[xy_game]Super Bomberman R was my 2nd most-anticipated title releasing on the Nintendo Switch launch. It’s the first Bomberman release in seven years, since Bomberman Live: Battlefest released on the Xbox 360 via the Live Arcade. Does Bomberman R recreate that feeling for gamers?
First off, the last Bomberman game costs $9.99 (USD) on Live Arcade. By comparison, Super Bomberman R retails for $49.99 (USD), which is a huge gap no matter how you view it. What’s the reason for this? We’re not really sure. Maybe it’s the fact that Konami knows it’s been so long, as many gamers were hungry for more Bomberman… and they’re hungry for cash? Or maybe they honestly feel there is enough content in the game to warrant the new pricetag.
What the game does offer you includes a brand-new story mode, along with the online multiplayer and local multiplayer. While two of these modes aren’t anything new, the story mode is a new addition from its predecessor. The game features eight worlds, each with its own artistic style, enemies, and basic puzzles that you’ll have to overcome to save the day. The cinematics are nothing short of extremely colorful and they feature some very high Japanese influence. Despite the name of the mode, the “story” isn’t really captivating in any sense, but the value here comes from all the different levels you’ll get to experience. Each world has various stages and then you’ll need to defeat a final boss to clear the world, and these battles are pretty fast-paced and require you to drop lines of bombs quickly, and then get to a safe point nearly immediately to save your own self. Should you fail, you can purchase more lives with your in-game currency (which is in no shortage) and try again.
When the initial trailer dropped for Super Bomberman R, I was instantly hooked on the catchy music they used to showcase the gameplay. Good news, that’s the first tune you’ll hear in the story mode. Bad news, you’ll hear the same song in every stage for the first world. It’s just like the time when a radio starts playing a song, it gets popular, and they play it so much you’re sick of it. Seriously, where’s the variation? I think we’d even have enjoyed old music from previous games just to mix it up. Sure, each world has a new tune but that leaves you listening to each song at least 8 times over before it changes. Switch it up, Konami!
Where Super Bomberman R truly shines is in its multiplayer component. The premise is simple – be the last person standing. Start with a limit of 1 bomb on-screen at a time, and blow up the blocks, earn power-ups to increase the firepower, the number of bombs, your movement speed, and more. The faster and more accurate you are, the better your chances of coming out on top. Multiplayer games tend to get quite hectic when you’re playing with multiple other players, and you’ll often find yourself being blown sky-high because it’s tough to keep focus on all other players at any given time. While some victories can attributed to pure luck, there is some strategy involved if you can manage to sandwich your opponents between multiple bombs, or get them stuck against a wall.
You can change up and customize multiplayer games with a myriad of options across a bunch of arenas, play with real people, or fill the match with bots, for up to a total of eight players. Joy-cons can be detached and shared to easily play a two player match with a friend, anywhere, anytime. Some arenas use game-changing features including conveyor belts, slippery surfaces are more, and these can often catch you off guard and lead to your untimely demise, or sometimes even an unexpected victory. Multiplayer in Super Bomberman R really is a blast. Truly, if any game on the Switch is going to push me towards a second set of Joy-con controllers, this is it.
So, is Super Bomberman R really worth it? It’s a yes and no answer to be honest. It really depends on you, and how much you’ll play it. If you’re big into multiplayer, chances are you’ll love this game and you’ll put more than enough time into it to justify the $50 pricetag. Super Bomberman R has enough content and replay value if you love this sort of game, but if you’re looking for something with depth and long-lasting impressions, you might want to try that Breath of the Wild game.
| Rating | Description |
| 9.0 | Gameplay The gameplay is fast and frantic with lots of options to customize your multiplayer experience. Story mode is a nice addition, but not the main focus of the game. Slight reponse lag with controls but you get used to it and tend to compensate for it. |
| 7.0 | Graphics Pretty cluttered in tablet mode, but the game looks decent on a big screen, and keeps that much loved Bomberman 'style'. |
| 6.0 | Sound While the explosions and sound effects are enjoyable, I grew tired of hearing the background tracks over and over. Needs more variety! |
| 7.5 | Final Score |
