PixlBit

What does it take to be a hero? An endless supply of bombs pulled out of thin air, oddly enough.

As if Hudson finally came to a decision, Bomberman Hero is a full-blown platformer featuring the iconic white bomb dispenser. Playing the role of intrepid hero, Bomberman must blast, bomb, and explode his way across five planets with a dozen or more stages each, to rescue Princess Millian from the evil clutches of Bagular and his minions. It lacks the traditional multiplayer battle mode found in most Bomberman titles, which will likely disappoint many fans of the series.

Bomberman's abilities have been tweaked to better fit a platforming game. His main form of attack is none other than bombs, which can be tossed about with ease. Thrown bombs will explode on impact with a solid object or enemy, forgoing the usual five-second fuse. Bombs can still be laid on the ground and kicked about, with kicked bombs also exploding on contact. He has also learned a trick from Mario and figured out how to jump, though he lacks the acrobatic spring and finesse of the portly plumber. The control for jumping feels slippery; given the precise hops required on certain stages, it can lead to some frustration.

The main goal of each level is to simply reach the exit, with the secondary goal being to achieve the target score. Points are awarded for collecting gems and defeating enemies; most levels have just enough to reach the target score, requiring searching every inch of the level. Many levels aren't difficult to complete on their own, so the real challenge of the game is to achieve all the scores and earn the five gold planet medals; this accomplishment will open up a sixth planet with several bonus levels.

Bomberman can withstand three hits before the fourth will do him in. Getting killed results in starting the entire level over, making lives pointless, as losing a life is essentially no different than getting a game over. Fortunately, many levels are bite-sized, but it can still be frustrating to have to start all over if a mistake is made after earning the goal points. Powerups such as the bomb-up still exist, though the flame-up powerup is a dangerous item to have in close quarters. The camera has a fixed side-view perspective on the action, which can sometimes obstruct the view of an enemy behind an object.

Though the early stages are little else but blasting enemies and flipping switches, the game grows more diverse. One stage has Bomberman freezing over a lake to reach previously inaccessible islands. Another stage features low gravity, allowing Bomberman to leap sky high. A freeze bomb powerup is available in one level, which is used to freeze enemies and use them as steps. Stages in the volcanic area are so hot that they slowly deplete Bomberman's health, which can be restored by stepping on scattered freeze panels. The variety of settings and gimmicks go a long way toward keeping the game interesting, as simply bombing everything gets old fast.

Bomberman has a few mechanical attachments to spice up the gameplay a bit. These include a submarine, jet, helicopter, and snowboard, each with varying controls and attacks. The submarine is for use in underwater levels of course, and can fire torpedoes; the jet can travel at high speed and fire missiles; the copter can hover and drop bombs; and the snowboard is without explosives, but instead can dispatch enemies with a spin attack. With the camera directly behind Bomberman for the marine and jet levels, it can be difficult to judge the distance of enemies and other obstacles, which too often results in getting caught in an explosion from a missile used at close range.

The graphics are what you would expect from a Bomberman game, which is to say simple and colourful. Enemies are generally composed of sprites, and a few polygons thrown in for good measure. There wasn't even an attempt to make Bomberman's head round, and instead it is cylindrical. The sound is nothing remarkable, but tolerable. The sound effect for receiving damage is akin to a spurt of deep static. The animé jazz-style music generally fits the stages at hand, and suffers mostly from repetition. There are only about five or six different tunes in all, which play over and over throughout the game's dozens of levels.

Overall, Bomberman Hero is a decent game. It stumbles in the areas of control and presentation, but those able to overlook these issues could find an enjoyable game. Anyone who plays Bomberman only for the traditional frenzied multiplayer action should skip this game entirely.