Destroying things is fun. Destroying things in a variety of different ways is fun. Destroying things against the clock can be pretty fun, though it does depend on the time limit. Destroying things because the 'plot' involves clearing a path for a runaway nuclear missile launcher with a tendency to explode on contact with anything attached to the floor is... well, it's Blast Corps.
Dozers at the ready, because we're about to crash with a purpose.
Fun Times
Blast Corps is a very simple game to get your head around. You drive the nippy yellow thing, making lots of explosions, earning lots of money, so that the slow red thing doesn't make a much bigger explosion.
When I say nippy, I mean nippy, as your beginning bulldozer will tear across the landscape demolishing everything in its path, assuming you drive hard and fast enough, preferably aiming in the right direction too. If you miss a building, just drive around a little bit until you drive into it properly.
Controls are simple and self-explanatory enough, though learning the handling will take a little bit of time.
Soon enough, you'll rank up into a trained crusher, which as an aside is what I happen to be, and the game continues to open up with more vehicles, more maps, more challenges of all kinds, with levels ranging from simple smash-em-ups to more puzzling... puzzles...
Frustrations
I know this because I found Blast Corps as dull as the underside of a bulldozer and had to hit up YouTube instead, whereupon I failed to complete a speedrun that was taking place alongside an interview with one of the developers.
The most interesting thing I learned about Blast Corps was that there are speedrunning tricks that not even that particular developer knew about, which goes to show how seriously players take picking apart their favourite games - demolishing them if you will.
Final Word
I have very little to offer beyond that. I played Blast Corps for a bit but wasn't entertained enough to keep going. It looks like arse, it must be said, but the sound and actual gameplay aren't terrible.
The vehicles are supposed to be all kinds of problematic to drive, and tricky level requirements will mean players need to pull off near-perfect runs to reach the highest of high scores - if you can put up with it for that long. Good on you if you can.
I was going to write "This is the kind of concept that mobile games are made on", but actually, this might be more a case of "were made on", because it does feel dated, and it does feel like we've moved on from games like this.
Clearly I must be missing something. If you play it, can you tell me what it is?
Fun Facts
The race levels - because why wouldn't there be racing levels in a game about demolishing towns and cities - are often recreations of various Formula 1 tracks from the time, if you look hard enough. So I hear. I haven't bothered to check.
Blast Corps, developed by Rare, first released in 1997.
Version played: Nintendo 64, 1997, via emulation.
Version watched: Nintendo 64, 1997 (Games Done Quick)