Bonsai Blast

Bonsai – the art of aesthetic miniaturization of trees by growing them in containers (thanks Wikipedia). Or, in more general terms, the art of beauty and fine detail packed into a pint-sized, recognizable package. Appropriately enough, this also happens to describe Glu's first offering on Android to perfection.

Although Glu isn't the only established developer supporting the free-to-download Android Market, Bonsai Blast is worth a special mention as it is exclusive to the platform. While it's no simple port, however, we wouldn't stretch so far as to say that it's a wholly original title.

Anyone familiar with the popular casual-puzzler Zuma will be right at home with Bonsai Blast, as the principle of matching three or more coloured marbles in a snaking conga-line of the things is pretty much identical. Indeed, this isn't even the first time that Glu has 'borrowed' the idea, with its mobile game Poppin' Panda proving to be a solid revision of the Zuma concept.

In fact, Bonsai Blast takes on many of the additions of Glu's earlier attempt, including the ability to switch the location of your ball-shooter and levels where you can bounce your marbles off solid walls. But while the concept is far from fresh, there are considerable enhancements to the formula made possible by the Android platform.

The first of these enhancements to grab your attention is the look of the game – it really is quite gorgeous in places. Bonsai Blast doesn't throw around complex 3D or spectacular lighting effects, but it does make use of the G1's large, sharp screen in a beautifully restrained manner. The map-like level select screen is a fine example, rendered as if it were painted on parchment by some ancient Japanese calligrapher.

The other obvious feature is the touchscreen implementation. Rather than using a directional pad or joystick to aim your marbles you simply touch in the appropriate direction. Now this can take some getting used to, as the nature of the game dictates a level of accuracy that my hardened gamers-thumb struggled to match at first. It is workable, though, and you will find yourself adapting before too long. It also helps that you're not directly punished for 'missing' a shot.

The Android platform's accelerometer feature is not forgotten either, which will either be good or bad news to you, depending on whether you enjoy twitching like a loon and scaring your fellow public transport users on the daily commute. Here it's used on some of Bonsai Blast's varied power-ups, such as a cloud of play-freezing Darkness that needs shaking away. A well implemented vibration informs you when you've achieved the task, sparing you from unnecessary flapping.

There are a few technical issues, with our G1 unit struggling a little during some of the more intensive passages of play, such as when the screen was full of marbles or – in particular – when we fired off a stream of fire marbles to whittle down the line. In the case of the latter, the action slowed to a crawl as our handset strained to cope with the pyrotechnics. We would expect the relatively modest demands of Bonsai Blast to be well within the capabilities of the well-specced G1, which might suggest a slightly rushed release on Glu's part.

But to complain too much about a few rough edges would be churlish, when we should be heaping praise on Glu for taking the time and effort to develop an original(ish) game for the fresh-faced Android platform. Let's focus instead then on the fact Bonsai Blast is a very good casual puzzle game with production values far in excess of the predominantly amateur efforts populating the Market.