English Title: Blokus Club with Bumpy Trot
Japanese Title: ブロックス倶楽部 with バンピートロット
Publisher / Developer: Irem Software Engineering
Genre: Board
Released: Nov. 17, 2005
Product Codes: SLPS-20443 / JAN 4536592000419
Take the cult hit Steambot Chronicles, combine it with the French board game Blokus, and this is what you get. It's not bad, but it's certainly one of those weird crossovers that nobody really asked for, and which leaves you scratching your head over who thought this was a good idea. There's a quirky story mode that has you going around beating Steambot Chronicles characters at Blokus and dressing up your character for no adequately-explained reason, and of course multiplayer for up to four players.
If you like Blokus, and are looking for a good digital version to play with your friends so you don't have to haul the box out or worry about losing pieces, this definitely fills that niche. The cel-shaded visuals are pleasant, and the music is nicely relaxing. The incessant voice quips the CPU players have for pretty much every turn get old pretty quickly, but there is mercifully an option to switch them off.
A PSP version also exists, though it was by a different team and has really hideous sprite graphics. The PSP version also saw a US release as Blokus Portable: Steambot Championship courtesy of Agetec, including an appropriately hideous Americanized cover.
This PS2 version also included a neat little Bumpy Trot sticker, shown below.
