Bomberman Review - DS

In hardcore gaming circles, saying something negative about a Bomberman game is akin to a flag burning at W's annual pig roast. Unfortunately, we're going to commit this most heinous of crimes by pointing out that certain sections of Bomberman are in desperate need of an overhaul. Yet one of the strangest of all video game characters may have found a perfect home on Nintendo's DS. 

Insomniacs, Rejoice!

The single-player mode of Bomberman has been clinically proven to be the most powerful sedative on the market today. The biggest challenge as your single, destructive avatar slowly ambles around each very similar level is trying to stay interested.

The idea is to destroy any enemies wandering around each level and to find the exit before the timer reaches zero. As you bomb different walls, you uncover various power-ups that are stockpiled on the DS' second screen, to be used with a quick touch if needed.

The problem is that, should you die, any power-ups you've used are null and void, returning you to the slow, single-bomb setting loser you originally were. And beating the boss creatures in this form is nigh-impossible, so you'll find they only way to play Bomberman is to stockpile all of your power-ups until each boss level, which pretty much destroys the fun factor of the levels leading up to each boss encounter.

It's Good to Play Together

On the flip side, we've got Bomberman's spectacular multiplayer mode. Up to eight players can compete on their respective DS systems, though only one person need have the Bomberman cartridge. This is the way multiplayer gaming should be on the Nintendo handheld.

In the multiplayer games, power-ups take effect immediately upon pickup, and the action is simply frantic. Travel from the top screen to the bottom in each level, setting traps for your adversaries and trying to link up explosions for devastating fireballs which can take out multiple enemies in one fell swoop. It's quite addictive, and definitely ranks as one of the best multiplayer experiences to be had on the DS.

It should be noted, too, that the game comes complete with bots, so you friendless folks out there can still enjoy the full-fledged multiplayer setup in Bomberman to a certain degree.

Caveat Emptor

The score we've awarded Bomberman is based almost solely on the player having multiple DS-owning chums, all of whom will partake in the Bomberman experience. As a multiplayer game, Bomberman is more than worth its price tag. However, as a single-player game, this one comes dangerously close to being a bomb.