Bomberman Hero

"The most explosive Bomberman game of them all."

Bomberman 64 is unlike any other Bomberman game, namely because of its gameplay and the fact that it has no multiplayer. It is a bit sad that there's no multiplayer mode, but playing the game makes it obvious that it wasn't intended to have one. If you look past the fact that there's only a one-player mode, this Bomberman game is without a doubt the best.

STORY- 5/10
The storyline isn't particularly amazing. If you think of the first twenty minutes or so of Star Wars: Episode IV, that's basically what it is. The princess is kidnapped because she has something valuable, and someone has to save her. I'd say it's pretty obvious the game is at least loosely based from Star Wars, especially since the last planet looks like the Death Star. It's not very original, but still sort of interesting.

GRAPHICS- 7/10
The graphics aren't exactly above-average for a N64 game, but they aren't bad. Generally the characters and environments look fairly smooth, although certain things like Bomberman's face look very blocky close-up, and most things don't have much detail.

SOUND- 9/10
There aren't very many songs in this game, and there are a lot of stages. Close to every song is used several times for different stages of the game. It doesn't matter how many times I hear those songs, though, because they never get boring. The music is so fresh, catchy, and fitting. The sound effects are the same way. All of them fit perfectly with the gameplay and none of them are tiring to hear a million times -- with the exception of the way the last boss laughs...

GAMEPLAY- 9/10
The platforming moveset is your typical run-jump-attack moveset with nothing else fancy added in. Even with such limited controls, every level feels like an entirely different experience. If you simply plan on running through the game as fast as you can, it's a pretty easy game, but trying to get the highest rank on every level is a completely different story. I can't say much about the camera angles since there's only one, but I can say 3D level designs work very well with the setup, and I haven't encountered any difficulties with things like jumping from one platform to another. There are occasions in which you don't actually jump around at all, and instead you use a machine to fly or go underwater. It doesn't matter what it is, though, because the control is always simple and slick.

REPLAYABILITY- 7/10
The game doesn't take too long to beat. It can easily be beaten in a few days if you aren't going to get the top rank on every level. Once you get the top rank on one level, you won't have much of an urge to go back and play it again. Still, nothing about the game is so annoyingly bad that you can't try to play it again and again until you get it right.

OVERALL- 8/10

BUY/RENT- Buy
Every other negative review I have seen for this game focused on its lack of a multiplayer mode. If you can ignore that, this game is totally one you should buy. If you're a crazy expert, it can probably be played through in a renting period, but anyone else should just get the game. You'll have to take your time pretty often.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/07/08

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