Bomberman Generation

"Not for everyone..."

I read a lot of the reviews on this game... Most, if not all, praised it above and beyond. Now that I have the game in my hand, well... Things don't exactly match-up.

We'll start off with the Single player mode. The earliest Bomberman game I played was Mega Bomberman for the Genesis. I loved the Single player mode in that. It was simplistic, but it not too much that it was mind numbing. There were enough detractions in each stage to prevent staleness. (I recall a mine cart in one of the magma stages... Little things make the difference) Now, things are a little more in-depth.

The concept remains the same: Blast your way past enemies to the goal of each area, and then fight the menacing boss at the end of each world. Another simple concept, but this time there are several unique additions.

Additions, including mini-games and pokemon-esque battles. The 3D system from Bomberman64 returns (at least, that's the last Bomberman game I've played before this. That, and the playstation Bomberman game), and as before, everything is bright and cheery. The cel-shaded graphics add to this.

Ah, but the mini-games and pokemon battles? At various times while you're finding your way to the exit, you may stumble upon 'warps', that will transport you into said excursions. There are several mini-games, although the ones I've played so far have been lackluster at best. The pokemon battles pit one of the ''charabom'' (or pokemon) you find in your quest, against another charabom. Win and you gain that charabom. For battling, you select a few options for a given round and then watch the two specimens go at it. I didn't take much time to explore this, but it seemed a little confusing at first.

There are a few techniques and such added also, such as the ability to create a pumped bomb, and the ability to produce a bomb shield around you. You can also find various bomb ingredients in the game, and combine them to create new bombs. Mixing the fire bomb and the water bomb will create the aqua bomb, for example, a bomb that can neutralize flames. There isn't much flexibility though, as the combinations seem to be set, as all you have to do is find the correct parts.

Aside from that, you can still collect upgrades to your bomb ability, like the range and power. Also, you'll want to collect the speed upgrades, as your character moves very slowly at first.

However, even with all of the extras thrown into Single player, it still doesn't seem very fun. It could be the cel-shaded graphics, or it could be the 3D mode. Or what about the incredibly annoying voice actors in this game? Bomberman doesn't talk, but the professor who guides him does, and at some times you wish he'd rather not bother you.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not someone that has to be overly impressed by voice acting in a game. Games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night or the Resident Evil games (excluding the first playstation game) pleases me as far as voice acting is concerned. But in this game it's just an abomination.

Going along with sound, the music in this game is far from memorable. It isn't exactly annoying, but it won't stick out among the best. Sound effects are there, and most of them DO fit in quite nicely.

What about Multiplayer? Most people play Bomberman BECAUSE of the Multiplayer features, so let's take a look...

There are several different Multiplayer features this time around. An othello Bomberman version, a dodgebomber game, a ''Revenge Battle'' and a Coin battle. Oh, and don't forget the ever popular blow your opponents up original that made this series so famous.

The four extra battle games are there, but chances are you'll be playing the original concept more than anything else. Revenge Battle is simply you and your friends in the ''cart'' (the one that you appear in after you are killed in a regular battle), and then from there you launch bombs onto moles on the playing field. It's fun for the first time, but it gets old severely fast. Dodge Battle is somewhat fun, with everyone trying to avoid bombs that are randomly placed on the battlefield. The only things you can do are run and kick bombs at your opponents. Othello is self explanatory, except you can kill your would-be partners. Coin battle is something I haven't tried, but I feel I don't have to.

I will say this about playing the original Multiplayer battle. There are more options to customize this time around. Such as setting the amount of items that can spawn in a battle and if you kill your opponent while in the ''cart'', you'll return to the battle. The battlefields themselves are a treat, ranging from a conveyor belt level to a tall grass level. You can still set teams too, which is always fun.

Multiplayer is fun, but as mentioned, you'll probably grow tired of the extra modes. The options should be enough to spice up the original though.

Overall however, the Bomberman Generation experience feels like a regular game smashed together with a bunch of extra features. This creates the illusion that this game would give you more than enough to see, but playing it feels kind of fleeting.

The cel-shaded graphics are a mixed bag too. Maybe I liked Bomberman64 better because of the different graphics; here they just don't do too much for me. They could be better for other people though, and maybe that'll make the game for you. And if you liked the voice acting in this game, maybe you're also the kind of person that liked Resident Evil's voice acting.

This game is worth a rental... It's up to your own tastes to decide if it's worth any more than that however.

A final score nets this as a 6/10, if anything because of the multiplayer.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 06/27/02, Updated 06/27/02