In 1997 Bomberman 64 hit shelves in the U.S.. It was a transition to a new type of Bomberman, now he would interact in the THIRD DIMENSION, or 3D. Instead of just being a game where you would toss bombs at your friends and try to solve puzzles, a story was added as well. What was really great was the multiplayer, it was some good old bombing in 3D, with awesome power ups. The game sold pretty well and for the most part critics liked it. Sure it had its flaws, but it had a certain kind of charm to it. I sure as hell loved it and was excited for another one. That’s when Bomberman Hero came to play.

In September of the next year we got a brand new Bomberman. Now before we start, I just want to say that I really enjoyed this game, but that’s probably just the nostalgia I get from it… there’s a lot of stuff that pisses me off about it too. So lets just jump right into it.

So ya pop the game in, get to the tittle screen, and… WHAT!!! THERE’S NO MULTIPLAYER? What the hell? They do know what Bomberman is right? You know, that game whose selling point was its creative and fun multiplayer! Bomberman without your multiplayer is like having your cake, but instead of eating it a pack of wild Racoons swoops in and defiles the cake. Okay, maybe that is a bit of over kill there, but seriously what were they thinking? There are a multiple of theories as to why the game is like this: some say it wanted to be more like Mario 64, I mean that was a successful game with no multiplayer, so why not? The one I like to believe is, that the team was rushed by having to get the game published in under a year, so to save time they cut the multiplayer. There’s no proof that I know of to that theory, but it seems like the most logical. Alright, I can forgive the no multiplayer, because the one player mode is pretty good.

Next, since there are no other modes, we go to the story mode. The story isn’t anything special, a princess is captured and Bomberman has to save her… how creative. However, the game play and the actually fun mechanics are what carry the game. Bomberman travels from world to world, trying, at first, chasing Princess Milian, then collecting disks for Princess Milian. After you collect all the disks, in an epic plot twist, it is revealed you have been swindled into re-creating the evil villain Bagular, and the Princess was actually one of his henchmen in disguise. Bomberman then chases him down, while battling numerous bosses and mini bosses, to end up in one last fight. Once you beat him Burglar tries to blow up the planet and the game ends… unless you played the game perfectly collecting every thing needed, to see the real ending. The real ending show that, “Evil Bomberman” was behind the operation the whole time. Kill the guy, save the Princess, then ride off into the sun set victorious. Boom, Ending.

That’s one thing about the Bomberman games that always pissed me off: to get the actual ending, you have to collect EVERYTHING in the game. That just takes away the fun of it, having to go back through every level and play them perfectly, just to see what really happens to Bomberman. I find it overly repetitive and just a time wasting tactic.

The game play and feel is where this game thrives. The new platformer feel is done pretty well. The controls for the most part are tight, and easy to use. The level design and music create an ambiance, that makes the game a little bit deeper. The new bombs added are unique, such as the salt bomb, which is a bomb that can only kill slugs. The addition of power ups, like the jet pack, add different was to think about the levels and the way you solve them. The boss fights are challenging and very rewarding. If this game was just Bomberman Vs The Bosses, I’d be okay with that. The boss fights are some of the best I’ve ever fought.

Bomberman Hero falls short of being a great game. With the lack of multiplayer and average plot line, we are left with a sequel that can’t even tread water with its predecessor. While the game play and feel is there, the game as a whole just seems mediocre. I still love this game, but it can’t even compete with Bomberman 64. Bomberman Hero receives a 2 1/2 out of 5 stars.