Reviewed: August 1, 2007
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Publisher
Hudson Soft

Developer
Backbone Entertainment

Released: July 18, 2007
Genre: Action
Players: 1-4

8
6
6
9
8.2

Supported Features:

This is Bomberman’s second appearance on the 360…I’m still seeing my therapist about the first game (“Act Zero”)…but I’m doing much better now…thanks for asking. When I heard the Live version was returning to the roots of the franchise I was pretty excited. I still play my NDS and PSP versions of Bomberman regularly, but you can only do so much when it comes to four players and local Wi-Fi on those systems. Xbox Live would quickly prove to be the ultimate source for online competition in one of the most addictive titles in the XBLA library.

If you are new to Bomberman, or just a bit rusty, you might want to practice up in the offline modes where you can battle some challenging AI competition, at least if you crank up the difficulty a few notches. On the lower settings the AI is purely fodder for your bombing skills. It shouldn’t take long before you are ready to head online where the real challenge (and real people) are waiting.

The last time I had this much multiplayer fun with Bomberman was on my NDS, but now I can play on a 47” HDTV versus a 2” LCD – slight difference – and compete with up to 7 other people that don’t necessarily have to be within Wi-Fi range. There is no substituting the random unpredictability of human opposition vs. AI and it can get downright crazy at times, with up to eight bombers running around these mazes dropping bombs and mines and grabbing the power-up just a millisecond before you were going to snatch it yourself.

Bomberman gets personal in this new version allowing you to create your own Bomberman alter ego with more than 10,000 customization options. Chances are you will never see the same exact Bomberman in your lifetime. Once you have created your in-game personae you can head online and take part in classic original game modes as well as some all-new variations that will test your bomb dropping, throwing, and kicking skills.

Each of the levels has at least a few specific features that affect the gameplay. There might be a trapdoor that strips you of your inventory or a pit of quicksand that freezes you in mid-play. It really helps to learn these levels in solo-play before learning the “hard way” online.

There are numerous game modes to enjoy including all the classic survival modes as well as some new treats like Paint Bomb where you bomb the squares in the level to paint them your color. The player with the most colored tiles at the end of the timer wins. You can play any mode on any map and you can even setup varying degrees of power-up availability. Whether you are hosting a match or trying to join one, the setup and game matching options are easy and intuitive.

There is a whole new level of strategy involved when you take in the human factor. What works in solo play might not play out the same when you have up to seven other people thinking the same way. You’ll still need to work the power-up angles by increasing your bomb count as well as your own personal speed and even the blast zone of each bomb. There are also some fun and random power-ups you can inflict on the other players. It's part strategy but mostly reflexes.

The action is fast and explosive, with smooth animation, simple character designs that are more iconic than anything else. Your characters really aren’t any more complex than the power-up graphics they collect during gameplay. Aside from the fiery explosions, nothing really elevates above sprite-style graphics that date back to the origins of the series.

The sound effects are also pretty lame; mostly explosion after explosion then multiply that by the number of players. It gets a little more intense during the final countdown of any given level when the maze is shrinking as blocks slam down from above.

Achievement points aren’t exactly easy to earn either, so you can plan to spend a few days or even weeks working to earn all 200 points, mostly all done through online competition.

This game retains all the core fun and challenge of the original as well as keeping the charming visual style intact, and with unparalleled freedom to create and customize your own game sessions and rules, there is no end in sight for the addictive gameplay you will experience with Bomberman Live.