[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/eggmania/cover.jpg[/floatleft]Egg Mania is nothing special when it comes to puzzle games. There is nothing that puts it a huge step above the rest, but I really like it. There is just something so addicting about playing it that makes you want to keep on playing it until hours have gone by and you are still sitting there mashing buttons and building towers…
Like I said, nothing all that special about Egg Mania. It is a puzzle game a lot like Tetris, but backward. You flip and position blocks to build a tower, but your lines don’t go away as you make them, they make your tower stronger and taller so that you can reach you ultimate goal… the blimp thingy that says you’re the winner.
There are two modes to play in, Egg Mania and then there are all the Extra Modes. Now, in my opinion they should have called them eggstra modes, but then I am not a game developer am I? In Egg Mania there are eight levels to compete in, each getting slightly, but not much harder than the one that precedes it. Your goal is to build the tallest, but most stable tower and get to the top before your CPU (or live person) opponent. The blocks fall out of the sky and you catch them, flip them, and move them around to the position you like. At first this task is pretty easy to accomplish, but then they introduce bombs to throw at one another, baddies that pop up and knock you off of your tower, hammers that break your tower down, and more baddies that steal your blocks. There are also things that help you build as well. A shoe that allows you to jump higher to retrieve your falling pieces and a token that helps your tower fill in its gaps. The nice thing is that unlike Tetris, a gap in your structure is not permanent. You can go lower and fill in your holes if you get a piece that will fit. Remember, the key is stability. If you just build a tall slender tower, I assure you that you will be sitting on the ground in a heap of rubble while the other person is winning. There is a meter at the bottom of your screen that lets you know how stable your tower is. Keep an eye on it, it’s a handy little device. The sad thing is that there are only eight levels to compete in and then Egg Mania is over. Too short, really.
[floatright]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/eggmania/ss03_thumb.jpg[/floatright]The Extra Modes offer a selection of five mini games. The first is my favorite – BOMB mode. In bomb mode you play through eight levels like in Egg Mania, but the point isn’t to build, it is to destroy. You catch bombs and throw them at your opponent’s already existing tower as they do the same to you. The first person to fall into the water under the tower is the loser. They too get more complicated as you can catch blocks and rebuild your tower in the higher levels. There is a definite art to bomb throwing. The longer you hold onto the bomb, the quicker it blows up when you throw it across the screen, but hold it too long and you will be blown up by your own bomb.
The other modes don’t stand out as much as the bomb mode does. There is a solo mode where you can play alone to get the highest score. There is a survival mode where you play until you lose, the further you get without losing, the higher your score. There is a custom mode that lets you build your own mini game, so there is potential for some fun there. The last mode is the tournament mode in which up to eight people can compete in. This would make a fun party game.
[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/eggmania/ss06_thumb.jpg[/floatleft]The controls in Egg Mania are a bit weird. It takes a little getting used to. There is a practice mode that teaches you how to play the game. I recommend using it to learn. Like I said, the controls are just a little weird. Just an example of this, to jump you don’t push a button, you push the direction up. That took the most getting used to. There are several characters to choose from, all eggs of course. Overall, Egg Mania is a fun game to play, that can be very addicting. If you like puzzle games, and especially if you like Tetris I think you should give Egg Mania a try.
