OK. I admit it. I was actually expecting the classic original Bomberman style gameplay when I picked this game up... but after awhile I kinda got into it, though not to the extent I would have hoped for. It's not a bad game, but I was kinda hoping for the old school original Bomberman gameplay all the same.

So though, and maybe you'll have to help me out here on this one, but has it ever (post 9-11) been in poor judgment to say "Bomberman"? I know this franchise is a pre 9-11 series (as some of the other old retro games about disarming bombs and the like) but still... anyone get their dandruff up in arms whenever "Bomberman" is mentioned? Guess not since there's been Bomberman releases post 9-11, including the terrible XBox360 incarnation, so... maybe I'm over thinking it.

There is two basic modes of gameplay. One is a endless rise up level after level where you race the clock to bounce and jump and bomb your way up this long progression of platforming levels. That's not very interesting (and I never liked that mode).

The second is story mode, and what a story mode it is this time out. I don't know.

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Maybe it's a sequel to the original series. Who knows. After going through the whole problem of escaping an underground complex in the original maybe it's a breath of fresh air (pun intended) to be playing on the surface world this time... or maybe not. In this strange game you are the savior of the world as you must rise through four worlds (each representing an elemental force) until you reach the top of a mountain where a world destroying evil await. How do you do that? Why bomb of course, despite the fact the title screen has you wielding a sword in fact your primary weapon is your trusty bomb (otherwise you wouldn't be known as "Bomberman" now would you).

Gone is the old maze like world of old. It has been replaced by a side scrolling (upward scrolling actually as you are climbing a mountain one level at a time) plat former where you must bomb your way past enemies, obstacles and basic rudimentary puzzles (I.e. barriers that require precision bombing in order to move forward). And that, if anything, is the real crux of the game and why it just doesn't work... Bomberman just doesn't work in this kind

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of environment. I know, I know, the game makers were trying for something new in an attempt to innovate the series, but it just falls short in so many ways... I mean, take the forever level to level gameplay for instance to see what's wrong with this game. All the plat forming, and bombing monsters in an unfamiliar plat forming environment just is rather hard to pull off. Sure it looks nice and all but with all the bouncing about (and jumping and running about) you have to do at times you can end up blowing yourself up with a wrong placed bomb, a illtimed jump, or maybe you'll just impale yourself on an enemy. Something. Somehow the game mechanics is just not as quick to learn and master as the old school maze gameplay (bomb here and there and mind where you bomb lest you trap yourself in your own explosion).

That and the game can be rather hard at times. Why? It's the damnable new concept of platforming. Enemies can be overcome, the new bosses possibly handled... but it's this damn platforming jumping from level to level, placing bombs to move barriers or open gates, and nailing jumps just right

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so that you progress instead of impaling yourself on something (explosion, enemy, pitfall, whatever), that's what kills the fun of what could have been a good concept.

I know that abit of Game Boy era games were trying to think outside of the box, but a lot of times it just didn't work out as well as it should. The original Batman (tie in to the movie) seemed more like a Mario clone than the solid NES game it should have emulated, Godzilla was a puzzler when it should have been better... ah. Where did good ideas go so wrong, I tell you, where!

But like I said it's not horrible... just not as good as the original classic Bomberman in my opinion, that's all. I have to get me that soon and review it... though not too soon since I could have held off on this review if I knew I was getting another Bomberman in to review soon. Anyway this game gets a 3 out of 5 for being average... yes, it's just average. Nothing to bomb a message home with.

I don't know. Isn't it kinda unkosher at least to go about making bomb jokes? I think so... maybe...