Bomberman

Written by Matt Swider  on December 06, 2006

Review: Classic Bomberman in every way, from the gameplay to the title.

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Bomberman was boldly (and badly) rebuilt for his Xbox 360 debut, but stays true to his pink, white and blue colors in his first PlayStation Portable outing. Simply titled Bomberman, the game comes with the expected a fresh story mode, classic battle mode and 3D characters and environments that are a part of almost all new games. Unique to this title are the item stock system for saving power-ups, utilization of the 16:9 widescreen for the game's vibrant colors and WiFi multiplayer that supports game sharing. Although the gameplay remains largely unchanged after two decades, this conveniently portable version is instantly fun to play as well as a sight to see.

There are 100 levels broken up into ten different worlds in Bomberman. Our hero visits each world in an effort to expel enemies that threaten his Bomber World and surrounding planets. This is done by blowing up soft blocks, collecting power-ups and blasting all of the enemies in each stage within a time limit. The story mode, which contains a paper-thin plot as always, is the only mode to use the new item stock. This new gameplay addition stores power-ups instead of immediately applying them. So, if you collect the fire up item, for example, and you don't want to increase your firepower right away, you can simply let it sit in the item stock menu on the left side of the screen. This new method of saving items is applied to all power-ups, including useless saves like the always-handy bomb up, which increases the amount of bombs you're able to drop. Still, it's an interesting idea that's only occasionally a distraction.

In addition to defeating enemies that scurry behind and between blocks, Bomberman features boss battles that eventually add to the challenge. Like almost all games in the series, one hit knocks you out and subtracts a life. But with an unlimited amount of continues and the ability to save your progress, it's not required to beat this title in one sitting. This gives you a better chance to successfully bomb your way through all 100 levels and unlock another 50 in the hidden classic mode. These levels are based on the original Bomberman, but now boast 3D graphics in a satisfying update.

Besides the story and classic modes, Bomberman naturally contains its signature battle mode. Four bombers can partake in the mayhem, whether they're computer-controlled enemies or ad hoc human opponents. Games are of course customizable, set in 20 different locations and full of fun and chaotic action. The best part is that all of this is possible through one UMD thanks to game sharing. You no longer need to impossibly round up four PSP-owning friends and have each buy a copy. Everyone needs their handheld and one person needs a copy of the game to have a blast here. Sadly, no online mode is present for a version of the game that deserves it.