One Small Step For Gamekind- Blast Off Review

Avid readers may recall our admiration for Halfbrick. The Queensland developer has fashioned a skillful recipe for success by combining uncomplicated controls, deceptively simple goals, along with a healthy appreciation for retro homage. Blast Off, Echoes, and Rocket Racing have all offered an amazingly high amusement to cost ratio; few games have given as much gratification for such a minimal price.

With the release of Blast Off for the PSP (and the impending firmware update allowing PS3s to play PSP Minis), now Sony owners have an opportunity to enjoy the same diversion at their 360 counterparts. Remarkably, nothing was lost in the translation to the smaller screen- the title’s 45 levels and incredible soundtrack present an extremely captivating diversion. However, by moving the game to the portable screen, players may become so engrossed in the game they might neglect their real-world obligations. At least twice, Blast Off almost made me miss my train stop.

The goal of each stage is identical. Players launch their ship, pick up a specified number of astronauts, and then guide their craft into the level’s warp zone. Scattered around each stage is a varying number of planets and black holes, each with a treacherous gravitational field that will attract and sporadically repel players. Colliding with any of these satellites is lethal, as is running out of the game’s two resources- fuel and air. To steer, players can use either the PSP’s analog nub or the direction pad, while the ‘X’ button engages the craft’s engines. Additionally, the left trigger can incite self-destruction, if your flight trajectory appears to be futile. 

Success in Blast Off depends less upon reflexes and more upon comprehending each stage’s puzzling variables. Often unintuitive actions are the key to achievement; later stages compel players to launch their craft at exaggerated angles to compensate for the pull of a large planet. Gamers can expect to retry all but the most elementary stages a multitude of times, each subsequent attempt bringing players closer to achievement.   Fortunately there is no penalty for crashes, provoking players to give unconventional techniques a try.  At the completion of each stage, gamers are given a bronze, silver gold or Halfbrick medal based on the number of astronauts rescued and the amount of fuel and air they have remaining. For players whose behaviors lean toward the obsessive-compulsive side of the spectrum, Blast Off can become an immersive- and occasionally frustrating, title.

Visually, Blast Off makes to the most of its 24 MB footprint. Individual planets are well detailed and rotate realistically, while the game’s galactic backdrops offer serene clouds of vibrant color. As the screen delicately scrolls, the title’s stars give off a slight shimmer effect. The title’s synthesized soundtrack is wonderfully evocative, gamers should consider playing the game with a set of headphones. Players that play the game muted will be missing part of the experience.