M&M's Break' Em

M&M's Break' Em is a puzzle video game with gameplay based on that of Gem Smashers (2003), another puzzle game developed by Frame Studios Interactive.^[2][3] To complete the single-player game mode, the player must clear a series of levels in areas such as a forest, an underwater environment, and a tropical island. Areas and levels are chosen from a map, with orange spots representing normal levels and blue spots indicating levels that feature a boss, which must be unlocked by completing every normal level in the area. Extra levels, represented by pink spots, can be unlocked by finding hidden keys in other levels.^[4]

The player character is one of five different-colored M&M's (Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, or Orange), which vary in speed and power.^[5] The controls are the same regardless of which color is chosen: The M&M constantly moves vertically and bounces off objects, eliminating any crystals that match its color and freeing the M&M's trapped inside.^[3][6][7] The color of the player's M&M can be changed by bumping into color pots or blocks, which can be hidden,^[6] especially in later levels. In both the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS versions of the game, the player uses the console's D-pad to move left and right, with the DS version allowing the player to also use the touchscreen to control their M&M's horizontal movement.^[3] The sensitivity of the touchscreen can be adjusted in the menu.^[6] Pressing the A button or the R button speeds up the M&M's movements, while pressing the B button or the L button slows them down.^[8]

To complete each level, the player must reach the exit door,^[3] which must first be opened by knocking out every crystal.^[7] The player can collect power-ups with positive or negative effects, such as increasing or decreasing the speed of their M&M or temporarily reversing its controls.^[3] Miscellaneous power-ups include a detonator that explodes all crystals matching its color if collected, a potion that provides temporary invincibility, and an item that multiplies the time bonus at the end of a level by a multiplier between two and eight.^[9] Skull blocks must be avoided,^[3] as bumping into one causes the player to instantly lose a life.^[10] The player begins the game with a set number of lives and continues, and once all of them have been used, each loss results in a game over, after which the game can be resumed with only one life. Extra lives can be earned by collecting a large number of points.^[6]

Each level features a timer,^[3] and if the player does not complete the level in time, a bouncing skull begins pursuing their M&M in an attempt to destroy it, which results in the loss of a life.^[10] Occasionally, a level ends with a battle against a large boss that must be defeated.^[3][6] Bosses can be damaged only by colliding with one of its physical aspects, such as an anglerfish's lure, while it matches the color of the player's M&M.^[3]

In addition to the single-player campaign, there is a local multiplayer game mode, in which two players compete to break more crystals in two stages.^[11] This mode requires each player to have their own copy of the game.^[3][6]

A dangerous outlaw known as Mr. Runch has landed on planet Crunch, determined to become one of the M&M's. As Mr. Runch is declared "much too bitter" to be an M&M and belongs "in the reject bin", five M&M's board ships and blast off to the planet. Upon landing, the M&M's discover that Mr. Runch is using a device to trap the planet's inhabitants in crystals, supposedly to kidnap the M&M's and use them to coat his rotten skin in a special chocolate coating. After the M&M's defeat Mr. Runch in a boss battle within the final level, the group leaves him trapped in a crystal, saving the rest of the M&M's.

M&M's Break' Em was published by Destination Software.^[6][7] The game was developed by Frame Studios Interactive,^[6][12] an independent video game developer located in Belluno, Italy.^[13] Frame Studios had previously created Gem Smashers, an action puzzle game first released for the Game Boy Advance in 2003,^[3][12] which revolves around completing single-screen levels by destroying gems that match the color of the player character.^[14][15] Much like M&M's Break' Em, Gem Smashers involves controlling a vertically bouncing orb and avoiding hazards to complete each level.^[3]

M&M's Break' Em was released in North America for the Game Boy Advance on February 6, 2007, and for the Nintendo DS on March 25, 2007.^[2] The game was also published by Zoo Digital Publishing in the United Kingdom on July 27, 2007.^[16] It is the first M&M's game to be released for the DS,^[6] as well as the fifth M&M's game overall, succeeding the 2001 Game Boy Advance title M&M's Blast!.^[17] The next M&M's title, the kart racing game M&M's Kart Racing, was released for the Wii in 2007^[18] and for the DS in 2008.^[19]