|
BOMBERMAN TOURNAMENT (GBA)
Explosives are bad, but this is good
By WILLIAM BARKER
I don't consider myself a violent person. Sure, I like to smash bottles
every now and then, light fires and even ruin well-established telecommunications
vendors via subterfuge. But because I like to toast my enemies with bombs,
does that make me a psycho?
I hope not, because
I'm having a hard time putting away this very enjoyable title - the latest
in a long, long line of Bomberman games.
And within this
title, there's no greater joy than toasting your very best of friends.
By toasting we don't mean covering them with oil/fat then consuming, either.
Bomberman Tournament
comes complete with plot and there is even a cut-scene - is there anything
these new toys can't do? It all started on a sunny Sunday afternoon in
the Bomber Galaxy. A distress call was intercepted from a planet called
Phantarion, reporting that five meteors had impacted with the planet's
surface.
Bomberman Max was
sent to Phantarion to uncover the truth behind the mysterious distress
call, only to go missing! Nooooo... But, as the original Bomberman, it
is your mission to rescue Bomberman Max, or alternatively bring back his
rotting corpse. Either will do...
 Bomberman Tournament
comes with the added bonus, in addition to all the other up sides, of
portability. This makes everyday activities all the more interesting.
Train rides are now fun, the queue at the supermarket is now filled with
sweet happiness and the ever-popular proctology clinic waiting room is
now a place of slightly stinky tranquility.
As you can tell,
Bomberman Tournament has made quite an impression on me. Initially, it
was the tried and true battle mode. Up until now, my favourite Bomb game
was Bomberman 64. But, like so many 2D games gone 3D, it turns out that
the old two-dimensional gameplay just won't go away.
The action is pretty
intense from the get-go, as any AI setting other than 'easy' will provide
more bang (and less smell) than toilet bowl full of fireworks. The game
is deceptively simple and requires the player to simply place bombs and
wait for them to 'cusplode, hopefully sallying your opponents chances
in the process.
On top of all this,
powerups can be used to harness special abilities. With the right powerups
you can kick bombs away, increase your maximum number of bombs, their
range and also increase your walking speed. However,
there are also dodgy powerups, or dodgerups, as we call them. These will
slow you down, screw with your controls even lengthen the fuses on your
bombs, all of which affect your ability to cause maximum carnage.
 The game is a lot
of fun against the CPU players, but when you have game link cables and
three pay-per-pals with their own GBAs, things get much more interesting.
While it is more fun than most four-player party games available today,
the tendency of overzealous (rental) friends to yank the cords from their
very sockets shouldn't warrant a gouged eye, should it?
With a superlative
battle mode, you'd think this game couldn't get any better, right? Wrong!
The quest mode is basically you traditional old-skool Zelda remake, only
instead of a sword you've got bombs. During your quest you'll earn cash,
spend it in shops, complete quests, beat boss monsters and rear the game's
Pokemon equivalent - Karabon.
Granted, I've always
loved Bomberman, so if you know you don't like him, take about 10 per
cent off playability and enjoyment scores. Overall, this is quite possibly
the best Bomberman title I've ever played. The battle mode has replay
qualities matched by few and the quest mode is engrossing and nostalgic
and the graphics are charming, too. A must-have for portable gamers.
ORIGINALITY 70%
SOUND/GRAPHICS 90%
PLAYABILITY 90%
ADDICTION 85%
ENJOYMENT 85%
| 
