BlayzBloo: Super Melee Brawlers Battle Royale (DSIWARE) Review

Take an obscure fighting game, mix it with another obscure fighting game, blend in a little bit of cuteness and stick it on the DSi. That's the recipe for BlayzBloo, the adorable spin-off title now available as DSiWare.

Arc System Works is a developer who tends to shell out some of the most badass, yet convoluted fighting franchises to grace the genre. Their latest effort has been the BlazBlue series, which is quickly gaining influence among North American gamers. To compliment the latest title in the series, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift, Arc created a spin-off title to whet our fighting appetite.

Though, BlayzBloo is a spin-off of an Arc System Works title (Which are generally 2D fighters) it has more in common with Capcom's Power Stone franchise, which is a 4-player 3D asskicking adventure. You can play as super-deformed versions of some of the cooler characters in BlazBlue. Though the game is limited to five characters which play very similar to each other the game throws a variety of goodies to keep things interested. You play from three different modes, all of them are time-based and require you to kick the ass of three other players. You have access to a variety of items that randomly pop up across the stage, which can aid and occasionally hinder you ascent to victory. The game has it's limitations, but the ability to play the game with three other friends helps to keep the experience somewhat fresh.

D'aww!

As we previously mentioned, the game has a super-deformed artstyle, which for those of you in the dark, it means everyone is tiny and adorable. The style translates well into actual gameplay, which is pretty solid for a DSiWare title. They're Cel-shaded and smooth and the strongest element in the game, just like it's big brother BlazBlue. There are only a handful of arena's and they lack variety, which is unfortunate. The game also has some lackluster music, none of it is memorable, the voice acting isn't too bad, but it gets slightly irratating as you continue to play.

Overall, BlayzBloo: Super Melee Brawlers Battle Royale is an experience that's more targeted to fans of either BlazBlue or 3D fighting titles like Power Stone. It's fun, but it's a limited experience, especially for those without DSi-equipped friends. But for 500 Nintendo Points ($5) it's not a terrible deal. Check it out!


 - Kyle K.