Bomberman MAX Blue: Champion

"Rescue Charabom. Save universe. Grab lunch."

The end of the 1990's was a time when there was "twin games" being released in the portable world. You got the Pokemon games and there's Oracles of Ages and Oracles of Seasons for the Game Boy Color. Hudson decided to try a hand at this, and the result became Bomberman Max Red & Blue. I'm gonna lump these two games together because there's little difference between the two.

Story--

Five planets sit in the edge of the Bomberman universe. Future Star is the protector of these stars, and uses a computer to do the work. An evil entity named Brain infiltrates and malfunctions the computer, sending meteorites to turn the other four planets into heartless metal. Dr. Ein learns of this and sends Bomberman and Max to rescue all the Charabom that live in those planets and destroy Brain.

Gameplay--7/10

First off, you play as one of two characters: good old Bomberman and a blue-eyed, cape-wearing brooder named Max. Who you play as depends on what version you get: Bomberman gets the Blue version while Max gets the Red. The gameplay is the same as it always was. You run around, set bombs, and roast enemies, soft blocks, and yourself if you don't watch it. The catch here is that Dr. Ein will give you a set mission for a level, and you must satisfy that condition in order to complete that level. Such examples are rescuing a Charabom, blowing up soft blocks, destroying a particular enemy, and so forth. Most of the missions are the same, but some are unique. At first that sounds fun, but some of the missions can be rather demanding, and might detract from the fun. I must add that you can't play the classic Multiplayer Bomberman. You can only play with a Charabom match with the other player.

Graphics--9/10

The sprites of Bomberman and Max are almost state-of-the-art for GBC standards, and the colors are exceptional! One cool thing is Max's bombs, how they have an electric zap symbol and how they explode differently than Bomberman's bombs (Which is one reason that Max is cooler). Some of the enemies are goofy-looking as well, yet the bosses leave a teeny little bit to be desired, though.

Sound--8/10

When a bomb explodes, it's still the same old sound from the other portable Bomberman games. The enemies still go poof when you score a hit. The music is very good, but not enough to really get in your mind. The Secret Star and Battle Star's themes are noteworthy, and the latter half of the introduction's theme is good as well.

Conclusion--8/10

A fine if slightly flawed pair of games, they're really nice for on-the-road Bomberman fun. Dollars to doughnuts, I'd say that the Red version is better. Those pesky missions might be a bit much, especially if you'd much prefer to merely blow up stuff. There's better Bomberman games out there, yet this is challenging enough to satisfy any Bomberman fan.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/03/08

Game Release: Bomberman MAX Blue: Champion (US, 05/14/00)