M&M's Break' Em

Lore & Background

M&M's Break' Em was developed by Frame Studios Interactive, an independent studio based in Belluno, Italy, and published by Destination Software. The game's story follows five M&M's (Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, or Orange) who travel to planet Crunch to stop Mr. Runch, a rotten peanut determined to become an M&M. Mr. Runch traps inhabitants in crystals, and the M&M's must destroy crystals, avoid hazards, and defeat bosses to save them. The single-player campaign includes areas such as a forest, an underwater environment, and a tropical island, with levels chosen from a map. Normal levels are marked orange, boss levels blue, and extra levels pink. The player's M&M constantly moves vertically and bounces off objects, destroying crystals that match its color. Color can be changed by bumping into color pots or blocks. The player uses the D-pad to move left and right; the DS version also allows touchscreen control. Power-ups include speed changes, control reversal, a detonator, invincibility, and time bonus multipliers. Skull blocks cause instant loss of a life. Each level has a timer; if time expires, a bouncing skull pursues the player. Bosses are damaged only when the player collides with a physical aspect of the boss that matches the player's current color. The game also features a local multiplayer mode requiring two copies of the game, where two players compete to break more crystals.

Reader's Guide

M&M's Break' Em is notable as the first M&M's game released for the Nintendo DS and the fifth overall in the M&M's video game series. Its gameplay closely mirrors that of Gem Smashers (2003), also by Frame Studios Interactive, which involves destroying color-matched gems while controlling a vertically bouncing orb. The game received mixed reviews, with a 56% ranking on GameRankings based on four critic reviews. Critics praised the blend of casual controls and deeper mechanics, as well as the inclusion of boss battles, but criticized the visuals and audio as poor or barely noticeable. The touchscreen controls on the DS were deemed less precise than the D-pad. The multiplayer mode was criticized for requiring multiple cartridges and lacking creativity. The continue system was noted as a flaw due to difficulty in obtaining lives. The game was followed by M&M's Kart Racing, a kart racing game released for the Wii in 2007 and for the DS in 2008.

Did You Know?

• The game's story involves a rotten peanut named Mr. Runch who wants to become an M&M.
• The player can change their M&M's color by bumping into color pots or blocks.
• The game features a local multiplayer mode that requires each player to have their own copy of the game.
• M&M's Break' Em is the first M&M's game released for the Nintendo DS.