Bomberman has a special little place in my gaming mind as the first true game to me waste countless hours doing nothing but repeat the same multiplayer over and over again. That’s what Bomberman 64 did for me, and I’ve been trying to follow Bomberman as much I could since. Of course, the way it ended up, Bomberman 64 is the only Bomberman game currently in my collection, aside from this newest of releases for Nintendo’s flourishing DS system, which I wasted no time picking up since I was in need of something to put my new handheld to use. So, how good is this new portable version of Bomberman? The game opens with a scene which may be enthralling for some, foreboding for others. This scene consists of a bunch of bombermen of different colours running around to the tune of what can only be called ultra-peppy carnival music. The one thing that is to be said about this sequence is that it will be the only time 3D graphics will be used in the entire game, and be prepared to watch it over and over, as it cannot be skipped and will replay every time the game is turned on. Once the scene is over, you can go into the Normal mode or Battle mode. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll start off by covering the single player mode, Normal. First off, the single player mode has essentially no story. Sure, there is something about a shattered bomb crystal that couldn’t feel more generic, but that is something you really only find out by reading the instructions. Basically, all you need to know about single player mode is how it plays, which is the same way as previous non-3D entries in the series. The controls for the game are what is expected. The button layout is fine, though you may occasionally forget or mix up the X and Y buttons (which operate some of the pickups such as line bomb or shield). The only other problem lies with Bomberman’s speed, which is tanklike without power-ups, but since at full power the speed is blindingly fast, it levels itself out. The goal of almost every level is to defeat every enemy in the area and find the exit. The levels are all laid out in the same fashion, with two different kinds of blocks, hard and soft. Soft blocks can be cleared by dropping bombs, but hard blocks are impervious. Most enemies cannot go through the blocks (some can bypass soft blocks), and only with a power up can you have a bomb that goes through the blocks, so the only way to reach them is to set them loose and trap them from there. The best thing to say about these levels is that they are plentiful. There are 100 levels in total, and 90 of them are the regular ones as explained above. It does eventually become a little tedious and repetitive, especially since only one or two of the 9 in each area shake things up by using strategy in the placement of soft blocks and enemies (such as having a very small arena covered in blocks), so the single player game works best as something to just leave alone and pick up every now and then, slowly chipping away at the single player mode. After each of the nine regular levels in each of the ten different areas, a boss fight will ensue. Most of these are simple bomb-and-run style, and only occasionally do they differ from that formula. Despite that fact, they still wind up being the highlights of the single player, mainly because they are a welcome break from the more relaxed levels, introducing a much faster paced, dangerous enemy, even if they are repetitive. The key difference between the DS version and previous iterations of Bomberman is the use of the touch screen. In the single player mode, instead of automatically using an item, they will be stored in the inventory on the bottom screen. This means that, if you die, you will only lose the items you were currently using, and get to keep anything in your inventory. Also, aside from the stat increases for amount of bombs you can drop at once, speed at which you move and the range of your bombs, the items only last for one stage or an even shorter period of time, so you are allowed to stockpile items for when you need them, handy if you want to save stuff like remote bombs or an extra heart for boss stages. It’s a good addition, though it does lead to stockpiling items to an absurd amount, where when it comes time to fight the final boss you may have a bunch of items you have never used. While the single player mode is decent enough for burst playing, it alone is not worth paying for the package. The true heart of Bomberman has always been the battle modes, and the DS version is no different. No matter how much you may be able to get out of the single player, its battle mode that will keep the cart playing. One of the most notable changes from single player is that, like the boss stages, the screen is stretched over both the bottom and top of the DS as opposed to a mini-stage. This means that stockpiling items is no longer an option, but considering the pace of battle, this is a blessing. The items are instead automatically activated. It may get somewhat annoying when your remote bomb is replaced with a power bomb when you already had full fire, but it is a worthwhile tradeoff. The two screens are connected via tunnels, which make for great ambush points. In all, the two screen idea works well. There are three basic modes of battle. The first, most basic and best is a simple deathmatch, where the goal is to be the last man standing. Of course, this is a much more tasking chore than one would think, as it is fairly difficult to simply plant a bomb in front of an enemy and expect him not to move out of the way. The way to take care of an enemy is to trap them in between the soft blocks or a bomb and another bomb, or create enough confusion that they accidentally run into a flame. Of course, at the same time, while trying to trap others you may walk into a trap yourself. It all leads to frantic, fun gameplay. The deathmatch mode takes up 23 of the 29 preset stages, and two other modes make up three each of the remaining six. The better of the two is blocks, which has every block your flame goes over turn your colour, and the winner at the end of the time limit is the one with the most blocks. In one variation of it, you come back to life after being killed, but lose all your previously coloured blocks. While not as fun as deathmatch, this is a fun diversion if you want a change of pace. The last mode of the three is crown battle, where you must be the first to blast through the soft blocks to reach the crown at the top of the stage. The changes made in the different stages are minute, being putting the crown on a small conveyor belt and having the players start out full power. Unlike blocks, this one is really hard to like, so don’t expect this to be the crowning achievement of the game (pun very much intended). As stated above, while block and crown mode have three stages apiece, regular battle has 23 different variations. Many of these are fairly simple, such as having the players start out with full speed or making all pick up items mystery items, but some are more clever, such as taking away the bottom screen to make a one-screen melee or having single player enemies patrolling the stage. Putting the game on random is usually the best way to go, allowing you to sample everything and keeps a good change of pace. In an effort to use the DS’s capabilities more, Bomberman DS also contains three battle modes that use the DS microphone to either plant a bomb, activate a shield or detonate a bomb by speaking or blowing into the microphone. Voice Bomb isn’t really all that great, since bombing becomes a lot less accurate, but the other two work pretty well unless you have a lot of ambience. It does mean you can’t really talk as much or you’ll accidentally set off a bomb, but it is a fair addition. Since the touch screen is not used in battle mode for storage, it gets put into use when the revenge option is put on. Once killed, this means that you can flick bombs with the touch screen at the players still alive. If Super Revenge is enabled, you come back to life if your bomb kills a player. It’s a nice addition to keep those who get out soon entertained while waiting for the next match, as flicking the bombs with any form of accuracy proves to be very taxing. The battle mode manages to support up to 8 players using the DS’s wireless connectivity using only a single cart, which proves to be one of the best reasons to buy the game. Even if you do not own Bomberman, if a friend does, you can join in the fun wirelessly. No additions are added if multiple carts are present, making the game even more community friendly. Even if you don’t have 8 friends with DS’s to play with, you can fill up the remainder of the 8 slots with AI bots. The bots prove to be well made, as even one set on easy can trap you if you aren’t careful, and playing against them manages to be much more fun than it would have been had they not been as smart. The level design is OK at best, with not too much effort put into making the stages look different. In single player, the scenery changes for each block of ten levels, with areas like a pirate ship and a fortress. Every stage within those ten has the exact same patterns to it, so it becomes important to progress in the game simply for a change of scenery. In battle mode, most stages have the same design patterns, though a few (such as Skull or Speedy) throw in new elements to separate themselves, which is a welcome change that would have been appreciated for the more generic levels. The graphics themselves are not too much better, as the game is simple 2D top-down, much like the older Bombermans. As previously stated, the opening sequence is the only 3D piece of the game. Bomberman and enemy animations are perfectly fine, even if they underuse the DS. Then again, on the other hand, the 2D style works well for the game, so it is hard to come down on it too hard. The graphics suit the game, but are nothing that push the system in any way, shape or form. Sound is definitely all a matter of opinion, as it may set a good tone for some and drive others into insanity. It consists of the typical Japanese-sounding circus music which sounds both inviting and exciting at the same time. Of course, it also is the kind of thing that some people can’t resist but tap their head to. Others will be much more comfortable with the sound turned off, as in large doses the music can get fairly annoying. Of course, an announcer is there who sounds to be a 13 year old girl. While this also may get annoying, it actually serves a purpose, as in the frenzy of battle mode, it does help to have the item you picked up shouted at you (especially concerning the mystery items). In all, Bomberman is a solid purchase thanks to the excellent battle mode. Sure, the single player mode is long enough, but once completed, there is no reason nor motivation to go through the ordeal again. Even without the human competition, battle mode will constantly keep you entertained. Combined with decent graphics and solid controls, Bomberman is probably the best multiplayer DS game to come along so far.
I am a HUGE bomberman fan and i couldent wait for this to come out , but when it did i was slightly dissapointed. I think they could have done better. The graphics wernt great this time round and thought they could ha... Read Full Review
This game is BRILLIANT. The good: Ameswome multiplayer; very good singleplayer; great music; TONS of replay value. The bad: NOTHING is bad about this game ( That's just not a bad thing, it's a good thing.). Ga... Read Full Review
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