Bomberman Hero

"My poor poor bomberman why are you not given the respect you deserve?"

Introduction:Bomberman Hero is a platformer for the Nintendo 64 console. It came out back in the 90's and unfortunately sold poorly. Most gamers overlook Bomberman Hero or have not even heard of this extremely rare gem. I am asking you to please try this gem and enjoy a fun game.

Graphics:8/10:Bomberman Hero's graphics are a little bit past the basic get the job done style. As you go through levels you'll notice plain and usually un-detailed graphics. A few levels even use the same styles from previous levels in the game. In some levels every wall has the same detail in every single room. Fortunately the company that made Bomberman Hero was creative and decided to make almost every level in the game different. This would help players not see as many linear patterns used throughout levels. The effects like explosions are decently done and look good enough though could be improved. Bomberman himself looks quite nice but the enemies are disappointing at times. Bosses are designed ok and as for Bomberman himself he's designed great.

Story:7/10:While this is a platformer the game hardly has a storyline. The storyline is basically a princess is kidnapped by a empire for a disc of important value. But before being kidnapped she stored the disc onto a robot who helps Bomberman. As Bomberman crosses planets and dangerous areas to save her from the Garaden Empire.

Sounds/Music:9/10:This would be a hands down 10/10 if the Sound effects were better. The music in the game is superb and insanely catchy especially the first level's music. You may even find yourself humming to it as your playing through the level. I remember my friend who I asked to try the game tried it and first thing he said was "This music owns." Occasionally I would sometimes find him singing different songs from the game as I do sometimes myself. The sound effects in the game are disappointing. When explosions are made it sounds like someone hitting a wall really hard to make the sound effect as funny as it may seem this is depressing. Worse is projectiles enemies use like cannonballs are disappointing as well. These sounds are still decent though. Some good sounds on the other hand is like on enemy melee attacks. Like a clown enemy in one level when he swings a knife at you it sounds very realistic. Most enemy attacks sound well and will make you feel a lot better about the sound in Bomberman Hero.

Gameplay:9/10:THIS IS WHY BOMBERMAN HERO OWNS! The game is just amazing in how much fun it is and how much there is to do. You travel through levels throwing bombs at enemies and jumping platforms. Not only do you just run through levels throwing bombs but you go through certain levels in vehicles. These vehicles consist of Helicopter, Snowboard Submarine. In the helicopter you fly through levels dropping bombs on incoming enemies. In the snowboard unfortunately all you do is ride through the level but it is still fun. The submarine is a disappointing vehicle. The submarine shoots slow and moves slow which make the submarine levels harder and just less fun. As your going through levels Bomberman can find Firepower and Bomb upgrades. Firepower upgrades increase his explosion radius while his bomb upgrades increase how many bombs he can throw before one bomb detonates. Once you complete a level your given a score from One-Five. One being the worst and five the best. Replaying levels just to get five and collect all hidden items to unlock the final secret planet is a lot of fun and makes the game more challenging. Unfortunately Bomberman Hero lacks in challenge and can be beaten in a short amount of time easily. Getting a 5 on levels though makes the difficulty harder but not by much.

Each level was executed pretty well and with much care. Some levels though do have unfair jumps and obstacles that are just plain annoying and unfair to the player. To keep players more entertained though getting to the end of the level is done many different ways in different levels. In some levels you just simply move along the level killing enemies, collecting upgrades and making it to the end. Other levels you need to find a certain amount of objects spread throughout the level to open the door that finishes the stage. Levels are usually short and simple to navigate so players don't get bored spending a hour on the same level frustrated trying to finish it. Not to mention levels have multiple exits which makes the player look for alternative routes. You go through areas on each planet and there's three areas on each planet. In between each area is a few levels and usually a boss fight. The boss fights in Bomberman Hero are too easy due to the fact boss attacks are simple and bosses follow a linear simple pattern. So while the single player's great let's talk about the multi...wait...where's the Multiplayer from Bomberman 64 that was so much fun? Unfortunately the creators of Bomberman Hero did not put in the classic excellent Multiplayer the Bomberman series is notorious for which is a big disappointment but Bomberman Hero is still a excellent extremely fun game either way.

Replay Value:8/10:Players can play through levels trying to get a five on their score and can unlock a secret planet if they find everything in the game and get a five on every level. Levels also sometimes have a second exit.

Overall:8/10:Bomberman Hero is a incredibly fun game. It lacks in difficulty and length though and the levels could be better designed and a little more better executed. Music is excellent though Sound effects have much room for improvements. Enemies and bosses also have major room for improvement. If your looking for a more simple and easy platformer that is insanely addictive and fun Bomberman Hero is a must get!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/03/08, Updated 01/03/08

Game Release: Bomberman Hero (US, 09/01/98)