Boom Boom Rocket released

By Tom Bramwell Published 11 April, 2007

On Live Arcade for 800 points.

Bizarre Creations' highly anticipated rhythm-action game Boom Boom Rocket is released on Xbox Live Arcade today, priced 800 Microsoft points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.30).

Available now, BBR is about triggering firework displays to match musical sequences. It's Bizarre's first Live Arcade game since Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved.

Originally dreamt up by Electronic Arts - for whom this is a first Live Arcade release, as publisher - BBR features a pair of single-player modes (Normal and Speed), two head-to-head multiplayer modes (Battle and Endurance), Practice and Freestyle modes and the usual 12 unlockable Achievements and 200 gamerscore points.

There's also a demo version available. Whether you're buying or not, it's about 78MB.

Look out for our BBR review in the near future.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (49) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • capcom23 #1 5 years ago

    800 points for this game?? They're crazy! 400 points for games like this is more then enough. :(

  • gizmo #2 5 years ago

    They need to follow Sony's pricing on these things - A LOT of the XBLA stuff is simply too pricey. And thats from someone who spends £££'s on gaming bits 'n' bobs.

  • bonker #3 5 years ago

    Blimey, I thought this was months away!

  • ZuluHero #4 5 years ago

    Hang on, people are complaining about £6.80. For an original game? Hmmm :/
    Edited by 2 at 11/04/07 @ 09:08

  • ram #5 5 years ago

    complaining about price and they haven't played it. Clever.

  • lennon #6 5 years ago

    Not to mention that Sonys pricing is only for the next four weeks and then the price will go up presumably to a similar price point.

  • Xerx3s #7 5 years ago

    The first XBLa games where also priced quite low. This is how you convince people of something.

  • gizmo #8 5 years ago

    Okay, okay - don't shoot. I didn't realise Sony's pricing was temporary. I'm trying single handedly to de-rail the MS/Sony/Nintendo push for digital distribution, thats all.

  • asphaltcowboy #9 5 years ago

    Hmm... wonder if you can use the X-plorer to play it...! :D

  • Wendelius #10 5 years ago

    >> Hmm... wonder if you can use the X-plorer to play it...! :D

    That's exactly what I was thinking. :)

    Should be more fun than mashing buttons. I wonder if the game uses the shoulder buttons or triggers though.

    Wendelius
    Edited by 1 at 11/04/07 @ 09:47

  • asphaltcowboy #11 5 years ago

    Wendelius: As far as I know, you can use either the d-pad or face buttons... I think...

    Don't quote me :)

  • joeking #12 5 years ago

    Ugh, so long till home time!

  • GamesConnoisseur #13 5 years ago

    Bastids! My x360 still away being repaired and wont get it until next week or so and I was thinking won't miss anything as apparently going to be quiet for next few weeks game wise!

    This and PGR4, I m looking forward to as Bizarre got a good track record dating from Dreamcast days.

  • capcom23 #14 5 years ago

    I will test the game. I hope it's a good one. I also just read it is 78mb big. They sure need the extra space. Almost extended with 30 mb for this game. MS has done a great job by using 150mb. But they should've made the max 250MB. Memory unit will be 256mb. so....... anyway. I will try this one. I hope it's good. I would love to have more live arcade on my Harddisk. have over 30 arcade games now. Want more!

  • DanWhitehead #15 5 years ago

    It's a very nice and addictive game, just right for the price. Just a shame it hits at the same time as Guitar Hero II. Even allowing for the enormous price difference, Guitar Hero is simply a better rhythm game and Boom Boom Rocket can't help looking a bit like a cheap supermarket own brand alternative in comparison.

  • ZuluHero #16 5 years ago

    @capcom23

    Why complain about the price of this game in your first post, and then go on to say that you'll try it in the 2nd? You obviously think that LIVE Arcade games are worth the money; otherwise you wouldn't have gotten 30+ of them. Hell, even I don't own 30 arcade games. Don't be so hypocritical…

  • joeking #17 5 years ago

    @ DanWhitehead

    Eh, isn't that why BBR is 800 MS points, and GH2 iis £60 or whatever it is?

  • DanWhitehead #18 5 years ago

    Hence me saying "even allowing for the enormous price difference". I'm talking purely in terms of gameplay.

    It's a great little game but by releasing Boom Boom Rocket in the shadow of Guitar Hero, it makes it look less than it is, and does the game a disservice.
    Edited by 1 at 11/04/07 @ 11:00

  • gizmo #19 5 years ago

    @ManicMinerUK

    I don't pay £50 for games, I buy them off the internet - mostly at £39.99 at release or sometimes, if I'm lucky, at around £24.99 a little later.

    If DD meant games getting slightly cheaper, or hell, even staying the same price then that would be great. However, it is already apparent that its a move to make substantially more money from a game.

    Don't get me wrong, everyones in it for the money, but I think its taking a negative path. I would prefer to buy a COMPLETE game with a reasonable number of cars and tracks than to spend what would be ultimately >£50 to buy all sorts of DLC to get to the same point. Not to mention the on-line community fragmentation these packs cause, 'Sorry, you can't join this game because you didn't buy car pack 28'.

    I don't mind paying for stuff at a fair level.

    To date, from Marketplace I have bought;

    Bejewelled 2 (for the Mrs), Jewel Quest, Worms, Geometry Wars, Cloning Clyde and Assault heroes. No problem, love 'em.

    Its the piece-meal pick-pocketing I hate. I would hazard a guess that I have a bigger disposable income than most, and this type of incremental retail is switching me off.

  • sharpfish #20 5 years ago

    The price is fine, you cheap ass freeloaders.

    Why is it fine? because if you REALLY enjoy the demo, 800 points is hardly a big sacrifice to buy the full game. No one is forcing you after all. I swear more and more people expect game developers to work for free or something.

  • clockworkzombie #21 5 years ago

    The only problem I have with digital distribution is the death of the second hand market. You can not sell something on when you have finished with it.

  • gizmo #22 5 years ago

    Just to be clear - my main gripe is the pricing of 'add-on packs' ala Guitar Hero and Shivering Isles.

    People keep telling me digital distribution means cheaper games. 2400 points for shivering isles? Thats just over £20 isn't it, for an expansion pack.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #23 5 years ago

    This IS overpriced. Compared to either some of the things you can get for 400 points (Geometry Wars, Jetpac Refuelled, some genuine arcade classics), or most of the stuff that's 800 points, it just doesn't stand up. It's not much fun to play, and just 10 songs is very stingy, since it's not like they had to pay royalties on any of them.

  • BrokenSymmetry #24 5 years ago

    I immediately bought the full game, and it's great! Fully worth its 800 points. Difficulty of the game is judged perfectly, and the music is pretty good. My favorite XBLA game so far.

  • Freeman01 #25 5 years ago

    @ ManicMinerUK

    You seem to have a problem with complaining about pricing today! GH and now this!
    I think most peoples problem is not the price so much, but more value for money.
    When Geometry Wars came out it was 400 points which is good value, but wasn't TNMT released the other week at 800 points, which is so totally not worth it! Now, Boom Boom Rocket probably is a fun game but is 800 points really value for money? MS seem to be releasing lots of arcade games at the 800 points mark and they're generally crap, but then again it is MS we're talking about so why should we expect anything less.

  • Uncle_Fishboy #26 5 years ago

    You're all cunts

  • capcom23 #27 5 years ago

    @ ZuluHero

    Of course i'll complain about the prices! 800 points is still too much for this kinda game! In Castlevania you can get out so much more then this one! All the time same levels with different difficulties. Nothing special about it. Even some other games that are bigger or whatever are only 400 points! But trying won't hurt! Maybe i'm wrong about this game. But imo games like these are garbage. and 800 points still too much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My opinion about the price won't change.

  • Veldaban #28 5 years ago

    Presumably Rare, being a Microsoft owned studio, doesn't have the problem of another company taking a cut for distribution on Live Arcade. In that case it's much easier to price Jetpac at 400 points.

    I've just played Boom Boom Rocket, 800 points seems like a very fair price... especially since it's not a port but a new game.

  • DanWhitehead #29 5 years ago

    Different music for each difficulty level would have been nice. That's about the only glaring criticism I can think of. Value for money is relative for this sort of game. It's obviously geared towards the high score mentality, so the longevity depends on how willing you are to hammer the same levels over and over to climb up the leaderboard.

  • HonestJoe #30 5 years ago

    Fantavision anyone?

  • CorporalSpank #31 5 years ago

    Just to let y'all know - you can use the X-plorer guitar to play this game! Works perfectly. Although, when you have Guitar Hero sitting right there, I really dont see what is so exciting about this game?!

  • TheBiGW #32 5 years ago

    "Just to let y'all know - you can use the X-plorer guitar to play this game! Works perfectly. Although, when you have Guitar Hero sitting right there, I really dont see what is so exciting about this game?!"

    Absolutely correct. Before Guitar Hero 2 I was sold on getting this game. Now I don't think I'll bother right away - there are only so many rhythm action games you can take.

  • bloodflowers #33 5 years ago

    What style of music is it? Did they nick that from Fantavision too? ;)

  • DrDamn #34 5 years ago

    Downloaded and played the demo. It's alright - appart from the looks nothing like Fantavision either. I just found it not all that fun to play. The icons - even with useful arrows on - can also be very indistinct and get lost in a general firework display. Nice idea, but not all that well executed in the core gameplay elements.

  • Waldo #35 5 years ago

    If it had "Ninja Turtles" in the title the naysayers would be crowing about what a great deal it was.

  • WiseNail #36 5 years ago

    Why does everything come in at 400 / 800 / 1200 points all the time, why not 200 or 600?

    Why are the initial arcade releases still at 400 points about 16 months after launch?

    This is what worries me about digital distribution, at least with retail games you know the price will fall from around £40 to around £18 within a year. With digital distribution as the stocks not sitting on shelves, it can stay at £40 for ever if they want. When do you ever see price falls on live (the only one I can think of is the GRAW add on pack)?

  • Birchy #37 5 years ago

    TMNT was 400 points

    The Outfit also had chargable content given away for free once the content for the game had been out a while (I think).

  • Rash' #38 5 years ago

    Did somebody say Fantavision???

  • Stu #39 5 years ago

    Downloaded the demo earlier.

    I was really looking forward to it, but I'm a bit disappointed. One of these days there'll be a audiovisual synthesia game which properly combines visuals and sound. This is just a mildly distracting rhythm action jaunt.

  • Beano #40 5 years ago

    I'm amazed how bad BBR is and at 800 points it's not worth neither the time or money!

  • Tiel #41 5 years ago

    6.80 is fair for a game you like, and what I like about xbla is the fact there is always a demo.
    Now, the wii on the other hand is a complete rip-off. Re-released oldies are available for other systems in packs of 20 for 20 quid, yet they cost 5-10 pounds on the wii, with no chance to see just how rose-coloured your specs are.
    Don't get me wrong. I have a wii and a 360 and generally prefer the games on the wii. In fact xbla is the only thing I ever use the 360 for, but it is a great system.

  • Tiel #42 5 years ago

    I've since downloaded and played the demo. It's souless.
    Get Elite Beat Agents for DS, or Raving Rabbids for Wii.

  • Beano #43 5 years ago

    "Now, the wii on the other hand is a complete rip-off"

    I agree completely... but that doesn't make BBR a better game ;)

  • EmiliasHorse #44 5 years ago

    I love it.

  • InsoFox #45 5 years ago

    6ish quid for a nice fun rhythm game with good music tracks and inevitable downloadable content, some of which will probably be free anyway?

    Yes please.

    It may be basic in design, but it's not trying to be anything else, and it comes off as classy, well made and strangely relaxing.

    What, precisely, were certain other people expecting?

  • SimonM7 #46 5 years ago

    Disregarding of the price, turns out it's not a terribly exciting game anyway. It's the basic-est brand of basic ever, and it doesn't just come off as cheap in comparison to GH.. it's pretty damn cheap on its own too.

    Shame. :(

  • Tiel #47 5 years ago

    @beano
    No the wii vrtual console being poor doesn't make bbr any better, but my point was that with xbla I could discover that before spending any money. No free demos on wii is the rip-off. If I had enjoyed bbr then 6.80 would seem quite reasonable.
    @Inso
    I was expecting more of a lightshow and more soul. You could buy elite beat agents for ds from ebay, play it to death and have mountains of outrageous fun, then sell it months later with almost no loss in value.

  • dr_shambles #48 5 years ago

    Dreadful game. Can't believe this is by Bizarre Creations.

  • Freelancepolice #49 5 years ago

    I enjoyed it and bought it, am i going to hell?
    Edited by 1 at 12/04/07 @ 09:22