Buck Bumble
Encyclopedia
Buck Bumble is an action
video game for the Nintendo 64
developed by British video game company Argonaut Games
and released by Ubisoft
in 1998.
, Buck Bumble, part of an organization known as "The resistance." It is Buck's duty to stop the evil Herd Army, bugs that have been mutated by chemicals spilled into a garden
, who are bent on taking over the garden, and eventually the whole world. Buck is armed with 15 different weapon
s, including a Tesla gun, a rocket launcher, and an RC missile launcher. While the levels
are height restricted, Buck can fly around in 19 missions, some requiring the placement of a bomb without dropping it.
Buck's missions send him to defend the resistance base, attacking Herd supply lines, traveling through sewers, and eventually fighting the Herd's mantis
style Queen
.
on a preset map. The second is a football-style game called Buzz Ball. The goal is to hit a giant football into the opposing player's net. Just like in Buzz Battle, the player has the ability to kill his or her opponent in the process. Players are able to use two weapons from the game; a simple zapper, which gently moves the ball along, and a rocket launcher, which sends the ball flying in a different direction.
called it "the epitome of 'first generation' Nintendo 64 products" and compared it to a lower quality version of the bee level in Banjo-Kazooie
. This is largely due to its heavy distance fog
, low frame rate
, and low resolution graphics. Casamassina also considered the single player levels too short and too easy. However, he praised the flying controls, the design of the title character, and addictiveness of the Buzz Ball multiplayer mode.
GameSpot
's Lauren Fielder gave the title a significantly lower review than most publishers and echoed the believe that it "missed the boat" of lower quality, first generation N64 games. She criticised the flying and walking controls and deemed the multiplayer modes "seemingly quite literally thrown in." She closed by saying "In spite of all the obvious flaws, Buck Bumble is not a terrible game. It's just not a good game, and the rewards do not make up for the dull, tugging experience it quickly becomes."
A much more positive review came from Nintendojo
. They stated that, while fog makes navigation difficult, "the graphics do not disappoint." In terms of multiplayer, the "extremely difficult" Buzz Battle was considered much less enjoyable than Buzz Ball. The review summed up stating, "Buck Bumble is definitely worth playing. While it isn't perfect, it's a fun game, and that's what really counts."
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
video game for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
developed by British video game company Argonaut Games
Argonaut Games
Argonaut Games plc was a British video game developer. Founded as Argonaut Software by teenager Jez San in 1982 the company name is a play on his name and the movie title Jason and the Argonauts. It had its head offices in Edgware, London....
and released by Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
in 1998.
Plot
The game casts the player as a cyborg beeBee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
, Buck Bumble, part of an organization known as "The resistance." It is Buck's duty to stop the evil Herd Army, bugs that have been mutated by chemicals spilled into a garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
, who are bent on taking over the garden, and eventually the whole world. Buck is armed with 15 different weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
s, including a Tesla gun, a rocket launcher, and an RC missile launcher. While the levels
Level (computer and video games)
A level, map, area, or world in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective...
are height restricted, Buck can fly around in 19 missions, some requiring the placement of a bomb without dropping it.
Buck's missions send him to defend the resistance base, attacking Herd supply lines, traveling through sewers, and eventually fighting the Herd's mantis
Mantis
Mantis is the common name of any insect in the order Mantodea, also commonly known as praying mantises. The word itself means "prophet" in Latin and Greek...
style Queen
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
.
Music
The games soundtrack was composed by Justin Scharvona and consists entirely of UK Garage and House music which at the time of the games release was largely popular in England. The main theme "Buck Bumble" is one of the memorable songs in the game because of its catchy lyrics and addictive rhythm.Multiplayer
Buck Bumble has two multiplayer modes. The first, Buzz Battle, allows up to two players to engage in an airborne dog-fightDeathmatch (gaming)
Deathmatch or Player vs All is a widely-used gameplay mode integrated into many shooter and real-time strategy computer games...
on a preset map. The second is a football-style game called Buzz Ball. The goal is to hit a giant football into the opposing player's net. Just like in Buzz Battle, the player has the ability to kill his or her opponent in the process. Players are able to use two weapons from the game; a simple zapper, which gently moves the ball along, and a rocket launcher, which sends the ball flying in a different direction.
Reception
While not heavily praised, and widely regarded as below contemporary N64 standards, Buck Bumble was met with overall positive reception from various gaming critics. Matt Casamassina of IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
called it "the epitome of 'first generation' Nintendo 64 products" and compared it to a lower quality version of the bee level in Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie is a platform and action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998...
. This is largely due to its heavy distance fog
Distance fog
Distance fog is a technique used in 3D computer graphics to enhance the perception of distance by simulating fog.Because many of the shapes in graphical environments are relatively simple, and complex shadows are difficult to render, many graphics engines employ a "fog" gradient so objects further...
, low frame rate
Frame rate
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...
, and low resolution graphics. Casamassina also considered the single player levels too short and too easy. However, he praised the flying controls, the design of the title character, and addictiveness of the Buzz Ball multiplayer mode.
GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's Lauren Fielder gave the title a significantly lower review than most publishers and echoed the believe that it "missed the boat" of lower quality, first generation N64 games. She criticised the flying and walking controls and deemed the multiplayer modes "seemingly quite literally thrown in." She closed by saying "In spite of all the obvious flaws, Buck Bumble is not a terrible game. It's just not a good game, and the rewards do not make up for the dull, tugging experience it quickly becomes."
A much more positive review came from Nintendojo
Nintendojo
Nintendojo is a non-profit website that focuses on Nintendo-related subject matter, created and run by fans. Nintendojo is the oldest Nintendo-specific fansite still in existence, having been founded by Peer Schneider in September 1996...
. They stated that, while fog makes navigation difficult, "the graphics do not disappoint." In terms of multiplayer, the "extremely difficult" Buzz Battle was considered much less enjoyable than Buzz Ball. The review summed up stating, "Buck Bumble is definitely worth playing. While it isn't perfect, it's a fun game, and that's what really counts."