wise—that it’s amazing.
Big Bang Mini is just pure, indecipherable awesome. It’s not often you see games coming along that can be quantified as a “labor of love,” but Big Bang Mini is just that. It’s value-priced to boot, so you really have no excuse to check it out, even if you’re only remotely interested in shoot-‘em-ups.
Scorecard: (Rate using 1 to 5 scale, 5 being the highest.)
Graphics: 4.5
Sounds: 4.5
Fun Factor: 5.0
Replayability: 4.5
Overall Score: 4.5
Platform Used: Nintendo DS
Reviewer: Ryan A. Rubis
Publisher: SouthPeak Interactive
Developer: Arkedo Studio
ESRB: E (Everyone)
Official Website: http://www.bigbangmini.com/
Price in peso: P995.00
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