Fans of the Bust-a-Move series know exactly what to expect: cute cartoon character shoot colored balloons up from the bottom of the screen. Line up three balloons of the same color to make them pop. Any balloons supported by those that pop will fall to the bottom of the screen. If the balloons reach the bottom of the screen, the player dies.

   Like all good puzzle games, the concept is simple and the execution flawless. The Nintendo 64 version offers several features such as new "special" bubbles and thousands of single-player puzzles. Perhaps most significant is the addition of a four-player competitive mode. Now instead of trouncing your best friend, good players can trounce their three best friends. What better feeling could there be?

   Acclaim plans to sell this title at a bargain price point, so puzzle gamers everywhere should keep an eye out for some cheap, exciting, bubbly fun this Christmas.