With the recent launch of PlayStation Mobile you have to consider whether the PS Mini’s have long left on the PlayStation 3, PSP or PSVita and whether their casual appeal would be more at home on your mobile phone. I have been an advocate of Mini’s because every so often one will pop up that will consume as much of your gaming time as the next AAA title and I would hate to see them disappear. Thankfully Break Quest Extra Evolution (BQEE) adds to the argument for Mini’s to continue on the PS Store.

The sequel to the 2009 so-so Break Quest (Originally a 2004 PC game), BQEE is an improvement not only over it’s a predecessor but the bat,ball and brick game in general. From the very opening level you realise this is not an exercise in following a ball, new game play ideas such as the creeping wall and animated playing fields really add to an almost stale genre.

From the start of every level you will notice at the bottom of the screen little bricks moving from both sides to centre. I referenced this earlier as the creeping wall but this feature really is really helpful. At any time using either L1 or R1 you can deploy these walls so that they act as a bumper allowing you extra time to save your ball. Once the wall is deployed another starts creeping in below. This allows you to strategically time them so that you can build a wall which covers the bottom of the screen. Once your ball hits the raised wall it turns red if it is hit again the wall disappears and you have to deploy another, which, if timed correctly is ready and waiting.

With Unlimited walls the game sounds too easy, right? Add to that the Spray gun, double gun, smart mines and extra wide paddle and it could sound like the game could play itself, right? Well, No. All of these weapons and shields aren’t enough to guarantee your success. Your targets will respond when hit, either by bouncing or rotating  which changes the trajectory or speed of the ball in an instant meaning that your shields are more important than you may have first thought. Now add the power ups which I deemed to have a negative effect on your efforts to win and the odds start to stack against you.

The triple ball power up is the best power up if you want to lose lives quickly. In many games before now this has been your best friend but now he is a shield destroying nightmare and is best avoided at all costs.

The morphing ball power up. Turn your ball in to a square or prolate spheroid (There’s your something new for today!, it’s the shape of a rugby ball). This wouldn’t have been a problem if the field didn’t respond but it can cause all sorts of trouble.

Say you manage to survive (Okay, you will but I am going for dramatic effect here) and make it to the boss battle. Then what? Well add all of the negative power ups and the strategic use of the shield to the bosses arsenal of a paddle freezing lazer and missiles that reverse your controls or remove your bumper and you have a really challenging duel on your hands.

Take all of that into account so 9 levels of unique brick and ball game play with sadistic power ups and a boss level that brought his A game then times it all by ten. That’s right, 10 bosses and 90 levels and all of that for a mere £3.49

I have a few issues with BQEE, this is not a game you will want to play for any great length of time, I found it hard to get to the first boss without wanting to take a break, and you definitely should put your I-pod on because the soundtrack isn’t great, Something I should have guessed immediately when I visited the options menu and saw it was turned off but ultimately BQEE is not the worst out there. It can hold it’s head high and be proud of the changes it has brought to a flailing genre.

70/100