A Review: Bomberman Hero, N64 1998
Bomberman Hero is a platformer developed for the N64 by A.I. Co., Ltd. and published by Nintendo. This game has a much heavier focus on the platformer genre and features abilities never before seen in a Bomberman game, such as the ability to jump and a health meter. Set between Bomberman 64 and The Second Attack, this game has a plot that is very reminiscent of Star Wars. Despite being a Bomberman game, Hero takes a step away from the multiplayer component and instead focuses on the single-player element.
I wasn't so sure of this game when I was playing it, and I still feel that way now that I have completed it. Something feels off with this game that is hard to explain—a missing feel or vibe, something like that. I suspect that it is because this game completely did away with the standard Hudson Soft formula and went in more of an action-adventure direction. Even the platformer elements feel stripped away and more basic. The limited, linear world and environmental designs also helped to cement this strange feeling. It was almost like A.I. Co. wanted to re-invent the game but didn't quite pull it off. I liked this more than I did The Second Attack, but it feels like a hollow victory, like comparing apples with oranges. Still, I liked this game and enjoyed the new play style. The improved controls and the ability to actually jump opened gameplay right up for me. The health system was well implemented and made sense from a player's perspective. Meaning that you could pull off more risky manoeuvres was always going to be something welcomed. I wasn't so sure of the puzzle elements, but I did enjoy the new angles that they added to the game. I thought that the racing sections were right out of left field and, at the time, made little sense, but somehow, somehow, they just worked. I will agree with some reviewers that this game did indeed struggle with render distances. I noted on the larger maps that looking off into the distance did strange things to a level and would animate enemies floating around in the air. It was less of an issue during the boss battles but was a definite problem on some levels, so much so that it hindered play at times. I really liked being able to jump in this game but found that it turned into something of a gimmick come the later levels, with almost every other move being a jump. It just felt overused and almost highlighted, for want of a better way to put it. I did like that Hero was indeed markedly longer than The Second Attack and maybe even the original, but it was also much easier. I had little to no problems whomping the enemy's, and I also found the bosses to be something of a breeze compared to the other games. I did like the plot, even though I felt that it was suspiciously close to a series of space dramas that we all know, and I liked the camera for Hero; it actually functioned like a camera should!
Visually, I will say that Hero was also better than the other games. There were more colours used, better textures, and more of a 'hand drawn' feel all around. The trees and other greenery were a little basic, but they looked good enough and fit in with the world they were in. I liked how the item boxes and Interactibles looked; they popped nicely from the world's colour palette and were clear and obvious. Bomberman had improved textures, and his model looked more like it did in the original, which was nice from a continuity point of view. The puzzles were nicely laid out visually and made a lot of sense, making them almost intuitive. The little racing sections were nicely worked, and I thought that they looked pretty cool, both literally and visually. Bomberman's movements, jumps, and item interaction animations were clean and smooth; I couldn't see any issues there anyway. The HUD was simple and well coloured; it was clean and easy to read without going overboard, and I liked how the bosses and larger enemies looked overall. The whole game just seemed to be of a higher quality than The Second Attack, at least in my opinion anyway.
Overall, I liked this game quite a lot, but there were still some big issues for me that I couldn't pretend away. The missing multiplayer is a huge thing for me and is something that completes a Bomberman game, in my opinion. The lower difficulty curve was also an issue, and I would have preferred a more solid gameplay direction. Otherwise, though, I will say that this was an okay game to play and one that could be enjoyed even if you're a hardcore Bomberman fan.
5/10 – Okay!
Signed Off – Leonardo – PSJ
I wasn't so sure of this game when I was playing it, and I still feel that way now that I have completed it. Something feels off with this game that is hard to explain—a missing feel or vibe, something like that. I suspect that it is because this game completely did away with the standard Hudson Soft formula and went in more of an action-adventure direction. Even the platformer elements feel stripped away and more basic. The limited, linear world and environmental designs also helped to cement this strange feeling. It was almost like A.I. Co. wanted to re-invent the game but didn't quite pull it off. I liked this more than I did The Second Attack, but it feels like a hollow victory, like comparing apples with oranges. Still, I liked this game and enjoyed the new play style. The improved controls and the ability to actually jump opened gameplay right up for me. The health system was well implemented and made sense from a player's perspective. Meaning that you could pull off more risky manoeuvres was always going to be something welcomed. I wasn't so sure of the puzzle elements, but I did enjoy the new angles that they added to the game. I thought that the racing sections were right out of left field and, at the time, made little sense, but somehow, somehow, they just worked. I will agree with some reviewers that this game did indeed struggle with render distances. I noted on the larger maps that looking off into the distance did strange things to a level and would animate enemies floating around in the air. It was less of an issue during the boss battles but was a definite problem on some levels, so much so that it hindered play at times. I really liked being able to jump in this game but found that it turned into something of a gimmick come the later levels, with almost every other move being a jump. It just felt overused and almost highlighted, for want of a better way to put it. I did like that Hero was indeed markedly longer than The Second Attack and maybe even the original, but it was also much easier. I had little to no problems whomping the enemy's, and I also found the bosses to be something of a breeze compared to the other games. I did like the plot, even though I felt that it was suspiciously close to a series of space dramas that we all know, and I liked the camera for Hero; it actually functioned like a camera should!
Visually, I will say that Hero was also better than the other games. There were more colours used, better textures, and more of a 'hand drawn' feel all around. The trees and other greenery were a little basic, but they looked good enough and fit in with the world they were in. I liked how the item boxes and Interactibles looked; they popped nicely from the world's colour palette and were clear and obvious. Bomberman had improved textures, and his model looked more like it did in the original, which was nice from a continuity point of view. The puzzles were nicely laid out visually and made a lot of sense, making them almost intuitive. The little racing sections were nicely worked, and I thought that they looked pretty cool, both literally and visually. Bomberman's movements, jumps, and item interaction animations were clean and smooth; I couldn't see any issues there anyway. The HUD was simple and well coloured; it was clean and easy to read without going overboard, and I liked how the bosses and larger enemies looked overall. The whole game just seemed to be of a higher quality than The Second Attack, at least in my opinion anyway.
Overall, I liked this game quite a lot, but there were still some big issues for me that I couldn't pretend away. The missing multiplayer is a huge thing for me and is something that completes a Bomberman game, in my opinion. The lower difficulty curve was also an issue, and I would have preferred a more solid gameplay direction. Otherwise, though, I will say that this was an okay game to play and one that could be enjoyed even if you're a hardcore Bomberman fan.
5/10 – Okay!
Signed Off – Leonardo – PSJ
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