A great game for people with time, patience, and vision.
Blast Works puts a unique twist on shmups with its "sticky" mechanic that lets you pick up any enemies you defeat and add them to your own ship, making for chaotic and random levels. But you already knew that...
There are 15 levels included with the game, and they showcase the gameplay possibilities of this new mechanic really well. (they showcase something else, too, but more on that later) There are some cool unlockable classic games by a designer named Kenta Cho, as well. Blast Works is inspired by Tumiki Fighters, which is the first unlockable game included in the package.
The OTHER part of Blast Works is the level editor, a surprisingly flexible and open-ended tool in which you can create your own shapes, ships, enemies, and complete levels however you like. Partnered with www.blastworksdepot.com, the editor lets you share your own creations and download others' creations from the Wii Browser or your home computer. There are some people out there putting a lot of thought and effort into designing shapes and levels, and they add to this game's value in a big way!
The fifteen levels that comprise the Campaign mode were created using the editor, and once you see some of the bosses and backgrounds later on, you will be both impressed and humbled. It's not a cakewalk to create great levels, though. The editor comes with a learning curve that requires a lot of experimenting and trial-and-error, and is occasionally glitchy to boot. Still, it's pretty satisfying to make your own game, blow up everything you've put on the screen, and then send it out into the world for other people to blow up, too.
When I realized how many hours I'd spent playing the main game and then designing my own level, I could not deny that I'm hooked. If you're interested in the game and have the time & patience to invest in it, you'll get way more than your money's worth out of Blast Works.