DESCRIPTION

Bountiful bubble-busting begins anew in this sequel to 1998's Bust-A-Move 2: Arcade Edition on the Nintendo 64. New features include four-player support for simultaneous competition, an edit mode that lets you create up to 25 puzzles to stump your friends, and eight selectable "characters" with individual attack ratings. As in the original, the object of the game is to clear a screen filled with bubbles before the ceiling collapses.

To do this, players must aim their bubble launcher (located at the bottom of the screen) in the direction of similarly colored bubbles. Match three or more of the same color and they'll disappear from the playing field. Of course, players will have to keep popping bubbles at a steady pace, since the ceiling gradually lowers during play. Once it moves past the "deadline," the game is over.

Bust-A-Move '99 features a total of six different games: Arcade Mode, Multi-player Mode, Challenge Mode, Win Contest Mode, Collection Mode and Edit Mode. Arcade Mode has you choosing one of three difficulty levels, a character, and whether you are competing against yourself, the computer or a friend. The object is to advance through a specific number of rounds until the game is complete.

Multi-player mode has you competing against up to three players (computer or human) as you play for points or wins. Two variations of play include Arcade, which is a regular contest, and Time Trial, which has you trying to clear the round as quickly as possible. Challenge Mode is a series of five rounds with five stages each. The goal in this mode is to satisfy the conditions for clearing a stage; you'll also be graded on performance and technique!

Win Contest Mode is a one-player game to see how many victories you can achieve in a row, while Collection Mode offers a selection of 1,020 puzzles as you attempt to clear them all. Last but not least, Edit Mode gives you a chance to see how creative you are in designing your own puzzles. Bust-A-Move '99 also supports the Rumble Pak accessory for vibration feedback as well as the Controller Pak for saving data (30 pages are required). ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide