Bomberman Tournament

"You mean this game has a single-player mode that is actually good???"

Legitimate multiplayer games for console systems have been out for quite some time now. I remember playing Super Bomberman and NHL 94 with a bunch of friends on my Super Nintendo thanks to the Super Multitap. Then systems began to rely on multiplayer options. I still believe the reason why the Nintendo 64 lasted so long is the fact that it had such great multiplayer games. Now there are games that are geared just to play with more than one person. However, they throw in a one player mode for times when a friend is not available. These have been lackluster efforts. With games like Bomberman, the real meat is the multiplayer. The one player games are just a pitiful diversion.

Bring forward the Game Boy Advance. A game system that is great for people who prefer single-player games. Mutliplayer isn't really the backbone of a handheld system. So what good is a game like Bomberman to a system that caters to the one player game public? This game needs a decent one player game or else it's pretty much worthless.

This game is a success. The game is a mix between Zelda, Pokemon, and of course, Bomberman. max is investigate a problem on a planet and becomes lost somewhere. Wrongdoing is suspected. Bomberma is sent in to find him. There are animals called Karabons that you are to collect and train that will help you on your quest. You also battle them in parts of the game to gain cash and prizes. You venture the land in search of crystals, and of course, Max. You'll journey into castles that have that Zelda SNES feeling. There are also many minigames in this one too. The constant blowing things up aspect of the game is repetitive but the Karabon aspect of the game keeps things interesting.

Oh yeah, the multiplayer game is pretty good too.

Graphics 7.0

Nothing special. Graphics are crisp and clear. Nothing looks weird.

Game Control 9.0

Getting Bomberman to do anything is pretty simple. It's a game that anyone can just pick-up and play. My only gripe is that if you're not careful and you have one pixel in the way of the fire, you're going to get scorched. Just have to be careful I guess.

Replay 7.0

Mind you the multiplayer game is fun (and you only need one game pak), sometimes you'll scratch your head on why you died (please see Game Control). In the single-player game, the blowing up bushes/enemies get repetitive. Despite though, I still have a tough time turning off my game.

Game Design 8.0

Well, it's not really all that original, but it's a lot of fun. There are plenty of puzzles out to be solved. They pretty average on the difficulty level.

Sound 7.0

Nothing special here either. Good, but not great. Decent for the handheld.

Satisfaction 9.0

Like I said before, I have trouble turning off the power to this game. The one-player game is really fun. the multiplayer game is great too. There are parts of the game that are repetitive, with no real change. Still, this is a great game. This game isn't a ''must buy'' though. Only buy it if you have the money. It's worth it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/26/02, Updated 03/26/02