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Bliss Review
Written by Chris Goldberg on Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Puzzle formula is still fun in any forum; help fight breast cancer
Extremely derivative in every way
Bliss is type of game you generally expect to clutter the mobile phone market. It's a derivative puzzle title that is quick and easy to learn, and really has very little to separate it from the pack outside of being on your phone. In the realm of puzzle games, nothing about it can be considered remarkable. From its visual design to its gameplay system, everything has been done elsewhere and probably better. So while it's still mildly enjoyable in tiny chunks, don't expect a revelation.
There's little doubt this game finds its inspiration in two distinctive places: its gameplay and artistic direction. Essentially a Dr. Mario clone, Bliss tasks players with clearing the field of cubes with like colored orbs. Line up four colors in a row, and they'll disappear. The cubes are merely visual replacements for the viruses in Dr. Mario, and the orbs are effectively the pills. The game attempts to differentiate itself by its "mood bar" which when filled with create a audiovisual shift in the field, illuminating everything and giving you double the points for your efforts. It doesn't do anything to change the flow of the gameplay, and ultimately it's just a way to see your score run up a bit faster.
On the visual end, Bliss sports an alluring iPod-esque art design, and pulls it off fairly well. It's not exactly unique in this day and age, but it accomplishes the job. Distinctive coloring allows your puzzle pieces to be easily distinguished on this small mobile screen, which is pretty important when you're traveling or on the run. As mentioned before, filling your mood bar also adds to the stylistic changes and completes the sleek package overall. None of it will win any awards but it's a fair effort.
What is genuinely unique is how the game rewards your success. Besides the typical high scores, each point milestone is rewarded with a pink ribbon code. What are these codes used for? Something anyone can be proud of: helping the fight against breast cancer. For each ribbon you earn, five cents will be donated to the cause and the ultimate goal set by developer/publisher GoSub 60 is to donate $25,000 to charity, the equivalent of 500,000 pink ribbons. You can enter your codes at Bliss Donation, and I think that if there's anything worth playing for, it's this. Will it make the game amazing? No, but it is nice incentive for anyone who decides to purchase this.
At the end of the day, Bliss is extremely middle of the road... the Dr. Mario formula is still fun, but you've likely played it before and in better form. Since it doesn't do anything to elevate its gameplay beyond this elementary me-too design, it's hard to give it a glowing recommendation. So know what you're getting, and set your expectations likewise. Plus, it feels nice for your game time to contribute to a good cause, even if it does amount to just a few cents.
