Bomberman Hero

"If the could combine this with Bomberman 64, they’d get a truly great game"

OPENING STATEMENT
The second game in the Bomberman series on the Nintendo 64 had arrived. Somehow, against my better judgment, I was convinced not to get it. This was bad for me at the time, but then again, I just picked it up for twenty dollars, and found it was quite worth it.

GAMEPLAY--8
This is the classic Bomberman gameplay with one new, superb, series changing addition. Bomberman can jump! This changed everything I had learned to expect from a Bomberman game. At first, this took some getting used to, but soon enough, I was loving the jumping. Of course, along with the jumping, came some new, more difficult, puzzles that involve jumping. Also, something else new. Bomberman can swim! This creates some new, more difficult, puzzles (and levels) that involve swimming. And, of course, there is still the same bomb-chucking, bomb-kicking action we have all come to know and love.

GRAPHICS--7
Although the graphics are much improved over Bomberman 64, they are still nothing to write home about. The main improvements are in the texturing and in the newfound lack of blockiness. This makes Bomberman Hero a much more enjoyable experience, but nothing on the scale of some other games. The graphics seem to have a whimsical look and feel. The levels are a lot smaller and less expansive than in Bomberman 64, so more detail was spent on the smaller areas that are now the levels. Which in turn, makes them look a lot better. So, its better than Bomberman 64, the explosions look quite nice, but it is still far from perfect.

MUSIC--5
SOUND--8
Another case of average music in the Bomberman series. I have yet to hear music in ANY Bomberman game that is good. The songs in all of the games in the series, sound nearly exactly the same. They use the same note combinations, fairly similar rhythms, and they have a similar feel. One day, maybe, just maybe, Hudson Soft will spend some time on the music.

The sound is a different story. The sound was quite good, and it varied much more. There are three sounds for explosions included. The characters talk like they did in Banjo-Kazooie, with little noises representing them, and captions appearing on the screen with what they are saying.

CONTROL--7
Bomberman 64’s control was substantially better. With the addition of Bomberman being able to jump, we have lost poor Bomberman’s ability to pump up bombs, an innovation that I really like from Bomberman 64. Also, kicking bombs is more difficult as you have to press R or Down C after planting them, instead of just being able to run into them. Throwing is a little bit easier, though, so it is a pretty fair trade off.

FUN--7
This is where I must break some bad news to all of you. There are absolutely no multiplayer capabilities in Bomberman Hero. Although I was not overwhelmingly enamored with the Multiplayer Mode in Bomberman 64, that would have better than what we got--nothing. Even better would have been if we got the Multiplayer Mode from the Super Bomberman sub-series. Those mazes were quite fun.

The single player mode, however, is the best it has ever been in the Bomberman series. It is even better than the intricate mazes from the Super Nintendo. The levels, though not huge, require more thinking, and contain more puzzles than ever before. There are more enemies, and a larger variety of enemies in each level. This makes the single player experience the best it has ever been in a Bomberman game.

CHALLENGE--MEDIUM TO HIGH
This is by far and away the most challenging Bomberman game ever created. Bomberman has never had to solve so many puzzles, deal with so many enemies, and the like, ever before. And this is a change I like. Bomberman has come along way from the mindless action game it used to be, to a bomb-hurling puzzle game it is now. I got stuck on at least one level, in each sub-world.

REPLAY VALUE--LOW TO MEDIUM
If Hudson Soft was stupid enough to make a Bomberman game with out any multiplayer capabilities, than they are surely getting the rating they deserve. The single player mode is great, but I really cannot picture ninety-five percent of the population every playing through it twice.

PROS
*Bomberman can jump.
*Actual puzzes in the single player adventure.
*Wider variety of enemies.

CONS
*Bomberman can no longer pump up bombs.
*No multiplayer capabilities.
*Some levels are just too complicated.

CLOSING STATEMENT
Even without multiplayer capabilities, Bomberman Hero is still one of the better games in the series. Chances are you should be able to pick it up at a bargain price as well.

OVERALL--7

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/06/01, Updated 07/18/01