Wow, I haven't played Bomber Man since the 64, and after seeing this it makes me wonder why they even bothered keeping the bomberman name.
Bomberman: Act Zero Import Hands-On
Bomberman gets a new coat of paint and makes his way to the Xbox 360.
Bombs Aplenty
Bomberman fans of old may find this edgy new update more than a little perplexing.
The Bomberman series has appeared on a huge variety of consoles, dating all the way to the NES, and its glory days on the TurboGrafx-16 and Sega Saturn. The multiplayer focus of the series only grew over time, and it cemented its status as one of the all-time group greats with the release of Saturn Bomberman in 1997. But that was a long time ago, and really, the formula hasn't been improved upon since. Hudson is back with more Bomberman, this time on the Xbox 360 with Bomberman: Act Zero, a game that attempts to maintain the same Bomberman gameplay; however, a questionable graphical makeover makes the whole thing seem sort of lame.
If you're just joining us, the Bomberman games have traditionally been multiplayer-focused, with cute little anime guys running around a block-filled arena. Dropping bombs and attempting to blow up the other players is your goal. Along the way you collect power-ups that let you drop more bombs, make your bombs more powerful, walk through some of the blocks, and so on. The gameplay in Act Zero looks like classic Bomberman on paper, but in practice, it definitely feels different. Movement is looser, the timing on bomb explosions is different, and generally speaking, it all feels just a bit off. Of course, if you've never played a Bomberman game before, you probably won't notice.
There are two gameplay modes in Act Zero. Standard mode gives you a view of the whole arena and you die after one hit, unless you are holding a specific power-up. That's the way old Bomberman games worked. But the new option is called FPB, or as the back of the Japanese game's box hilariously calls it, "first person bommer. To make things even crazier, this mode isn't anything what it sounds like. It's not a first-person perspective mode. Instead, it's roughly identical to standard mode, but the view point is zoomed in, so you can't see the entire playing field. The right analog stick becomes your camera control. Additionally, you have a life meter, so you can withstand a few glancing blasts from bombs before dying. You can also duck, which braces your character for the blast of a bomb, reducing the amount of damage you take.
The game's menu defaults to online play, where those same two gameplay modes are available for up to eight players over Xbox Live. The same ranked and player match options that populate all Xbox 360 online games are present, and you're able to configure a few things about each match if you're hosting. Hosting a game earns you five achievement points, and the rest of the game's points are spread around in a fairly time-consuming way. If you want them all, you'll need to clear a hundred stages in the single-player mode, for starters.
The big deal about this game is its visual style--or, if you're willing to get snobby with us for a bit, its utter lack of visual style. The cartoony and cute anime fun of past games has been replaced by a bland post-apocalyptic cyberpunk look that is about as generic as you can get. The whole game just looks dingy and uninspired.
At least Act Zero is a very import-friendly game, provided you've already taken the plunge and picked up a Japanese Xbox 360. The game's menus, voice, and text are all entirely in English. Bomberman: Act Zero is of course out now in Japan, and a US version is scheduled for release at the end of August, if you can wait that long.
81 comments
everything i know and love has suddenly died and been reincarnated into some halo poseur
this game is nothing like the bomerman that i no it s more like metroid prime or somit like that they have recked it with this game
Just got this game in Japan. The gameplay is exactly like the old bomberman. and its only 20 bucks. but you nee xbox live to save, that is bad.
These guys just don't get it...if they want to 'revolutionize' Bomberman, just remake the Bomberman 64.Remember that 360-degree bombing action? Just re-graphix that, give it multiplayer, and make it for every goddamn console in the universe.
If this was a sequal to the original games with xbox live capability i'd buy it in an instant, they've ruined a perfectly good come back.
You know what's funny? Jeff couldn't even pretend to be positive about this game. Ha HA. You know what's sad? The old Bomberman games were awesome, simply because they were all about gameplay, not graphics. Bring back one of the classics to Xbox Live Arcade with online play and I'll buy it.
Its sad that they destroyed bomberman... i mean i was a huge fan but i still played... Its sad because to become a bad ass is to become cliche now a days.... bad asses are bad asses because there orginal. I say death to all "post-apocaliptic".. at least there are still good bad asses around such as the Hitman Agent 47. what i dont understand about this whole new look is because at this point your either a die hard fan and are a. hate it b. to much of a die hard so you just roll with it c. for some strange reason you like cliche post- apocaliptic things.. or you just whatever about the game and now dont want to play cause you kinda liked the original and all that... and last but not least (wow this is getiting long) anime haters who probably hate cliches anyway so you pretty much hate the game... well thats the majority anyway (sorry for it beginning so long any who just read all that)
I was going to buy this until they messed it up. I hope they do not mess up those new Bonk games the website says is coming i couldnt take it. a new AIr zonk would make a great xbox 360 shooter if they would think some
I live in tokyo and this game retails at 3,129 yen or about 29.99 US. even considering its budget price I still dont find it worthy. Unless your a die hard fan of the bomberman series and dont mind the new look and gameplay changes, I would recomend a used copy or a rental.
I played this at E3... i still play bomberman generations for cube and it's still entertaining. This new version has virtually no sense of excitement or novelty, which was what the old bomberman multiplayer brought to the table. Instead you have a robotronic and uninspiring sense of gameplay. To put it professionally: "this game sucks"
Eh.. .. Who'd shell out 60 bucks for bomberman? that game has no replay value... Maybe ill rent it but that would be it. Honestly, I never fell in love with the old bomberman so i dont mind the cosmetic change(i always thought it was kinda ugly) Who cares if they look "generic".. Bomberman is a verrrry Generic game.. IMHO it looks better than if they Would have put the giant single color bubble heads in
Geez, I think I'm the only person who wants, and will get this game, I love Bomberman, and I'm open to new styles of gameplay
Raise your hand if a old-school XBL port for $5 was what you were hoping for when you heard about this? *raises hand* Old school Bomberman on XBL with mulitplayer would have been really freakin' cool, and got my dollars too.
I won't be playing this on even your console. (Sounds like "the other" expression that people will use when not wanting to touch something)
I'd much rather they had released Saturn bomberman- or even Super Bomberman, damnit- on Xbox Live arcade than fobbed us off with the same damn game with a questionable graphical makeover. Personally, I don't exactly mind the new style, but the original bomberman look was waaay ahead.
Before and after www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2006/02/bomberman_meet_bomberman.jpg Bomberman we will miss you
No....god no...... *Cries* "Up next: Frogger is receiving a make-over. He will now be a Demon Race horse, with rocket launcher compatability and cool sun glasses"
This is gonna totally blow! I would understand if it was an xbox live arcade game, but an actual buy-off the shelf game? It's gonna blow.
I can wait. They changed bomberman!!!! Whats next making Bonk a futuristic cyborg dork?
They would have been better off just porting any Bomberman game on Live Arcade for 800 pts and add multiplayer. That would have been sweeeeet.
And on the next trick to change an all-time loved game for the doe implied, Super Mario will be given guns, slowmotion and maybe a first person view. Oh, and Luigi will become Luigina, the awsome chick with the big... eyes, short skirts and dark past...
HK-Ghost Just depends on how well a game is remade. The remake for Ninja Gaiden was done superbly.
Though I agree and don't like the new bomberman from the preview, we have to take 2 things into consideration: 1) The resdesign of the character Bomberman really isn't that much of an upgrade at all. Why you ask? Because if you take a look at the cover of the original Bomberman NES Game, then you will realize that it sorta looks the same except a lil' more futuristic. 2) I noticed that Bomberman is no longer by Hudson Soft, who we (or atleast me) loved for the Bomberman and Adventure Island series. Now I see that Konami took it over. That is all. You can make your own judgements for yourselves. Good day to everyone.
The only bomberman i play now a days are atomic bomberman :P There is nothing as much fun as Atomic bomberman at lan parties
Are you forgetting the boxart and plot of Bomberman 1? I'd say this is how it was originally intended.
how can you idiots still care about bomerman. how can you even consider paying 50 bucks for garbage.
They're killing a good series that didn't need any new crap added to it and that includes bombermans new look. Come on now.
"Anime sucks. I like the new look." Probably the reason they changed (removed?) the art style to "a bland post-apocalyptic cyberpunk look that is about as generic as you can get", thus getting attention from the mainstream population who never got to play a real Bomberman.
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