Cue obligatory "It's a blast!" pun.
Though sometimes listed as a platformer, Bomberman 64 is essentially an action/puzzle game. For those unaware, Bomberman is a long-running series which got its start on the NES. It stars little pudgy dudes with oversized round heads, who have an unlimited amount of bombs which they pull from... somewhere. Bomberman 64 brings the series into the third dimension, and features a single player adventure with some wonky puzzle elements.
The single player adventure contains six worlds, with three levels each. The main goal is to reach the crystal at the end of the stage, and the secondary objective is to find the five gold cards hidden in each stage. Bomberman's one and only skill is laying bombs, he can't even jump, so navigating the levels involves kicking and tossing lots and lots of bombs to defeat enemies and destroy obstacles. The answer to everything is always a bomb, get over it. One hit from an enemy or bomb is all it takes to do Bomberman in, which lends to a challenging but sometimes frustrating game. Bomberman has three lives, and if those are lost, it is back to the stage select screen.
The puzzle-like aspect of the game involves using bombs to bounce across platforms or up walls; falling onto a bomb from above causes Bomberman to jump forward. These sections require thoughtful placement of bombs in order to line them up correctly. It is also necessary to find the remote detonation item, since the normal five-second fuse is rarely long enough. It can be difficult to place bombs exactly where they need to be, and one mistake usually results in detonating the explosives and starting over. This facet of the gameplay is often more frustrating than it is anything else.
One interesting feature is the ability to create a custom Bomberman. Costume pieces are hidden on the single player levels, and once collected, can be worn on the custom Bomberman. The outfits include knight armour, dragon and cat suits, and even obscure pieces like a rocking horse and duck floaty. The custom Bomberman is for use in the multiplayer battle mode, but the method of doing so is a bit odd. In order to use one, it must be saved to a Controller Pak, and can be loaded on the player select screen. Each player must have a Controller Pak with a custom Bomberman inserted into their own controller if they wish to use one. Since the Bomberman is stored on the cartridge itself, there is no reason it couldn't have been loaded from there.
As with any Bomberman game, the battle mode is the real draw. The goal is to explode the three other players, either human or computer-controlled, and be the last Bomberman standing. There are ten battlegrounds with a variety of layouts and hazards, four of which are unlocked by collecting all of the gold cards in the single player mode. Taking advantage of the added dimension, a few arenas have multiple floors or passageways overhead. The only type of arena lamentably missing is a stage with the classic grid layout. Scattered around each arena are destructible blocks, which release items when destroyed. These are usually powerups that increase the number of bombs a player can place, or increase the blast radius. There is also a skull item which will inflict a random condition onto the player. This could be something good, such as short-fuse bombs, or fully-powered bombs, or it could be bad, such as reverse controls, or an inability to lay bombs. It's a gamble!
The battle gameplay is perhaps a bit more streamlined than its predecessors, but can sometimes drag on. One seemingly minor difference is that bombs do not explode in the traditional plus-shaped pattern, and instead have circular explosions. This results in less safe spots to stand, and makes chaining bomb blasts easier. Each player always possesses the ability to kick and throw bombs, both of which were a powerup in previous games. This enables players to engage one another right off the bat, instead of having to focus on collecting items or risk having a disadvantage. If a player is hit by a kicked or thrown bomb, it will stun them, requiring them to spin the analogue stick in order to regain sense. With the large, open spaces of many stages, it can sometimes be difficult to catch another player in a bomb's explosion, especially if it is down to two players. All in all, the battle mode is a bit light on features, but it still provides a hectic and enjoyable experience.
Bomberman 64 is a game which may please fans of the series, or action/puzzle games. Even if one finds the single-player mode to be uninteresting, the battle mode alone makes the game worth owning. The few changes from the move to 3D may bother some longtime fans, but anyone who embraces them will find an enjoyable game.
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