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Neo Bomberman
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by Bobak!
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Neo Bomberman: An Unexpected Review by Bobak!
Neo Bomberman is a game that lies on that odd periphery of the Neo Geo world:the MVS only. Hudson Soft (the bee people), released it as an MVS game in 1997.For some reason (maybe a lack of faith in the Neo Geo community, bastards),Hudson Soft never saw fit to release the game on home cart or CD. Making matterseven more complicated for gamers, Neo Bomberman is an uncommon MVS game that'spricier than most MVS carts. Is a game like this even worth tracking down? I sayyes, but read my review and judge for yourself.
PREMISE:
Neo Bomberman is a faithful chapter of the Bomberman series (unlike PanicBomber, but that's another story). If you've never played a Bomberman game (ifnot, you should on at least some platform), the game is simple. You controlBomberman, a little person in a pseudo-spacesuit who must run around a maze andplant bombs to destroy enemies and blast obstacles. The bombs are on a timer, soyou have a limited amount of time to plant the bomb to kill an enemy withoutbeing blown away as well or being touched by an enemy in the meantime. The keyto any Bomberman game is mastering both navigating the maze speedily andplanting bombs in a strategic fashion (especially against smarter enemies). Youfinish a level when you eliminate all the enemies within the set time.
Neo Bomberman has a story (Bomberman's friends have been kidnapped by aliensor something like that), but like most Bomberman games, the fun is in blowingthings up -not thinking about plot. In fact, Neo Bomberman has the added bonusof a Battle mode where you can duke it out with a friend and/or up to 3 computeropponents for four-way mayhem. No story, no frills, just twelve selectablecharacters and a decent AI. So how does this game stack up in practice?
GRAPHICS:
The graphics for Neo Bomberman are exactly what the graphics for a Bombermangame need to look like -and should look like with the color capabilities of theNeo Geo. All the characters and backgrounds are decorated in bright, happycolors that are pleasing to look at and easy to differentiate. The bosses innormal mode are large and my only caveat is the limited size of the play field(in Mega-Bomberman [Genesis] the play field could scroll in different directionsbut in Neo Bomberman the maze is one screen only). Do the graphics go to any newheights for the system or the series? No, while the characters are big (relativeto other Bomberman games) and the colors and shading are great, the game breaksno new ground. Still, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
MUSIC/SFX: 'Kyeeeck!'
Neo Bomberman Games
While the sound is great in Neo Bomberman, the music falls into the Neo Geomusic trap: The songs sound like they're coming from the end of a hallway. I'mnot sure if this is supposed to fool us into thinking we are listening to stereosound -I found it a bit of a drawback from the passable background tunes. Thatgripe aside, its the sound effect in any Bomberman that make our break the audiodepartment; and in that area Neo Bomberman does the job. The bombs make nicebooms, and the characters all have good voices that cry out when terminated andyell victory cries after a successful bout. The announcer, while speaking inEnglish, has that hilariously bad Japanese accent that we Neo Geo gamers havegrown to love. I found his announcement of 'winner' ('Wienaar!!!')after a Battle round equal to Andres Cantor's cry of 'GOOOAAAALLL!' ina soccer match -it makes you want to raise your fist and yell like a gladiator(or maybe its just me...). I also found the female voice that announces theabilities you pick up (kick = 'Kyeeeck!) to be a hoot as well. Overall,nothing really leaps into the 'exceptional' category, but, like the graphics,there isn't anything that will negatively affect your gaming experience.
PLAYABILITY: 'Wienaar!!!'
In the all-important realm of playability, Neo Bomberman succeeds! The playcontrols are sharp. Your little guy can move where you need with no problem.Other than the badly placed bomb on my part, I never once yelled'cheap!' at the screen (although I did yell a few other choice wordsafter accidental suicides). The power-ups are plentiful and kick-ass. You canpick up the ability to kick and throw bombs, increase the number of bombs youcan place, have a bigger explosion radii, climb onto the back of a bunch ofdifferent creatures, and much more. Nothing to complain about here.
REPLAY:
While the story mode could possible get tedious after many outings, thebattle mode was made for replay value. Not only do the different battle modecharacters have their own unique special powers, but you have the option of fourdifferent play fields to make the action even more challenging (if not downrightchaotic). These option keep it fresh, and the computer AI in Battle mode isstrong enough to keep you challenged in even one-player mode -with 2 humanplayers and 2 computer players its a free for all. Combine that with 2-playersimultaneous as an option in normal mode and you have one great party game. Thenagain, if you hate Bomberman games...once may be enough (No soup for you!).
OVERALL:
What can I say? If you like the Bomberman series and you like Neo Geo, thisis the perfect game for you. While I would have liked the added bonus of thebigger mazes from other Bomberman games, the Battle mode more than makes up forit in added replay value (after all, every Neo Geo game has to be a fighter inone way or another). Not being a big fan of Hudson Soft's other Bomberman themedgame, Panic Bomber (it was a straight puzzle game), I was hesitant when tryingNeo Bomberman. After a good run through, I think the game stands well on itsown.
Neo Bomberman Online
BREAKDOWN:
GRAPHICS: 70%
MUSIC/SFX: 70%
PLAYABILITY: 85%
REPLAY VALUE: High, especially with 2 players.
DIFFICULTY: Normal mode: fair / Battle mode: Hard
OVERALL: 80%
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MoreReviews of This Game:
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byKazuya_UK- Courtesy of Kazuya's
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