Bomberman Blast (WiiWare)

Game Review

marcel_van_duyn

Bomberman Blast (WiiWare) Review

Europe Fri, 12 Sep 2008 by Marcel Van Duyn

Bomberman Blast Screenshot

Everyone's favourite arsonist is back with a blast from the past!

Of all well-known videogame characters, Bomberman has got to be the one who has stayed the closest to his roots. Almost every single Bomberman game features the exact same goal: grab power-ups, avoid the blasts of your opponents' (and your own!) bombs and then blow them up! While some early games expanded on this, for example by including a story mode, only recently has Bomberman strayed away from bomb-laying madness, with largely superfluous mini game collections on the Wii and DS. But with this WiiWare title, he’s most definitely gone back to his roots.

Bomberman Blast Screenshot

Bomberman Blast was originally going to be a retail game. Featuring a completely new story mode, much like the older games, plus an 8-player online battle mode, it looked as if Hudson was trying to please the older fans. They also planned to release the battle mode separately on WiiWare, for those who were not interested in the story mode (WiiWare game owners would also be able to play against owners of the retail game). Sadly, the retail game fell through for Europe and North America, which means that you can only get the battle mode portion of the game on WiiWare. Lucky Japanese gamers will still get the full blown version, it seems.

If you’ve ever played a Bomberman battle mode, you know what to expect: there’s a big grid-like arena filled with blocks. Your objective is to clear a way through the blocks using bombs, eventually finding your way to opponents and blowing them up to defeat them. The blocks between intersections cannot be destroyed – every other block can, and, aside from clearing a path, will possibly reveal a power-up. Unlike most previous games, in which the maximum number of players was 4, you can play with up to 8 people here: as in 5-player TurboGrafx-16 games on the Virtual Console, this is done by using 4 Wii remotes and connecting 4 GameCube controllers. The fun doesn’t end there, however, as you can play the game with your favourite Mii avatar, rather than a Bomberman, although this feature has to be unlocked (It'll come rather fast however).

Bomberman Blast Screenshot

Aside from classic power-ups like the red flame icon (blast radius increase), the curse (random temporary negative effect, can be spread to other players) and the boot (lets you kick bombs), there’s a few new ones, activated by shaking the Wii remote. If you grab a shield, you can block blast fire, if you have a rocket you can lift off to avoid a blast, and if you have a bomb change, you can disguise as a bomb!

Aside from more normal power-ups such as the above, there are also a few more elusive ones that actually change your bomb type. None of these are new: you’ve probably seen the Jelly Bomb (bounces around randomly) and Mines (disappear underground) before, among others. It appears the Remote Bomb has been excised from this instalment, as it would be too powerful!

The stages have all had a massive overhaul. The regular old “Classic” stage, with its green floor and gray blocks, is still the same as always. Other stages will heavily affect the gameplay, however. Some of them simply have additional obstacles to watch out for, but others actually influence the players. The “Hyper Feet” stage, for example, starts all players off at maximum speed, meaning it’ll be very hard to keep track of what’s happening! There are a total of 10 stages to pick from this time, of which 2 have to be unlocked. All stages also have a “large” and “small” version, for those who prefer things even more hectic!

Bomberman Blast Screenshot

Of course, the regular battle mode alone won’t cut it – so there’s a bunch of new game modes as well. In Air Raid, nobody can lay bombs. The objective, instead, is to run around dodging the bombs that rain from the sky! After they land you have a few seconds to find a safe spot (the ground is covered in markers revealing where the fire will spread). Of course the objective here is to be the last man standing!

In ‘King’ mode, the gameplay is reminiscent of ‘King of the Hill’ seen in many other games. Players compete to grab a crown in the centre of the arena, after which they attempt to be the one holding it when the time runs out. Simply touching the person with the crown will not let you steal it: tou have to hit him with a blast to knock it off. Getting hit by a blast at any time here will never kill you.

Some other old features return as well. For example, if the remaining time begins to run low, indestructible blocks will gradually begin to fall down, filling up the whole arena. If the match isn’t ended before the time is up, you’ll get squashed! The popular ‘Revenge Mode’ is also back: any players who are killed will be able to pilot a machine around the edges of the arena, throwing bombs (with the smallest possible blast radius) to harass the remaining players.

Bomberman Blast Screenshot

Obviously this review can’t end without talking about the online mode, which has all the features of normal multiplayer, including the ability to play against a maximum of 7 opponents. Before each match, every player votes on the mode they would like to play, followed by the arena, the one with the most votes winning. Sadly, at the moment not a single person seems to want to play anything except ‘Classic’ mode on the Classic stage, but hopefully this will change over time. You can also go online with 3 friends playing on the same console: a nifty feature some other recent games have done as well.

The only real downer in this game is that none of the classic Bomberman music is there. Instead Hudson opted to use Bomberman Generation music! Having put so much effort in making everything else as classic as possible, we can’t imagine why Hudson would do this.

Conclusion

If you don’t own an Xbox 360 and are a fan of Bomberman, you must have been slightly jealous for a while now. Bomberman Live, a downloadable title on the system, also features 8-player online Bomberman action. Your misery ends now, however, because Bomberman Blast captures mostly everything Bomberman Live has, and adds some excellent new content into the mix. It’s been a long time since we got some classic Bomberman action on a Nintendo console, but it’s back now, and possibly better than ever.

User Comments

terranigma

1. Terranigma United Kingdom 12 Sep 2008, 15:43 BST

Loved the subtitle for the review. This sounds essential. Even thoguh i have the 360 game, i'd still get this as my 360 isn't regularly available to me, the Mii support and online multiplayer. Plus, i love Bomberman, i even bought the DS RPG Game

cartoty

2. Cartoty Canada 12 Sep 2008, 15:49 BST

Awesome! I'm getting this when it comes out in NA!!!

jonny_mcgarrigle

3. Jonny United Kingdom 12 Sep 2008, 15:56 BST

I just had a couple of games of countdown online and I really am not fond of that game mode, basically just a glorified version of tag were cheap tactics can win a match. 2 of the stages were unlockable? I didn't notice that when playing them all for all 10 were just there anyway as I went through them. The dodgebomb game when waiting for matches is also pretty fun i think

What's everyones friend code??

darren_calvert

4. Dazza United Kingdom 12 Sep 2008, 16:01 BST

Please post any friend codes you wish to swap in this thread. If you haven't yet signed up to VC Forums, we recommend you do so.

Any friends codes posted on this page will be removed. Please keep your comments on-topic about the game in question and the review :-p

mr_cheez

5. Ricardo91 United States 12 Sep 2008, 16:09 BST

I WANT THIS!

marcel_van_duyn

6. Drake Netherlands 12 Sep 2008, 16:14 BST

@ Jonny: Item Game and Bomb Bowling are the unlockable ones I believe, they definitely weren't there for me at the start.

trev1

7. Outrunner United Kingdom 12 Sep 2008, 16:23 BST

Best game on Wiiware so far? I think so! Downloaded it at 2 minutes past midnight and subsequently was very tired today at work...

twilight_crow

8. Twilight Crow Mexico 12 Sep 2008, 16:29 BST

I hope it comes to NA soon, but I don't have the wii points :P so lets wait; I think this must be the best for having fun online, so many modes and items, well done Hudson.

marvel_maniac

9. Marvel_Maniac Canada 12 Sep 2008, 16:35 BST

I'm downloading this as soon as it comes out!

bensei

10. Bensei Austria 12 Sep 2008, 16:43 BST

I didn't like the DS Bomberman, it was too complicated in many ways, and without three speed items you were far too slow.
I hope this game is more like Bomberman'93, which I liked way more!

jonny_mcgarrigle

11. Jonny United Kingdom 12 Sep 2008, 16:57 BST

Its still a bit low, and at times there is so many items that i can't see whats happening but thats all part of the crazy nature of bomberman.

@Drake, right don't recall doing anything to unlock em but at least happy that I have all the stages.

marcel_van_duyn

12. Drake Netherlands 12 Sep 2008, 17:00 BST

Yeah, you don't get a message so you might not notice you unlock them :p

ralph

13. Ralph.vr Netherlands 12 Sep 2008, 17:21 BST

cool review, i download it as soon as possible.

danik

14. danik United Kingdom 12 Sep 2008, 17:27 BST

Wasnt sure about this as im not a huge fan really of bomberman but this looks good especially playin 3 other mates online. Will get this when i get some more points hopefully next week. Thanks for the review.

ttplayer92

15. ttplayer92 United States 12 Sep 2008, 17:31 BST

I am going to be buying a wii point card for this and gradius rebirth. However, it seems kind of odd to release a game about bombs and explosions the day after 9/11. >_> Then again, its not like this was released in America so I guess its alright.

dirtyden13

16. DirtyDen13 United Kingdom 12 Sep 2008, 17:32 BST

As soon as I get a Wii Points card I'm getting this

wiiloveitonline

17. Wiiloveit United Kingdom 12 Sep 2008, 18:43 BST

Yay, just bought some Wii points cards (by buying Guitar Hero DS for £12 at Morrisons and subsequently trading it in for £19 at Game), and after my younger sister finishes torturing me for deleting My Aquarium, this will be an essential purchase.

luke2

18. Luke United States 12 Sep 2008, 19:16 BST

i've never played a bomberman game before...is it easy to learn? should I start with this game or should I start off trying bomberman 93?

corbie_dillard

19. Corbie United States 12 Sep 2008, 19:18 BST

Great review Drake! Since If I didn't already own the Xbox 360 Live Arcade version, I'd probably pick this one up. In truth, about the only Bomberman game I still play with any type of frequency nowadays is the Sega Saturn rendition. :)

hyperfludd

20. Hyperfludd United States 12 Sep 2008, 19:18 BST

So the retail version isn't coming to America? I wanted to get it on Disc solely to save space. That sucks :(

mario64dstyle

21. Mario64DStyle United States 12 Sep 2008, 19:20 BST

Why did it get an 8/10?
You make it sound like there was nothing wrong with it?
What knocked it down 2 points?

pegasus

22. Pegasus United States 12 Sep 2008, 19:24 BST

I'm very much looking forward to an NA release. Are online games restricted to regions or are they all global matches? I hope it's the latter.

drizzt

23. Drizzt Canada 12 Sep 2008, 19:28 BST

Fantastic. I can't wait to get this when it comes to North America. That is, IF it comes to North America :(.

objection_blaster

24. Objection_Blaster United States 12 Sep 2008, 19:29 BST

Its probably an awesome online game but my WIFI is spotty so if it doesnt really have single player (worth $10) I'll probably pass for now. I know theres offline multiplayer but my friends dont care for Bomberman

jonny_mcgarrigle

25. Jonny United Kingdom 12 Sep 2008, 19:37 BST

Your friends are evil then

knucklessonic8

26. KnucklesSonic8 Canada 12 Sep 2008, 19:59 BST

Definitely a must-buy. I can't wait to face you all! :D

marcel_van_duyn

27. Drake Netherlands 12 Sep 2008, 20:05 BST

To be honest the Bomberman series has never really been 9 or 10-worthy. Be glad it got an 8, that still means it's very good!

stratos

28. Stratos United States 12 Sep 2008, 20:11 BST

I agree with Mario64DStyle. The way the review sounded I was guessing a nine or maybe even a ten. When the only real complaint you cited was the lack of classic tunes an eight seems low.

knucklessonic8

29. KnucklesSonic8 Canada 12 Sep 2008, 20:21 BST

@Stratos: Agreed.

calculon

30. calculon United Kingdom 12 Sep 2008, 20:25 BST

I'd agree with you on the Bomberman series being only 8 worthy so I'll revel in the fact that this game is 100% on the Bomberman scoring scale. Nice review Marcel!

Awesome game, first time I've enjoyed buying a WiiWare game since Actionloop Twist and finally a game to make a worthy top 5 (FFCC, Toki Tori, Star Soldier R, Actionloop Twist and Bomberman)

knucklessonic8

31. KnucklesSonic8 Canada 12 Sep 2008, 20:31 BST

^ Glad to hear it. :) I'm glad it's such a good Bomberman experience.

stratos

32. Stratos United States 12 Sep 2008, 20:34 BST

@ Drake
So you would say that an eight out of ten is where you would put the fun level. It's not like some other sites that knock off points for technical issues or something.

ttplayer92

33. ttplayer92 United States 12 Sep 2008, 21:03 BST

I am kind of doubting it but does anyone know which bomberman game I should get when this one comes out in NA? Blast or Live? I am kind of leaning towards blast right now since 8 people can play on the console at once and if I got live it would mean taking turns (which is annoying) but can one of you europeans list some comparision list or something?

corbie_dillard

34. Corbie United States 12 Sep 2008, 21:26 BST

I agree with the 8. Bomberman as a whole is just a mindless maze action title for multiple players and even as much fun as it is, I wouldn't slap higher than an 8 on it. Even the immaculate Saturn version probably wouldn't get a 9 out of me.

wiiloveitonline

35. Wiiloveit United Kingdom 12 Sep 2008, 21:27 BST

@Luke: Bomberman is really simple. Move using the D-Pad and press 2 to drop a bomb. This will explode and subsequently burn nearby blocks and nearby opponents (knocking them out). Items add depth, but can be wholly switched off in Blast. Whilst the newer one is more frantic and includes more multiplayer options, I would recommend the PC Engine / TG version for newcomers to break the ice. Once you've got used to it though, Blast is a sheer must-buy, and I would only advise buying the VC game if you have enough money for the new version afterwards.

@Pegasus: Worldwide, friend and continental matches are available online, so Americans can't get thrashed by the French on US launch.

@Corbie: me too, though I am edging on a seven due to the fact that its mostly the same battling but faster and busier. And with great local multiplayer and an ok online mode (WHY DON'T THEY CHOOSE STAGES OTHER THAN THE STANDARD ONE?). Plus, the UFO stage is brilliant when you get abducted. Oh, who am I kidding. This definitely deserves an eight!

markyvigoroth

36. MarkyVigoroth Puerto Rico 12 Sep 2008, 21:34 BST

ttplayer92-san: "However, it seems kind of odd to release a game about bombs and explosions the day after 9/11. >_>"

This sorta eminds me of the time when Japan would not release the Whiscash episode when earthquakes happened.

Then again, 9-11 was 7 years ago (holy number!), so it sems sorta fine...

le_bla

37. Tides of Chaos United States 12 Sep 2008, 21:51 BST

Well, I got a bit of a kick out of Bomberman '93 by being able to have 5 people play at once, but with 8 in this one, I guess it's a must have! Although, it is a shame there is no longer a disc version.

jonny_mcgarrigle

38. Jonny United Kingdom 12 Sep 2008, 22:09 BST

I always go for random now when stage selection, that way you're gonna get two different courses to play on.

battledevil789

39. battledevil789 United States 12 Sep 2008, 22:19 BST

i cant wait to get this hope it comes monday am glad i still have points

darkmagi_82

40. darkmagi_82 United States 12 Sep 2008, 22:54 BST

Wow 8/10, this looks like a winner.

mario64dstyle

41. Mario64DStyle United States 12 Sep 2008, 22:55 BST

@Corbie - And everyone else talking about the score.

I'm not saying the game didn't deserved an 8/10.. It's just the review itself barely stated any negative reasons why it was knocked down 2 levels on the grading scale. I would have given it a 8/10 personally (although it might have been a little biased).. I'm just wondering what gives the pin points of grading a specific game, specific scores (Other than opinions).

EDIT - To be honest: I might just be getting to confussing >_>
Anyway, great review!!
Can't wait for it to come out!

stratos

42. Stratos United States 12 Sep 2008, 23:15 BST

@Mario64DStyle
That's why I dropped the subject. I was trying to analyze the score on a technical level like how IGN says a game lost a point for slow load times or something like that. But then I realized that was over analyzing because the final score is not a scoreboard for the number of flaws a game has but how enjoyable it is.
Good review, Drake!

laa

43. LAA United Kingdom 12 Sep 2008, 23:32 BST

I GOT BOMBERMAN BLAST!
Since it got an 8, (hasnt been many 8's in a while), I knew it had to be good.
Its going good so far.
Infact brilliantly, its very fun!
I might get plattchen depending on the review.
How do you play as your mii on bomberman though?

xsupermariox

44. AlexSays United States 12 Sep 2008, 23:37 BST

Since it got an 8, (hasnt been many 8's in a while), I knew it had to be good.

Are we on the same website?
Here.
Here.
And here.
Oh, here too!
That's four games with a score of 8, in the past few weeks..
So what in the world are you talking about?

corbie_dillard

45. Corbie United States 12 Sep 2008, 23:46 BST

I normally have a numerical score in my head before I even sit down to write out a review. I've normally taken a lot of notes while playing and have a pretty good idea of what I think of the game. When I write the review, I try to mention the most important aspects of the game, good and bad, that I think the readers should know about. Sometimes the good points seem more important and more worth mentioning and sometimes it's the other way around.

The truth is, Bomberman has been done many times over. It's still great and it's still fun, but even as great as the game might be, it's still basically a 20 year old rehash in many ways.

xsupermariox

46. AlexSays United States 12 Sep 2008, 23:54 BST

I normally have a numerical score in my head before I even sit down
Is that score a 7? :P
Actually, I do have a question though. Any idea on what might be this site's first 10?

But it's true about Bomberman. It didn't get an 8 for the same reason Dr. Mario didn't, and Tetris Party won't get any perfect scores.
It's the same game, dressed up, no matter how much fun it is.

corbie_dillard

47. Corbie United States 13 Sep 2008, 00:08 BST

@ x/SuperMario.x - I was thinking about that the other night. While I look for Mega Man 9 to be fantastic, I'm still not sure if it will measure up to a 10. Giving a 10 out is a tough thing because you just don't know what else might come down the road that might blow it away. So it would have to be a really, REALLY great game to score a perfect 10. :)

And I knew that "7" thing was going to come back to bite me in ass. :P

raptor78

48. Raptor78 United Kingdom 13 Sep 2008, 00:19 BST

I absolutely love this game, I downloaded it as soon as it became available and I would have only rated it a 7... mabey an 8 at a push.
Its nothing against the game, in fact I will go as far as saying this is a must have wiiware game. Its just that Bomberman is always the same with one or two new additions and thats no bad thing. So no matter how perfect the game would be, just because its been done soooo many time before it would be almost impossible for it to get a perfect or near perfect score.

sase

49. cr00mz Sweden 13 Sep 2008, 00:31 BST

does it have online ranking system similar to other wifi games on the wii like mario strikers charged and mario kart?

mario64dstyle

50. Mario64DStyle United States 13 Sep 2008, 00:33 BST

I see where you're getting at now.
Yah, I have to admit they do repeat stuff over and over again..
BUT.. At least they know the phrase (If it ain't broken, don't fix it)..
Unlike Sonic *cough*

corbie_dillard

51. Corbie United States 13 Sep 2008, 01:04 BST

I agree with the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality, but sadly I'd be much more apt to give a more original presentation a higher score if it was just as much fun as something that had already been done many times before.

I know it doesn't always seem fair to judge games that way, but we sometimes do place a lot more emphasis on a game bringing new or original ideas to the table over just keeping a good thing rolling along. :)

hyper_metal_sonic

52. Hyper Metal Sonic United States 13 Sep 2008, 01:56 BST

I admire you Europeans :(, it's a shame we're getting Strongbad and not Bomberman on Monday(maybe both?. . .doubt it :( ), oh and I don't mean to offend any strongbad fans, not trying to bash the game, just a hxc Bomberman fan DX.

princescyther

53. Princescyther United Kingdom 13 Sep 2008, 11:39 BST

Not as good as Super Bomberman 2 for the SNES but still an awesome game. How do i get to use my Mii though?

worrybomb

54. worrybomb United States 13 Sep 2008, 14:49 BST

I agree that the Bomberman series is usually a "7" or "8" in the final ratings. I'm really glad that Bomberman Blast is still a whole lot of fun and I'll be downloading it when it's released in NA. Here's hoping that this game will be supported by DLC just like Bomberman Live for the 360.

mrchippy

55. Mr.chippy Canada 13 Sep 2008, 15:09 BST

this game looks awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!

tantrumario

56. tantrumario United States 13 Sep 2008, 15:53 BST

we love arsonists =) (well bomberman atleast). They're probably saving a 10 for mega man 9 or else.(starts chainsaw and leaves on for 3 weeks).

marcel_van_duyn

57. Drake Netherlands 13 Sep 2008, 18:07 BST

I've found out the music is actually mostly from Bomberman Generation for the GameCube. Still a pity they didn't use the old music though!

raptor78

58. Raptor78 United Kingdom 13 Sep 2008, 18:29 BST

@Princescyther

To get use of your mii all you have to do is PLAY each stage once offline, you dont even have to win it either.
The quickest way to do this is change it down to one easy opponent and only play for 1 round. then just play through stage 1 to 10 and your done, all eight of your profiles will be able to use mii's. :)

raptor78

59. Raptor78 United Kingdom 13 Sep 2008, 18:38 BST

on a side note, im sure Hudson mentioned Tournaments before. I wonder if like Mario Kart they do them by invitation or some similar way. otherwise I wouldnt know how they can do it.

"With the release of Bomberman Blast on WiiWare, Hudson Entertainment will offer several online tournaments, including one that coincides with the game’s launch. For more information on the upcoming tournaments and to register, players can visit www.Hudsonentertainment.com" - quoted from Hudson Entertainment

2hip2beskware

60. 2hip2beskware Canada 14 Sep 2008, 00:23 BST

Does it have Mr. Destructoid as a playable character?

hyper_metal_sonic

61. Hyper Metal Sonic United States 14 Sep 2008, 00:47 BST

@2hip2beskware

If it did it would've gotten a 1 out of 10.

knucklessonic8

62. KnucklesSonic8 Canada 14 Sep 2008, 01:17 BST

Raptor78: I was thinking the same thing, about the Tournaments. Probably once we get it here. ;)

super_sonic

63. Super Sonic United States 14 Sep 2008, 04:45 BST

I just don't get it. Had Bomberman Blast for North America came in retail version this would be instant buy for me. But the fact it's not coming in retail, the shockingly low score, and the 270 plus block I'm not really sure now.

corbie_dillard

64. Corbie United States 14 Sep 2008, 05:23 BST

Wow, if you consider an 8 a 'shockingly low score' I'd hate to see what you'd call a 2 or 3. I bet it would have to involve heavy amounts of profanity! :P

raptor78

65. Raptor78 United Kingdom 14 Sep 2008, 12:09 BST

@ Super Sonic
The "low score" of 8 is just down to the fact that it is a well established game that follows the if it aint broke dont fix it philosophy. Had this been an original game the score would have been higher.

The online alone makes it a good wiiware purchase. Now its been out a couple of days its pretty easy to get into a 7-8 man battle. The options are pretty good as well giving the online extra legs. Dont be put off by the block size, price and score. It is at its heart a solid online/offline multiplayer game that is easy to pick up and play... all the things that made Mario Kart wii a must buy game.

jazzem

66. Jazzem United Kingdom 14 Sep 2008, 12:39 BST

This is such a fantastic game, and probably the definitive Bomberman (though I've always wanted to play the Sega Saturn version). I've had it for less than a day and have already racked up four-five hours! And I'm 50th on the leaderboard at the time of writing.

Definitely one of the best WiiWare games out now :)

clayfrd

67. Clayfrd United States 14 Sep 2008, 19:04 BST

Nice, Europe. I'll get this when it comes out in NA. Sorry, TG-16 Bomberman, you're getting a new home on my SD Card... :(

kenji

68. Kenji510 United States 14 Sep 2008, 22:51 BST

I cant wait when it comes here in NA and when it does im gonna get it right away and play it with my friends online! :D

angelblack187

69. AngelBlack187 United Kingdom 15 Sep 2008, 02:15 BST

its a really nice game. the online works very well. good stuff.

mickeymac

70. Mickeymac United States 15 Sep 2008, 03:37 BST

Why have I not posted here yet?! I definitely can't wait to for this to come to the states, I haven't played a Bomberman game in years!

kidicarus3

71. 15 Sep 2008, 05:25 BST

I hope it comes out tomorrow. :)

holicool

72. Holicool France 15 Sep 2008, 13:37 BST

I have played that game last evening. Here are my comments :

PROs

  • fast Nintendo Wi-Fi servers, you do not need much time to find opponents
  • pretty cool musics
  • very accurate and responsive gameplay in terms of controls
  • addictive, mostly thanks to the 8-player online mode

CONS

  • I find most of the stages pretty messy in terms of graphics. On my HDTV (480p), the blocks and floor textures are too sharp, which makes the gaming experience pretty confused at some point. In the previous editions of the game (including the Dreamcast one), you only had to focus on not being in the fireline + collect items. In this Wiiware version, you spend too much time wondering where you walk...
  • too many items ! Whether these are to upgrade or downgrade your skills, there are too many kinds of them and even worse, there are simply too many available during a game ! Your screen can quickly contain 30 items, some being power-ups, some power-downs, it spoils the pleasure. I feel like this bomberman is less about tactics, and more about chance and action...

All in all, I give it a 6/10. I need to spend more time on this title, but I am not THAT convinced it is such a good Bomberman.

tony

73. Tony United States 15 Sep 2008, 14:38 BST

@ Holicool that sounds like Mario Kart its less on skill and more on powerups. Winning is luck

Anyway does Bomberman have a find a friend feature like Mario Kart?

nharox

74. Nharox Germany 15 Sep 2008, 15:58 BST

@Holicool: I think the amount of items are good. Not too much and not too less. And you can turn certain items off when you play offline.

holicool

75. Holicool France 15 Sep 2008, 17:12 BST

@Tony : exactly, it is kind of Mario Kart like in terms of luck (but not THAT much though)... And yes, it has a "Friends" feature ;)

@Nharox : well, you said it : "when you play offline"... :-/ I am still convinced there are too many items for online play...

kidicarus3

76. 15 Sep 2008, 22:52 BST

^ Aw, that's disappointing to hear. It's also disappointing it didn't show up this morning. Oh, well. I'm getting Mega Man 9 next week anyways. (that is, it better be next week.)

megaace

77. Megaace Spain 15 Sep 2008, 23:56 BST

Awesome Wiiware game. Good graphics, a lot of game modes, a lot of arenas, and very funny in multiplayer via Wi-fi. A must-have download, and very good value for money. Hudson, I want the retail version in Europe!!!!

@Holicool: Yes, you are right: there are too many items. It is because when a player dies, he leaves all his items. They should dissapear...

raptor78

78. Raptor78 United Kingdom 16 Sep 2008, 18:25 BST

Either Hudson should release the retail version in Europe or at least have a DLC update for the other features such as My first Bommerman & Story mode... but I would still rather have a retail version. I know soooo many people who play Mario Kart wii online yet they never use the wii shop and therefore would never get the chance to play this unless it went retail.
C'mon Hudson we know you will make the right choice ;)

nintendude92

79. Nintendude92 United States 16 Sep 2008, 22:08 BST

A very fair review.

I was so dissapointed it didn't release on Monday. Has Hudson ever leaked release dates on Wiiware tittles? I heard the game is due Q4 2008.. I'm too excited for this. >_>

And to everyone who asked, Hudson's site said to unlock your Mii, you just need to play on all ten of the stages.

windonfire

80. WindOnFire Australia 17 Sep 2008, 12:53 BST

Cool, review, can't wait to get it.

mrchippy

81. Mr.chippy Canada 17 Sep 2008, 13:58 BST

@Raptor78
who would pay an extra $40 just to get the same game with a few extra features and a story mode (witch probably is no good any way)

mayhem64

82. Mayhem United Kingdom 17 Sep 2008, 21:19 BST

Probably not... and probably best to hold back while MM9 is released... as long as this comes out in the US some point next month I'll be happy. Need a large multiplayer Bomberman fix ;)

marcel_van_duyn

83. Drake Netherlands 18 Sep 2008, 13:05 BST

@ Mr.chippy: The story mode in other Bomberman games has always been excellent, I have no doubt the one Japan is getting will be great as well.

golgo1

84. Golgo United Kingdom 18 Sep 2008, 18:51 BST

I just played online against the guy ranked no. 1 on leaderboards and got my arse handed to me on a plate. Ludicrous game - carnage on a scale comparable to Super Smash Bros Brawl. Love it.

satans_therapist

85. Satan's Therapist United Kingdom 18 Sep 2008, 20:19 BST

Can you play against bots whilst offline? (if your friends are not around)

golgo1

86. Golgo United Kingdom 18 Sep 2008, 20:21 BST

@Satan's Therapist: Yep, you certainly can, and you can set their difficulty levels...it's a good way to prepare for the mayhem of online play...

mario64dstyle

87. Mario64DStyle United States 19 Sep 2008, 00:25 BST

"And you can turn certain items off when you play offline."
SOLD

WOOOTTT. I love this game already XD
That option will be great =D
Plus.. I doubt i will ever play online to care about items online

raptor78

88. Raptor78 United Kingdom 19 Sep 2008, 08:00 BST

@ Mr Chippy
Considering as the retail game "Bomberman land" is only £17.99 and the wiiware version of the game cost the equivilant of £7.50 I wouldn't imagine them selling the game at a ridiculous high price.
Price points for games like this are usually set between £19.99 up to £29.99 from the retailer that sells the game because like Nintendo stated they will not enforce price points unlike Sony and Microsoft leaving individual pricing down to the stores themselves.
From what I have seen from the Japanese Screenshots the retail game looks fantastic and manages to cram even more options into the game.
My argument for the retail version was that there are many people who I personally know who play wii games online yet never use wiiware (which is indeed sad) but who would be willing to buy a retail version of this game. I really think Hudson would clean up if they bring it out in time for Christmas.

knucklessonic8

89. KnucklesSonic8 Canada 19 Sep 2008, 14:36 BST

I actually have Bomberman Land. I'd imagine this is better, though.
But I admit that BLand's Battle Mode is very extensive and you're able to customize a lot more than Bomberman 93. But I can't help but feel Bomberman Land isn't the best purchase you could make...

kingmario

90. kingmario United Kingdom 20 Sep 2008, 20:08 BST

Having downloaded this I am slightly disappointed, It is great to play online but offline it's a little dull, the stages aren't particularly interesting nor are the items. It's just a shame they didn't go down the mega man route and make it look like a snes game and use the spare memory to put in more content rather than just making everything 3D. I would have much preferred Super Bomberman 3 with an online mode tacked on.

xsupermariox

91. AlexSays United States 20 Sep 2008, 22:32 BST

@ kingmario- Most people are downloading this for the online play.

trev1

92. Outrunner United Kingdom 22 Sep 2008, 12:06 BST

Air raid is annoying. Some people just stand in the bottom corner and use their shield making it impossible to hit them if you're out.

raptor78

93. Raptor78 United Kingdom 23 Sep 2008, 01:10 BST

Countdown is my favourite mode... air raid does suck but ufo can be annoying too.

xsupermariox

94. AlexSays United States 23 Sep 2008, 01:12 BST

Hopefully this comes out next week.
MM9 + Bomberman = Me being happy for a very long time.

1080bomber

95. 1080BOMBER United Kingdom 24 Sep 2008, 14:12 BST

I like all the modes of Bomberman Blast. Air Raid makes you panic alot but is alot of fun seeing everyone on WI-FI running around like headless chickens it's hilarious I just wish it was in NA then us Brits could give you Americans a boot up the butt, no offence.

intel

96. Intel Portugal 25 Sep 2008, 11:33 BST

Bomberman works nicely as a local multiplayer game but the online lag and random disconnects make me wonder if 1000 is bombermans right price. :S Don't get me wrong, i still play it online and have fun with it but it's really hard to find a room where i dont get randomly disconnected. Besides that my wii remote is kinda broken, so when i get a shake item i cant stop using it lol, its like i had super human stamina. xD

trif

97. Trif Denmark 26 Sep 2008, 19:39 BST

This game is great! My first Bomberman game (I've tried free ones on the web though) and after learning what all the items do, I've played online reeeeally much. By the way, has anyone tried King on Power Freaks? Madness and fun combined xD

mayhem64

98. Mayhem United Kingdom 29 Sep 2008, 02:57 BST

Got to play this over the weekend at a mate's house, five man multiplayer action. Just like the old times... will be waiting even more now for the US release!

drizzt

99. Drizzt Canada 30 Sep 2008, 02:13 BST

Just downloaded this. This game is great! :)

cheezy

100. Cheezy United States 30 Sep 2008, 02:40 BST

How do you play as your Mii?

stardust

101. StarDust United States 30 Sep 2008, 05:30 BST

Time to dump Bomerman '93
101 post w00t!

raptor78

102. Raptor78 United Kingdom 30 Sep 2008, 13:04 BST

@ Cheezy, to play as your mii all you have to do is try out each of the 10 stages offline. you dont even have to win them and you get away with only having to play each one once.

As far as lag and D/C goes ive found it easier to find Continental than I do Worldwide games and the only games that I have experienced lag and d/c have been worldwide so far.

@Star Dust... aww c'mon there is no need to dump Bomberman '93. Think of it this way 93 has the story mode with classic multiplayer mode and Blast has cool online features and better multiplayer modes. Best of both worlds. I have both sat on my wii menu at the mo.

tony

103. Tony United States 30 Sep 2008, 14:34 BST

Just downloaded Bomberman. So far I am terrible at it and trying to figure out what all of the icons mean. Its faster then what I expected. I have not played any Wi-fi battles yet. I am still rusty and have not played Bomberman since I played Mega Bomberman on the Genesis

mr_saturn

104. Mr. Saturn United States 30 Sep 2008, 16:16 BST

^^ yeah, "see an item, pick it up" no longer seems to apply. No more mad dashes for goodies without thinking too much about what it is you're picking up.

pagster

105. pagster United States 01 Oct 2008, 02:26 BST

for those who are still on the fence, i really do recommend this game. you can customize each game (ie: like brawl) including item drop frequencies, number of rounds and/or minutes, randomize/set start locations, pressurize blocks, poisons on/off, etc.

srsly not bad.

theone1

106. tehub United Kingdom 01 Oct 2008, 03:25 BST

This game sounds perfect.

twilight_crow

107. Twilight Crow Mexico 01 Oct 2008, 03:52 BST

I finally got to buy this one along with a couple of VC games, I haven't had the chance to play it with my friends, but the online feature is just so great, it's not perfect, a disconnection now and then, but overall works fine; totally recomended!

naisatoh

108. naisatoh United States 01 Oct 2008, 21:31 BST

After playing for a few days, my only complaint is the rankings system. I'm still scratching my head over how they award points (How can I win both rounds of King of the Hill and still end up in third place?!). The rank is based, not on your performance, but on the number of points you get. By this logic, I can consistently get 5th place, but play 24 hours a day, and still get pretty high on the list.

Hopefully, Hudson figures out a way to update this system.

srpirate

109. SRPirate United States 03 Oct 2008, 06:12 BST

I want this game really bad! As soon as i get a wii point card, I am definately buying this!

starwolf_uk

110. Starwolf_UK United Kingdom 03 Oct 2008, 22:13 BST

@naisatoh. Press A after a match is over. You can then see individual players and you can see place is one of the things that determines your score. Dying first for instance incurs a penalty whiel moving alot is a possitive aspect.

srpirate

111. SRPirate United States 04 Oct 2008, 03:28 BST

I got this game today, and its so much fun to play. A must have!

koto

112. Koto United States 04 Oct 2008, 16:02 BST

just wondering,wouldnt it be unfair for people who use the gamecube controller during local games with friends since they can't "shake" the gcn controller to use the shaking items?i know you can turn the items off but is there a way for gcn controller players to still use the items?like spinning the C stick or something?

srpirate

113. SRPirate United States 04 Oct 2008, 18:30 BST

hey knucklessonic, i want to play against you online, what is your friend code number?

pagster

114. pagster United States 04 Oct 2008, 20:45 BST

@Koto

GC controllers use the L and R buttons to use the "shake" items.

devillinko

115. devillinko Brazil 04 Oct 2008, 21:55 BST

bomberman rules !!!!

clayfrd

116. Clayfrd United States 06 Oct 2008, 04:26 BST

@Anyone Who Cares
Does anyone else find the computers to be a bit cruel? I kick CPU ass on '93, but the opposite is true on this one. I have played probably 50+ matches on classic/normal mode with easy computers, and I have YET to win. Any suggestions? No pointing and laughing! You may laugh, but don't point at the same time!

twilight_crow

117. Twilight Crow Mexico 06 Oct 2008, 05:28 BST

@Clayfrd
Same problem here :P, so no pointing nor laughing, this must be the meanest CPU of all bomberman games (well I've only played the NES and SNES versions).

virus1

118. Virus United States 09 Oct 2008, 06:10 BST

@Clayfrd and Twilight Crow
If you want to win some easy matches, just play the "King" or "Countdown" modes. The CPUs are ridiculously stupid in these modes. In Countdown, just blow yourself up and pass the clock to a CPU. Most likely the computer won't even try to get revenge. In King, just grab the crown and run like heck. The computers don't even try to go after you. I don't like playing these modes myself just because it's cheap, but hey, if you want to ratchet up that record of yours, go for it.

crazynoodle

119. Crazynoodle United States 09 Oct 2008, 15:09 BST

I love this game, i bought it the other day and i and i am addicted. It takes a bit of practice to get passed the easy cpu's which are a bit hard. A great way to win, is on the one where it rains bombs, go into a corner with a freind, try to stay on the corner square, and keep your sheilds facing out on the onley 2 way you can get hit. This game is a mst have, but i wish there was someway to speak online so i can trash talk my oponents

kaya122

120. kaya122 United States 09 Oct 2008, 23:52 BST

lol you put to many exclamation points in your review. But otherwise great job cant wait to buy this game :D

virus1

121. Virus United States 12 Oct 2008, 21:07 BST

I agree with the reviewer's score for this game. The game as a whole is great, but it has two problems: its online mode is kind of screwy and the game seems somewhat lacking. For the first problem, I've played online quite a bit and sadly I've come upon several hiccups (and these aren't just for me, everyone playing also gets disconnected). In one instance, most of the players were stuck walking INSIDE the walls around the stage. Yeah, it was humorous yet annoying.

I also say Bomberman is lacking because it's missing both a single-player mode and DLC. I know the retail version in Japan sports a single-player campaign, but I would've liked even a small single-player mode in the WiiWare version to give something meaningful for players to do in between sessions of mindless multiplayer. As for the DLC, that is kind of a no-brainer for me. Heck, imagine what it could've offered: new maps, new modes, new minigames before online play, etc. A huge missed oppurtunity in my opinion.

Bomberman is a great game for anyone who remotely enjoys its multiplayer, and I am thoroughly enjoying it; it's just not the definitive Bomberman game.

piratepete

122. PiratePete United Kingdom 20 Oct 2008, 19:25 BST

Great review Drake! I bought the game after an intense multiplayer session with friends on Bomberman '93. Although they prefer '93 oddly :-(
@Virus : I agree, the online does sorta suck. Haven't played the game in ages though. Makes me sad :-(

mastersworddude

123. mastersworddude United States 23 Oct 2008, 00:58 BST

I'll get this when i get a new sensor bar and batteries.

kobayashi

124. Kobayashi Brazil 26 Oct 2008, 13:22 GMT

I don´t like this game. My score for it is 5.0 (dispensable)

virus1

125. Virus United States 29 Oct 2008, 03:45 GMT

After a few more weeks with it, I must comment about the online again. It truly is disappointing. While it is a heck of a lot of fun when you get a game or two working, it disconnects way too frequently and sometimes at the worst of times. For instance, after playing "Bomb Dodge" (or whatever it is called) for close to three minutes while waiting for a game, I was disconnected. In another instance I won the rounds and was prepared to save my points and head off when the game disconnected on the results screen before the awards ceremony. I lost all my recently-acquired points. While these occurances are frustrating enough, it became worse when I lost 1000 Bomber points just because the internet disconnected three times in a row. My internet connection is not poor, so this penalty angered me severely.

Ultimately, my message to those who have not yet bought the game but are thinking about it is that you have been warned about the WiFi. It is nowhere near perfect.

mfgreth

126. MFGreth United States 12 Nov 2008, 09:20 GMT

The question i have is, how does this stack up to Bomberman Live on the XBL? As an owner of all three current gen systems, I happen to be a proud owner of Bomberman live from the XBLA, as well as two of it's three expansions. Should I really dish out for another "Live" Bomberman? Is it necessary to have two?

If this isn't considerably better,w hich is unlikely since BL is gem in my book (come on, Johnny Depp from Fear and Loathing is a costume!), then it's not really worth it. Don't get me wrong, I love Bomberman... but you have to see me point.

linktothefuture

127. LinktotheFuture United States 25 Nov 2008, 12:57 GMT

How do you unlock the Miis? I have been playing for awhile and still can't play as my Mii. Please Help....

gameking23

128. gameking23 United States 26 Nov 2008, 01:16 GMT

I found out how to unlock the Mii function today. You must go under user information and it should unlock. If not go deeper into the user information section. Appearently it does not take long to unlock the Miis because I got this game yesterday.

virus1

129. Virus United States 26 Nov 2008, 07:09 GMT

Not quite. Miis are unlocked by playing each stage in offline (and you cannot pick the "random" stage). Once you do that, you should get a message, and then you can configure your Mii in the user information, like gameking23 mentioned.

sicko

130. sicko Venezuela 25 Dec 2008, 06:28 GMT

As a party game between friends gives a lot of fun.
As a single game could be boring when you learn how the computer controlled players play.
Multiplayer online is good until the connection starts to fail.

this one I will give 7.5/10
not excellent, but fun to play

grimor

131. grimor United States 25 Feb 2009, 23:59 GMT

1/5 Broken Wii-motes on the frustration meter
UntitledUntitledUntitledUntitledUntitled
Fun game and while losing is slightly frustrating, it's still fun and not the kind of "this is BS" losing where you feel like the game is bad.

Cost: 1000 Worth: 875

vonboy

132. vonboy United States 01 Mar 2009, 02:52 GMT

i just bought this game last week, and it doesn't seem like theres that many people playing it online anymore. whenever i play, i always get buddied up with the same group of players (plus or minus a player or two), and there was someone with like 2 million points pwning everyone else whenever i played. i think theres maybe a dozen or so people playing the game online at a time, so it's kinda weird.

of course, this is coming from a person whose only online game he's played much was mario kart wii, and you NEVER EVER play the same person twice on there.

biglord

133. BigLord Portugal 27 May 2009, 20:35 BST

Actuallyyyy I disagree, I played most bombermans and I loved bomberman generation music the most, when I heard its music on this game I smiled.

I guess not everyone is pleased with it though. Still, it's a game that won't go to my SD card that soon, I love it!

chiery

134. chiery Indonesia 20 Oct 2009, 11:18 BST

Always been a fan of the bomberman series. And this one surely brings back the old memories with my friends. This version delivers some great new features. Controls are super easy, still unsure about new items. The Graphics are very pleasantly enough. I just wish that it had more levels, but variety in game type is nice. More than the classic battle mode. Online feature is nice, now I can battle with others at anytime. I think this is the best download games for me ^^

meffaliss

135. Meffaliss United States 02 Nov 2009, 00:59 GMT

even though this is a multiplayer game( and i do not have alot of friends to play with...) i still have to say that i love it... _
Great for parties i say.

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