The main appeal of these types of games is in the multiplayer. This hasn’t stopped Hudson from including a single player mode. The single player mode is exactly what you would expect, you have to go through level after level defeating the enemies that try to defeat you. Every so often you will have to defeat a boss, which makes the single player mode a little basic. So why the transition to the DS? The action takes place on the top screen and the bottom of the screen displays the powerups you can use. By just tapping on the power up with your stylus you can activate the powerup, which is a handy addition. It’s not exactly revolutionary but does work a little better than we had expected.
Some things never boring
The real appeal (and reason for purchasing this game) is the multiplayer. The game includes single cart multiplayer with support for up to eight players. The game actually becomes a little hectic when there is more than four people on the DS’s screen but it is extremely addictive. If you get defeated in the multiplayer you’re able to throw bombs onto the playfield to try and take out your opponents, if you are successful then you actually replace your defeated opponent in the playfield. Aside from this there are plenty of DS exclusive multiplayer modes and it is clear that Hudson played to the main strengths of the game. So whilst the single player mode may seem a little shallow, the depth in multiplayer is simply amazing, this is the kind of game you can instantly pick up or spend months mastering.
Graphically the game hasn’t received many updates, if Hudson had updated the graphics then the game would feel wildly out of place though, so we’re pleased that the game looks fairly similar to the previous titles in the series. The graphics are basic and every character is modeled well, at times there is a lot happening on screen as well and the DS copes well in both single player and multiplayer. Overall the interface of the game is really basic, which aids the titles pick up and playability.
Seem like we've seen it before?
The sound is also basic as well, none of the sound is particularly memorable, but it also isn’t repetitive which is the most important thing. The sound really does take a backseat in the heat of multiplayer though so we’re pleased Hudson didn’t try to recreate an epic soundtrack.
The single player mode doesn’t take too long to complete. There are roughly about 80 – 100 stages in the game and if you’re remotely good at Bomberman (and most people would have some kind of skill in the game by now) then you can play through these stages quickly. As we mentioned though, the real appeal of the game is in the multiplayer, if you’re not going to utilise the multiplayer then it’s unlikely that this game would be worth considering. The eight player single cart multiplayer should be the dealbreaker though, there are some terribly addictive multiplayer games on the Nintendo DS, and Bomberman can easily be added to this list.
Good old classic Bomberman
I can end this review with another popular catchphrase “good things come in small packages” and this is especially true in the case of Bomberman DS. The single player component of the game is still a little weak, and could be worked on, but overall this game is just as addictive as it always has been. There is a reason that this game keeps appearing on numerous platforms and that is simply because it is a brilliant multiplayer game, and has been for a long time now. However, if you are planning on picking this game up solely for the single player then it probably wouldn’t be worth purchasing, if you have a couple of friends with a Nintendo DS and you’re after a new multiplayer title (or just another one to add to your collection) then you really cannot go wrong with Bomberman DS.
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