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An explosive review

By Randy McCoy

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The Game
This is one of the greatest classic games ever created! It should be considered to be right up there with Tetris. In this game you are a little chubby, robot looking guy, that roams around a maze style arena and blows stuff up. There is a lot of strategy in this game in how the bombs explode and how to avoid the blast and the enemy. In all the Bomberman games, the story is similar and the way it is played is similar. You have a playing field which is made up of either indestructible blocks or ones that can be destroyed. The bombs can blast the bricks, but they don't go through the others. It is not an easy game, I used to thing it was easy because you had unlimited bombs, which meant UNLIMITED BLASTING POWER. No enemy could defeat you, however it is a bit more complicated than just blowing up the enemies. You have to watch yourself and your bombs at the same time, and make sure enemies aren't approaching from behind.

It is very difficult to explain exactly how this game works. This is a general idea of how it works as best as I can explain it. The blocks that are indestructible can be in any form on the board, the game is down view. The bricks that can be destroyed are placed randomly around the area. Under these bricks are items that will assist you in your quest. Then there are the enemies that lurk around and try to get you. They cannot go through bricks, although some have the ability to fly over them or destroy them. Nothing can go through the permanent blocks. The strategy is slightly different in the tournament mode, but the idea is the same.

There are several modes in Bomberman '93, as in all the others. You can play the combat mode with up to five players! You can play two players on a Turbo Express. Or if you are alone, you can go through the quest mode. I will say some things about each below.



Bomberman '93 story

This is the quest mode: You as Bomberman are having just a fun day of relaxation when all of a sudden the lights go out all over town. What's going on? Well that little Black Bomberman (Your arch-enemy) has taken all the computer chips from the center of town. He takes 6 computer chips and then puts them on 6 different planets and then runs away to his own little hide away. You must go to the first 6 planets and bring back the computer chips. Then go after the black bomber himself on his futuristic little world. On the way there are many enemies that get in your way and a huge one at the end of each planet to fight with.

A bit about the quest mode

You are to go through all the levels in the quest mode and to recover all the lost chips. There isn't a whole lot to say about the quest mode. Each level seems to be similar to the last. However each planet has its own uniqueness to it. At the end of each planet you have to fight a superboss for one of the chips that was stolen. These guys are pretty tough. Just keep blasting away at them! Once you have recovered all the chips, the black Bomberman's planet is revealed and you must go there to finish him off. Once you get there, you will have to fight the other Bombermen which have different colors, before going after Blackie himself. The different colored Bombermen are the ones you use in the combat mode. Here they are all out to get you. After defeating them on their crazy motor cycles you must go after the black Bomberman. I have to admit that I have no easy way to beat this guy, he is very tough. Your area to move gets cut in half so you can't hide as easily. There is no safe spot to stand either while you fight him. When you defeat him, the quest mode is over, and you get to see a neat ending. There isn't much else to the quest mode. At the end of every level, after you beat a boss, you get to see a picture of Bomberman doing something to the boss you just defeated. They are really funny to look at. The game does get monotonous at times, so don't try to go through the entire quest all in one day. That is what saving and passwords are for!



The Battle!

There are two battle modes, one with two Bombermen using two Turbo Expresses, and one that has up to five at once! I have never tired playing with someone on the Turbo Express, so I don't know what it is like. Probably similar to the normal battle mode.
In the normal battle mode you can choose how many players you want, how many wins to get, what level you want to play, and a few other options. Each battle level (like the quest) Has its own attributes. It is also fun to play just one person (if your by yourself) and make the opponents computer controlled. The object is to blow up all the other Bombermen on the field. When you do that you will get a coin, and when the goal is reached the person with the specified number of coins will win! Blow up your enemies before they blow you up.

A few Items that need consideration

Strategies

A good strategy when first starting out at Bomberman, is to go through the quest mode. When you have done that, it will be easier in the battle to understand how everything works and how to avoid getting
killed. One important rule that applies to both the battle and the quest mode is "Your enemies cannot go through bombs!" This is a very important part of the game. If an enemy is chasing you, you can put down a bomb and stop him. If enemies are coming at you in both directions put a bomb down and stand on it! They will not be able to get you, unfortunately you don't have much time to stay there. This is helpful in the battle mode as well. Another important rule that is just a part of life in the world of Bomberman is, no matter when you put your bomb down, it can be ignited by another bomb. When two bombs are lined up one will ignite the other. This is a good strategy to try and trick your opponents who think they are safe. You can kick a bomb over to your opponent as well, to further confuse him and make him nervous. Use the line bomber to trap your enemy in the corner, but don't trap yourself!

One of the main things to consider in Bomberman is
DON'T TRAP YOURSELF!
This is the most common mistake, and it is fatal. Try to trap your opponents but don't get yourself in the corner with one of your own bombs. Even in the quest mode, your bombs are almost more dangerous then the enemy! There are many tricks to this game, it is a strategy, so find your own techniques and blow up your friends.

One more important note: The SKULLS! The skull icon is very dangerous. Unless you are a very good player, it is best to avoid the skulls or blow them up. Most of there effects are bad and will probably get you killed. They have many different effects on Bomberman, most are fatal. If you do get a skull though, what is fun is to go and infect someone else with it. If you get a skull and touch another Bomberman, he will get the effects of the skull that you got. So try to infect everyone on the board. It's loads of fun!



Overall

This is one of the greatest games on a card that I have ever played! Even after you are sick of the quest mode, there is still battle after battle awaiting you. If you haven't done it all ready, try to get a draw game when your in the battle mode. You will see a very funny picture, and it changes depending on the number players you have. This is really a great game and is very challenging. A definite must have for your collection of games. Even other systems have tried to make there own version of Bomberman, I have played them all and the Version for Duo and the Turbo, is the most fun. This game is definitely a winner in my book! Try it out! Have fun blasting!

Review by Randy McCoy. Layout, graphics, and design by Bob Frasure. Send e-mail to [email protected]