Bomberman 64: The Second Attack!

"Pommy doesn't talk in 3rd person perspective!"

I had never played a Bomberman game before. When I decided to buy this for Christmas, I was picturing a war game of sorts. What I found was a white guy hurling bombs at people. Meh.

Graphics: 10/10
I was blown away(ha ha ha) at the graphics for this game. While not as detailed as the Gamecube's graphics, it's the next best thing! The graphics are smooth. They're kind of cartooney, but serious enough so people won't blow it off as a little kid game.

Story: 9/10
Bomberman had recently defeated his opponent Altair (and another, secret villain), and was taking a vacation on a hot springs planet. He was going back to planet bomber with a strange egg he found. His ship accidentally got sucked into a black hole. Somehow, he survived. When he came to, he was in a prison cell. He noticed the fire element, which was what he used to make bombs, was gone. The egg hatched, and turned out to be a bed for a pink kirby looking cousin named Pommy. Pommy decides to help him out. The story unfolds from there.

Music: 8/10
The music matches the environments very well. For example, in a level that resembles a gangish alleyway, the music has a gothic feel to it. Unfortunately, the thing that lowered the score is the game over tune. It is annoying, and I hear it so many times. Other than that, it's beautiful.

Sound: 9/10
While the sound isn't to original, the sounds all resemble what it is. Bomb blasts, laser beams, sword slashes, you name it. The game also has voice acting. Not actual talking, but the average game grunts and phrases. The best is Pommy's "Myu!"

Controls:9/10
The controls are conveniently placed, although they take some getting used to. Control stick moves, A places bombs, etc.

Gameplay: 10/10
The gameplay is the best thing in a game, in my opinion, and Bomberman 64 hits it right on the mark. You start out in a level, with so much to explore. With your friend Pommy, you attack and defeat enemies, blow up obstacles, and do puzzles. About halfway through a level, you face what are known as astral knights. Pommy is a coward, so you are on your own. It is like a duel. All almost all bosses have the generic charge attack, but they also have an elemental-themed special attack. They are about equal to Bomberman in stamina, so it isn't one sided. Once you defeat the boss, you get their elemental stones, which give you a new type of bomb. You go through the second half of the level using these bombs to solve more puzzles. At the end of the level, you come upon a generator room, which is giving the black hole strength. You must go around this room defeating enemies and finding the four switches which are holding the force field around the generator. Once you destroy the generator, you win the level. The elemental stones give the game a mega man feel, along with the non-linearity, as you have choices as to which level you go to next. Also, Pommy can be raised to evolve. Around the levels are pieces of food. By feeding enough of a certain type of food to Pommy, he will evolve in the next level. He can become a cat, a bird, a dinosaur, and even a winged shadow beast. All in all, the game is fantastic.

Multiplayer: 7/10
While I personally don't like multiplayer games, seeing as there's no one to play with, it's still alright. You are pitted against 3 other bombers, and you have to defeat them to win. I think they are way too tough to be fair, but as a single player gamer, who am I to judge?

Difficulty: Hard-medium
This game can give me goosebumps on how hard it is. When I first got it, I spent hours just beating the first boss! It can be so hard sometimes, it can make me turn it off and lie down for a while. Not for the average gamer.

Conclusion: 10/10
While it can be frustrating sometimes, Bomberman 64 is a gem worth trying out. Just don't get too frustrated.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/09/05