You have already clicked the download link. If you need to download again, please click here to reset the link.

Bomberman 2: Reviews

Select Author:

Game Score: 8/10

Bomberman 2 is blatantly Hudson Soft's cynical attempt at cashing in on Capcom's sucess with the Megaman Battle Network and Mega Man Star Force spin-offs. And I fell for it.

Truth be told, I liked the first three Mega Man Battle Networks, so when presented with a plot of computer viruses and such, I was intrigued. Here was a game which pits you in the place of a virtual Bomberman, fighting to cleanse computer networks of pesky viruses that are causing havoc in the real world.

Except, there's no apparent real world. All the action takes place in the virtual world, and really, there's very little to show that you're actually in the real world. Certainly, the way the enemies materialise into view is very computer-like, but you don't get the feeling that you're a computer program battling on the Internet. Not that's detracts from the gameplay, but it does make the plot feel very contrived and rather irrelevant.

This DS game is split into two modes. You can play the Mission Mode, which has a dark cyberpunk feel to it with music to match. It's not entirely dark, though. The graphics are still reasonably bright (though dark in comparison to the other mode) and the enemy sprites are reasonably cutsey.

The Mission Mode consists of Stages, divided into ten levels each. As you progress, the stages branch off, allowing you to choose which one to play. It also allows a lot of backtracking, which is essential for finding hidden secrets. Each level consists of no more than four sections, each with their own clear criteria e.g. defeat all bomber soldiers, destroy 12 blocks, use only 15 bombs etc. In completing these criteria, you move on to the next section. Each takes onhly about 45 seconds or more, which is a good thing, as the entire level is timed, giving you no more than five minutes to complete.

By playing through the mission mode, you get experience points which upgrade your character. To tell you the truth, I haven't really paid much attention to what happens when you do level up. It hasn't really seemed necessary. My focus tended to be on gaining the body parts hidden throughout the level. Each level has a set number of body parts hidden within it, (the number of stars each level has tells you how many). By picking up the body part and completing the level, you earn a piece that can be used to customise your Bomberman, giving him extra speed, defence or what have you. Some body parts even give you much needed abilities, that can open up new secrets in the game.

However, all these RPG elements might seem a bit strange to those of you used to the one-hit killers of the regular Bomberman games. Indeed, the Mission Mode even has a health bar, which gets depleted as you take damage. However, it can be quite a welcome boon as the game's difficulty progresses.

What might marr the experience for some players is the difficulty curve. It seems rather steep, getting very difficult from the second stages onwards. However, even if you do lose, it's not the end of the world. You're awarded with some experience points and there's really no limit to how many times you can try a level.

Every fifth and tenth level, however, you're treated to a mini-boss battle and a boss battle. The fifth levels are a bit like the traditional Bomberman games, but with a health meter for every player involved. This does prove frustrating as you try to bomb the enemy to smitheerens, only for them to survive a few hits, but luckily these stages are limited. The boss battles, of course pit you against huge enemies with rather devestating attacks that can reduce your health down to zero. It's best to go back a few stages and level up, which is a viable option.

Of course, where this game shines is the Multiplayer mode. This mode is everything old school Bomberman players remember it being. There's the colourful stages, varied with random contraptions designed to hinder your movement. There's the other Bombermans, planting their bombs in order to kill you in mazes. One-hit kills nonetheless. Don't have friends with DS? That's fine. You can play against computer players too.

And that's the charm of the game. It can be hardcore and casual all at once. There's the undiluted, traditional experience, and there's a much easier challenge for those new to the genre.