"Touch & BOOM!"

Bomberman is back, but not as we know him. Fear not DS fans, he is nowhere near the atrocity that was Act Zero for the X360. Bomberman Land: Touch! is actually 2 games in one. First you have a full-fledged single player story mode which comprises a set of various mini-games - a whole lot of fun by themselves, and even moreso when played (limitedly) with friends. Secondly there is Classic Bomberman which is the same old multiplayer kamikaze/backstabbing madness I'm sure everyone is familiar with. So is it really a good deal then? Are both modes playable on their own accord? Do we finally have a Bomberman game worth the price of admission? Yes, yes, yes!

Visuals - 7
Sound & Music - 8
GAMEPLAY
-> Story/Attractions mode - 9
-> Classic mode - 8
Longevity - 8 (8-10 hours for main story...)
Replayability - 10 (... but everlasting fun with multiplay)
Difficulty - 7-8

Touch? - 9
VERDICT - 9.0

Welcome to Bomber Island
The main story revolves around our group of 6 bombermen friends. Basically they head off to the titular island and plan to have lots of fun there. No Oscars here folks, but the simple premise paves the way for some solid party-style fun.

Bomberman and co. are animated in simple 2D and the island is shown at an isometric viewpoint. The graphics are comparable to the Mega Man Battle Network series. Upon entering the mini-games, of which make up the bulk of the fun to be had here, the visual style is kept simple, colourful and clear; a lot like the Wario Ware games from which it seems to steal more than just a little inspiration from. (To all those familiar with Wario Blast for the original Gameboy, can you see the revenge served here!)

Mad-cap Melodies
Strolling around the island is a delight with some nice relaxing tunes to accompany your scenic holiday. When you enter the mini-games, the beats change accordingly with some more faster and bumpier tracks taking over. It does a great job of keeping up the fast pace which most of the games require, and really gets your juices running as you duke it out with your mates (or CPU). Nothing epic here, but I wouldn't expect it to be anyway. The audio complements the action very well and for that it deserves its merit.

White. Blue, Black and Red, Green, Gold
I will be analysing the gameplay of each mode individually here. First I'll begin with the main story mode. You play as the hero, Cheerful White, on his quest for some R & R, and later to beat the 'bad' guy. You make progress by completing each of the 36 minigames which are scattered about the island. This island is divided into 5 distinct-looking zones, and within each there are certain barriers to prevent you from freely moving anywhere initially. By completing games, you are awarded suit cards which can be used to open up gates, and sometimes you may earn a special item which may allow to reach otherwise unreachable areas.

The adventure works out quite well, in that you do have to complete certain tasks or challenges; you don't just walk through everything mindlessly. Your differently coloured buddies (see subtitle; also with their own quirky set of names) can help you with their specialty skills, and you can obtain various pieces of attire and bomb types which will help you to make progress. Dressing up Bomberman with a fish hat, superhero's cape, and some flower bombs is a hoot (not to mention useful somehow); too bad that this representation only shows up on the top status screen though. It's definitely a lite-hearted adventure, but with the e-mail system keeping you on track with what to do and where to go (via cryptic clues at times), there's always something to do.

These games are the bomb!
The core part of the story mode is the 36 mini-games. Each of these are short (but not "micro"), challenging at times, but nearly always a lot of fun. Many of them may be familiar if you have played the Wario Ware, Rub Rabbits, Mario Party type of games, but there is some sort of 'Bomb' element incorporated just for the sake of Bomberman. Cheap rip-off? No. High-quality rip-off? Yes!

There is a large variety (keyword is 'variety') here. You will have to balance a bombstick, connect some fuses to their respective coloured bombs, use a lighthouse beam to search for shipwrecked bombermen, solve some jigsaw puzzles, go bowling, run through a hurdles-type event, and even perform in DDR-style rhythm game. There are many more notable ones, and if you enjoy these fast-paced 'casual' challenges, I have no doubt that you will enjoy all the ones packed into this card. There are also a few which utilise the mic, for example a race to blow out the lighted bombs before they detonate; they are okay additions, but get together with some friends and it will definitely take everyone's breath away!

The main attraction: best shared
But isn't this just a single player only affair?! Not quite. ALL of the mini-games featured within the story mode are playable in a separate attractions mode. Here you you play by yourself, aiming to better your high scores infinitely ('tis a shame that scores from story mode, and multiplay modes are NOT recorded). But if you have friends with a DS, you can play each of them through single-card download and play as well! It takes less than a minute to load and start up each one, and once you get going, everything moves along at a brisk pace. Changing games does however require a re-download, but as I said everything is available. There is no multi-card play here though, so you will have to sit through those waiting periods, and again no recorded scores. Why this is I have no idea.

Can't have Bomberman without THE Bomberman
Lastly, there is the classic mode. This is pure 'no-touch, button-only' gaming of the past. You know the drill: blow up walls, obtain power-ups, strategically place bombs to destroy all of your opponents. There are 20 different maps in all, from standard varieties to ones with added hazards to watch for (the cannons make for some excellent frantic-paced battles). It's not all bomb everything, with a capture-the-crown and king of the hill style goals amongst the lot. The dual screen is used to give double the room the manoeuvre in, especially ideal since you are able to get up to 8 players (bots inclusive) on-screen at a time! The power-up selection is poor compared to previous entries, but this mode is nevertheless good fun (considering it is a 'bonus' mode too!)

Each player will need their own card to play, but all the options are worth it. You can set the time and score limits, start positions and customise suitable handicaps as appropriate; this is truly great for anyone regardless of skill level. Playing on WiFi is a different ball game though. Lag will definitely occur, and depending on where in the world your opponents are, this may make the game terribly out of sync. There is also the factor of not having enough opponents online; after all, Bomberman is no Mario Kart or Metroid Prime Hunters (heck, even Star Fox Command has died now!) This is a sad disappointment, especially when considering the quality of everything else this game has to offer.

A 'bomb' or 'the bomb'?
WiFi aside, Bomberman Land Touch! is a very good game. The sheer variety of mini-games, both enjoyable on your own and with friends, the RPG-lite elements, the classic mode - they all combine to give one great Bomberman conglomerate. It is not the Bomberman as you may know him. He isn't looking all shiny metal nor is he riding a kart. Instead he is serving up a platter of assorted treats. But boy are they tasty!

This game earns my 'surprise hit of the year' award. One would not expect much from Hudson Soft's creation these days, but they have finally delivered a game worth playing by everyone of all ages. Fast-play mini-games may be the craze of the decade, and Bomberman adds one more to the ever-growing list of them. The classic game may be relegated to 'additional mode status', but it's still a solid casual deviation. Thanks once again to Atlus USA for localising this product; sometimes "different is better".

9.0/10 - Addictive, challenging, crazy, charming, funny, classic.

03/12/06

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/04/06