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| | Title:
Bomberman LIVE
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System:
Xbox Live Arcade
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Genre:
Action
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Publisher:
Hudson Soft
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Developer:
Backbone Entertainment
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Release:
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Online:
No
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ESRB:
Everyone (E)
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For almost 25 years new, the Bomberman series has been secretly ingraining itself into the video game history books. Bomberman may not be as recognizable as Mario games or the Zelda series, but it's still known to most hardcore and casual gamers alike. It is actually quite impressive when you consider the fact that the series hasn't had many significant gameplay changes over the years (Bomberman: Act Zero does not count!).
This is due to the simple fact that the game is just plain fun. It was fun back in the mid-80s and continues to be fun now. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the gameplay, I’ll break it down: it’s very simple; you play a Bomberman, a little guy who is essentially limited to running around in straight lines and plant bombs. The object, therein, is to plant bombs and try to kill your opponent while, of course, staying alive yourself. The bombs are also very limited in that the explosion only goes outward in straight lines (up and down, left and right of the bomb) and cannot go through obstacles or other bombs. Some of the obstacles themselves are destructible and as the game progresses, the field, which is viewed through a top-down perspective, becomes more and more open.
Easy enough right? Well, try it with 7 other players and things get a little more complicated. Add in the various power-ups that make you faster or your bombs larger and the game gets a bit more interesting – and a lot more fun. The time limit also makes for a hectic scene as the clock nears 0:00. Blocks will start dropping from the sky, either giving a sense of urgency to the remaining players, or killing them for what we like to call “natural selection”. The modes aren't only confined to the classic battle mode. There are several maps that have more obstacles or booby-traps that change your strategy. One in particular has all the Bombermen breaking through obstacles to get to the power-ups in the center and wreak havoc once they grab them. Then there is another with the power-ups on the outside and the little guys on the inside and is equally as fun.
Other gameplay types include "Paint". Essentially, your bombs become filled with paint and the object is to cover the most ground as possible, while avoiding death and making sure your painted blocks aren't covered by an enemy color. If you get hit by a bomb, you’ll live, but you lose all of your painted area. And to go a bit further, if you do die, you’re not forced out of the game entirely. When you die, you end up on the sidelines, throwing bombs at the ones who remain, all the while laughing and taunting…revenge is sweet!
Now, playing by yourself may not be as fun, and can be downright boring if you figure out the AI's tendencies. However, since this is a multiplayer game at heart, you have to go online with it or invite a few friends over. Or, do both and have up to three of your friends go online with you. The online is pretty simple with ranked and player matches pitting you against others in a single or multiple game sessions. Add in the fact that it makes for some hilarious fun and it is totally worth the 800 Microsoft Points, this game is a winner. Honestly, with the amount of options, you will never get tired of the game.
But wait, there's more! You can customize your Bomberman with new hats, faces and costumes that you gain by playing and winning the games. There are quite a few and can be mixed and match so hopefully you will be able to recognize your Bomberman amongst the sea of other little explosive specialists. The little guys look nice a clean, as do the maps and effects. The music is nice and never gets in the way of any announcements or the sound effects which also sound crisp. Online is never laggy, giving the game a frantic yet smooth multiplayer feel.
The fun factor is what it is really about when it comes to games, and Bomberman has delivered for years and this game is no different. We get a neat little package with practically nothing to complain about except for minor issues with the map variation. It really is refreshing that a classic game could have aged this well, especially in the age of super-duper graphics, huge environments and non-linearity being en vogue. This game throws all that out the window and sticks to the basics. Heck, even the bombs go off in a linear fashion. With so much to offer and so little taken from you (money wise), this game should be in your download window as soon as your done reading.
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| The Core Score |
Overall
8.3 |
| Fun |
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9.5 |
| Gameplay |
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8 |
| Graphics |
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6 |
| Audio |
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6 |
| Replay |
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8 |
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| Kid Safe Score |
| 8 Great |
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Funny animated bombs and funny animated deaths. Nothing to fret about. |
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