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I’ve wanted a Nintendo Wii for awhile now, but I just couldn’t find a good reason to spend the money. And then I played Boom Blox.

A Steven Spielberg/EA Game, this delightful gem allows the player to throw, grab and blast blocks, as well as to create or edit levels. If you’ve ever enjoyed building and then toppling block towers or Lego castles, you’ll enjoy doing so virtually — especially since there’s much less of a mess.

I haven’t gotten through all of the 300 levels thus far, but what I have played has been a LOT of fun. The gameplay is simple, the graphics are adorable and the sounds are humorous.

There are a few basic types of moves or game techniques in Boom Blox: throwing, grabbing or blasting. Using the Wii-mote, you throw a ball to knock down a group of blocks or specific blocks in as little number of throws as possible; you grab blocks to remove them from a pile (much like Jenga) or for some other similar objective; or you blast by shooting a laser or gun to hit blocks (much like Duck Hunt or skeet shooting). Use the Wii-mote to target, and then hit A to lock on the target for throwing, grabbing or blasting. To move the camera and switch angles, press and hold B.

The single-player options consist of either Explore or Adventure. In Explore, you basically have to solve puzzles by throwing, grabbing or blasting blocks to smash gems, remove blocks or gain points. The puzzles are all fairly simple, though, and I’ve only gotten stuck on a few. I really have a difficult time with the Jenga-style games. I can’t quite seem to keep my Wii-mote steady enough to remove the proper blocks.

With the Adventure mode, you’ll be doing the same types of puzzles, but they come with a story and an objective. In the first adventure, you must help medieval sheep collect and protect their gems. I was particularly fond of protecting my gems by throwing bombs at the various enemies (dogs and monkeys). In the second adventure, you have to help Gorilda (a gorilla) save her children. These are the only adventures I’ve seen thus far. I believe there is one more, though. The different adventures also seem to coincide with the throwing, grabbing or blasting moves of the game. So, you may want to practice in the Explore mode.

The multiplayer options are good times. You can play either cooperatively or competitively. Both are enjoyable. There’s nothing like destroying the crap out of your friend’s castle or shooting blocks and trying to get points with your friend’s aid. There’s also a Create mode, which allows you to edit existing levels or create your own. I never was very good at creating things from scratch, and I never got much pleasure from it, so this part of the game wasn’t my cup of tea. However, I give Boom Blox props for including the option. Someone will love it.

As you progress, things become more complicated, and you’ll get to interact with many a colorful character. Speaking of colorful, this game has some great graphics. Everything has a block-like look to it, which works well since the game is called Boom Blox. It’s rated E, and it’s definitely kid-friendly. It makes me feel young again just playing and watching the pretty and creative graphics. The monkeys are my favorite.

The sound in Boom Blox is also fun and fanciful. The music isn’t that repetitive, and if it is, I don’t mind. It’s happy fun-time music and gets me bobbing my head like a Muppet. The noises the animals make are hilarious, especially if you hit them. OK, so sometimes my violent side comes out. It’s still pretty mundane since I’m just knocking over block animals. Mooo!

For a game that could easily be classified as a “casual” game, Boom Blox offers a ton of fun and merriment. The gameplay is simple and slightly challenging; the graphics are colorful and creative; and the sound is delightful and joyous. I would recommend this game to anyone who likes happy good times, especially for family fun.