M&M's Break' Em
| M&M's Break' Em | |
|---|---|
 Game Boy Advance version cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Frame Studios Interactive |
| Publisher(s) | Destination Software |
| Producer(s) | Aeron Guy |
| Programmer(s) | Marco Pacifico Thomas Maniero |
| Composer(s) | Simone Cicconi |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS |
| Release | Game Boy Advance Nintendo DS |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
M&M's Break' Em is a 2007 puzzle video game developed by Frame Studios Interactive and published by Destination Software for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. It features gameplay very similar to that of Gem Smashers, a 2003 title developed by the same company for the Wii. The game revolves around five M&M's completing various levels by freeing other M&M's from crystals and fighting bosses in order to defeat Mr. Runch, a rotten and dangerous peanut determined to become one of them. In addition to this single-player campaign, the game has a local multiplayer mode involving two players.
M&M's Break' Em is the fifth M&M's video game, succeeding M&M's Blast!, a 2001 title for the Game Boy Advance.[3] The game received mixed reviews from critics and was followed by M&M's Kart Racing, a racing game released for the Wii and Nintendo DS in 2007 and 2008, respectively.[4][5]
Gameplay
[edit]M&M's Break' Em is a puzzle video game with gameplay based on that of Gem Smashers, another puzzle game developed by Frame Studios Interactive. To complete the game's single-player game mode, the player must clear a series of levels in areas such as a forest, an underwater environment,[6] and a tropical island.[1] The player character is one of five different-colored M&M's (Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, or Orange).[7] The controls are the same regardless of which color is chosen: the M&M constantly moves vertically and bounces off objects, eliminating any crystals that match its color and freeing the M&M's trapped inside by Mr. Runch, the main antagonist of the game's frame story.[6][7][8] The color of the player's M&M can be changed by bumping into color pots or blocks, which can be hidden,[7] especially in later levels. The player is only required to use the console's D-pad to move left and right. The Nintendo DS version of the game allows the player to also use the touch screen to control their M&M.[6] The sensitivity of the touch screen can be adjusted in the menu.[7]
To complete each level, the player must reach the exit door,[6] which must first be opened by knocking out every crystal.[8] The player can collect power-ups with positive or negative effects, such as increasing or decreasing the speed of their M&M or temporarily reversing its controls. Skull tiles must be avoided,[6] as bumping into one causes the player to instantly lose a life. The player begins the game with a set number of lives and continues, and once all of them have been used, each loss results in a game over, after which the game can be resumed with only one life. Extra lives can be earned by collecting large numbers of points.[7]
Each level features a timer,[6] and if the player does not complete the level in time, a dot begins pursuing their M&M in an attempt to destroy it, which results in the loss of a life.[8] Occasionally, a level ends with a battle against a large boss that must be defeated.[6][7] Bosses can only be damaged by colliding with one of its physical aspects, such as an anglerfish's lure, while it matches the color of the player's M&M.[6]
In addition to the single-player campaign, there is a local multiplayer game mode in which two players compete to break more crystals in various stages. This mode requires each player to have their own copy of the game.[6][7] M&M's Break' Em provides three save files and preserves the player's progress via an autosave feature.[6]
Plot
[edit]A dangerous outlaw known as Mr. Runch has landed on planet Crunch, determined to become one of the M&M's. As Mr. Runch is declared "much too bitter" to be an M&M and belongs "in the reject bin", five M&M's board ships and blast off to the planet. Upon landing, it is discovered that Mr. Runch is using a device to trap the planet's inhabitants in crystals, supposedly to kidnap the M&M's and use them to coat his rotten skin in a special chocolate coating. After the M&M's defeat Mr. Runch in a boss battle within the final level, the group leaves him trapped in a crystal, saving the rest of the M&M's.
Development and release
[edit]M&M's Break' Em was published by Destination Software.[8] The game was developed by Frame Studios Interactive,[7] an Italian company. In addition to the 2003 action puzzle game Gem Smashers, Frame Studios had previously released Princess Natasha: Student - Secret Agent - Princess, a 2006 beat 'em up title for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. The studio had also worked on Game Boy Advance ports of the arcade video games Marble Madness and Paperboy.[6][9]
M&M's Break' Em was released in North America for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS on February 6, 2007, and March 25, 2007, respectively.[1][2] It is the first M&M's game to be released for the DS.[7]
Reception
[edit]| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 56%[10] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| IGN | 5/10[6] |
| GameZone | 3.4/10[8] |
| Nintendojo | 7.9/10[7] |
On the video game review aggregation website GameRankings, M&M's Break' Em received a 56% ranking based on four critic reviews.[10] IGN's Chris Adams gave the game a "mediocre" score of 5/10, believing it to be inferior to its inspiration, Gem Smashers, which he recommended purchasing instead due to its "stronger presentation and art". Adams noted that every time an M&M is knocked out, it flies toward the screen and briefly obscures the player character, potentially causing the player to lose track of them; this had also been IGN's "main complaint" with Gem Smashers.[6][11]
Adams also noted that aside from the player character being an M&M, an M&M character appearing on the right of the top screen, and a large image of candy appearing on the bottom screen, the game "has almost nothing to do with M&Ms candy". However, Adams wrote that the gameplay "is still a nice blend of casual controls and deeper gameplay mechanics", and complimented the inclusion of boss battles as being "pretty unique" for a puzzle game, despite noting repetition in the fights. Adams offered a more negative response toward the game's visuals and audio, describing the art as "half-assed" and the sprites as "ugly and poorly rendered", in addition to deeming the music and sound effects "barely noticeable". Moreover, Adams referred to the game's multiplayer mode as "not very creative" and criticized its requirement of multiple game cartridges.[6]
Mike David of GameZone gave the game an overall rating of 3.4/10, writing that "it has no redeeming qualities" and was "not much more then [sic] a video-game commercial". David also criticized the gameplay as being "too easy", and gave a negative view toward the graphics and audio, referring to the latter as "more of an afterthought than anything", as well as noting an absence of voice acting for the characters.[8] Aaron Roberts of Nintendojo also acknowledged the lack of voice work in the cutscenes, though wrote that "[t]he background music is quite appropriate and actually fairly enjoyable". Roberts gave the game an overall rating of 7.9/10, praising its "exciting gameplay and the familiar charm of the M&M's characters", though criticizing the continue system, which he believed was "[t]he only real flaw in the game" due to difficulty in obtaining lives. Both IGN and Nintendojo noted that the touch screen controls offered by the Nintendo DS version were less precise than the D-pad,[7] with the former believing that the bottom screen could have instead been used to expand the levels and avoid repetition.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "M&M's Break' Em". GRYOnline.pl (in Polish). December 10, 2007. Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
- ^ a b "M&M's Break' Em". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ "M&M's Blast!". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 21, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ "M&M;'s Kart Racing". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ "M&M;'s Kart Racing". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Adams, Chris (May 17, 2007) [May 14, 2012]. "M&M's Break' Em Review". IGN. Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Roberts, Aaron. "M&M;'s Break 'Em". Nintendojo. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f David, Mike (May 3, 2007). "M&M;'s Break'Em". GameZone. Archived from the original on June 21, 2009. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ "Frame Studios". IGN. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ a b "M&M;'s Break' Em". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
- ^ Tierney, Adam (December 13, 2018) [December 3, 2003]. "Gem Smashers". IGN. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
