Bust-A-Move Journey Tips, Cheats and Strategies

Taito’s Bust-A-Move Journey is the latest title in the Bust-A-Move series of games. If it seems familiar, that’s because you might have already played it in the form of F2P game, Bust-A-Move Islands. This time round, Bust-A-Move Journey is a premium experience backed up with more than a few in-app purchases.

Gamezebo’s Bust-A-Move Journey Tips, Cheats and Strategies is here to guide you through the paces, giving you some perfect insight in how best to negotiate the game’s many levels.

Know Your Objective

• It’s a common trait in any Match-3 game but you really want to know what you’re aiming for here. Bust-A-Move Journey is a little strict on how many bubbles/moves it gives you, meaning you don’t want to waste any.
• Early level types have you simply needing to pop all the bubbles on screen. Another one might require you to save the Chack’n – cute little animals stuck inside bubbles. Others have time limits.
• Adjust your strategy accordingly.
• Got a time limit to stick to? Move fast and don’t worry so much about accruing significant combos. You simply want to complete your objective as quickly as possible.
• If you’ve got all the time in the world but limited moves, focus on using each bubble to the best of its ability. This is where careful aiming is key, as you can often clear a hefty area through some good planning.
• Need to free those Chack’n? You’ll probably take a lot of bubbles out while you’re doing it, but try your best to work on snagging them. In particular, on the last few lines, it’s usually a good plan to focus on them rather than just any old bubble.
• Remember – any leftover bubbles go towards your score at the end so it’s good to have spares!

Know Your Obstacles

• Bad targeting isn’t the only issue when negotiating Bust-A-Move Journey’s levels. You also need to know what’s out to get you.
• Boxes and silver shaped holders can be cleared if you simply remove all the bubbles attached to them.
• Solid concrete blocks can’t be removed, even if you clear all the bubbles connected to them. Work hard to avoid clipping one when you’re launching a bubble.
• Hit a bomb and it’s game over, but you can drop them by clearing surrounding bubbles.
• The beehives are one of the trickier things to get around. You can drop them by clearing bubbles that are holding them in place, but if you hit them, you’ve got trouble. It’ll unleash a few bees which cause you to throw bubbles around, scattering them where you might not want them, as well as wasting your turns.
• Growing spiky vines are a similar problem as they grow with each turn, and can even eat up the beloved Chack’n, causing a game over. Work very hard at clearing them quickly.

Help Along the Way

• You’ll earn coins for doing mostly anything in Bust-A-Move Journey. This can be through completing bonus stages or by logging in every day or simply through completing simple incidental objectives.
• Use those coins to buy power-ups when you’re struggling to complete a level.
• Power-ups vary in importance. My personal favorite is the guide power-up which gives you perfect insight into where your bubble is going to go. Also useful are the ones adding 5 extra moves, as well as the ones that nullify bombs or spikes.
• The first time you play a level, don’t worry about using any power-ups. Play it once and see how it goes with your skill alone, then if you fail, come back with a power-up or two loaded.
• Remember to log in every day to gain bonus coins or the occasional free power-up. It all adds up.

Jennifer Allen

Jennifer is a UK-based freelance writer. Her work has featured at multiple outlets, including Gamasutra, 148apps, Paste, TechRadar, Wareable, and MyM magazine. In her spare time, she tries to teach her guinea pigs tricks, and enjoys losing hours to Netflix.