Game: Batu ta Batu
Genre: Party, Puzzle
System: Nintendo Switch (also on Xbox, PS4 and PC)
Developer | Publisher: EZSD|2Awesome Studio
Age Rating: US E | EU 3+
Price: US $4.99 | UK £4.99 | EU €4,99
Release Date: September 4th 2020
Review code kindly provided by 2Awesome Studio
I’m sloppy with names in games, often when I chat with gaming friends I can never remember how the character was called that brought to the Everdoor, or the monster that I beat in an epic showdown. Paula, who I share many games with, can testify to that. I say things like: the friend that had the antlers. Or whatever description comes to mind. So when I took up Batu ta Batu, I was sure from the start that I could never remember.
So it was the “Batu game” that I referred to. But just now, trying to get some background online I realized that Batu is Basque and translates as Join! So let’s do just that: come and join in!
Sliding and Gelling
Batu ta Batu is pretty clear from the start about what kind of game it is: a block sliding puzzler with colored blocks, but no frills aside from that. You are greeted by Endless play, where at first you play alongside a little tutorial. The goal is to slide the colored blocks to the sides of matching colors.
When same colored blocks meet in the playing field, they gel together. As it is, you can slide a block containing 2 blocks over 1 block to reach your required color, but you can’t slide a 1-block over a 2-block etc. You get the point. This means staying on your toes, and selecting the blocks you can indeed slide. And you get 3 minutes to rack up as many points as you can.
I don’t really like timed gameplay, always makes me flustered and rushed. Batu ta Batu isn’t too bad though, as the timer only applies to endless mode where your progress stops once the time is up. While racking up points, you get extra time too. For every 2-block you merge on the side, you get 2 seconds, for every 4-block 4 seconds and so on. So a good idea to gel the blocks together as much as you can. If you’re stuck, bombs are the answer. You have to earn them of course, and the correspond with a certain color in the grid, but it can be very helpful.
Various Modes of Batu
With the points you make you can buy additional modes: play Endless Mode as long as you want to rake them in. There’s Less Batus Than which sets you back 250 points. Then there’s Remove a Color, after that Full Grid and lastly for 1,000 points Same Color Near. Here I was thinking that gathering the points needed would take me forever: it didn’t.
In the mode Less Batus Than you need to combine your Batus in blocks that number less than the number assigned, which starts out fairly easy. And for every win you get a lot of points! No timer either, though the longer you take, the less colorful badge you get on your completed level.
Aside from these modes in single players, there’s a multiplayer mode as well. You can play with two or four people, trying to beat your fellow contestants at their own game. And of course, the best score wins!
The music is Batu ta Batu is good, something of the contemplating kind, sometimes more rousing. I must admit I turned the sound down in endless mode, only made me more rushed.
Conclusion
The game’s graphics are fairly simple and the gameplay looks easy. The game is harder to master then it looks though. If you are a fan of these puzzle games it offers a lot of fun gameplay and lots of content.
Final Verdict: I Like it 