http://wii.ign.com/articles/748/748749p1.html
December 1, 2006 -
Nintendo's Virtual Console features nearly three decades of classic NES, S-NES, N64, Genesis, and Turbografx-16 games. IGN.com has over the years posted reviews for many of these titles. Those verdicts still stand, as they are critiques of the products during the years that they were originally released. Our Virtual Console reviews are, in contrast, designed to provide readers with assessments of the re-released games in today's marketplace, answering whether the classic play styles are still fun and, ultimately, if the offerings are worth your hard-earned Wii Points.
By the time 1993 rolled around, Bomberman had been blasting for years. His first appearance was on the NES, where the basics that would define his series were established. But Bomberman truly matured when Hudson, the company that created him, debuted its own video game hardware - the TurboGrafx-16.
An early release for the system, simply called "Bomberman," reimagined the character with the short, out-of-proportion design with the white bucket helmet that we recognize today. It was a radical departure from the first attempts to display the character in artwork - he'd previously always been depicted as a kind of blue-suited Samus Aran (even though the in-game graphics of the NES title looked much closer to the "new" art style). Cuteness worked where realism didn't, and from 1990 on the B-Man has (
with one unfortunate exception) been kept in stylized anime form.
This Virtual Console release isn't the first Bomberman game from the NES. It's also not the first Bomberman game from the TurboGrafx. This release,
Bomberman '93, was the follow-up to those titles. It came to the TG16 in, of course, 1993, and brought with it the classic multiplayer blasting design that you've probably had the opportunity to play several times before.
You and up to four friends are thrown into a square-shaped arena filled with obstacles. You have the power to lay bombs at your feet, that, after a few seconds, explode into horizontal and vertical lines of flame. The object of the game is to be the last Bomberman standing, clearing enough of the obstacles out of the way with your own bombs to get into range of your friends, then trapping them in a corner, laying another explosive, and kissing them goodbye.
The simple battle-royale formula was so successful in its first few outings that even modern Bomberman releases do little to change it, and are scorned if they try. It's one of the best and most classic multiplayer contests gaming has to offer - it's nice to see it debuting here with the Wii.
The game supports up to five players, though the process to get the fifth human on board is confusing. The Wii can only handle four Wiimotes and/or Classic Controllers at a time, which means you need at least one GameCube Controller plugged in. As you select Bomberman's channel from your Wii dashboard, you need to hold down the R Button on each Cube Controller you want to use - doing so will boot the game into a controller assignment screen before the opening cinematic plays.
You can use any combination of Wiimotes and Cube Controllers, so even if you only have the one Remote that shipped with your system you can probably gather up four last-gen corded pads (or better yet, Wavebirds) to outfit a full force of five.
Besides the classic multiplayer mode, Bomberman '93 hosts a lengthy single-player adventure. Over 50 levels take you through a variety of worlds, where the gameplay focus is on eliminating all of the enemies in a room and then finding the hidden exit portal before time runs out. A boss battle comes at the end of every planet, as Bomberman blasts around his solar system on the trail of his dark and evil twin.
Closing Comments
Hudson chose wisely in selecting Bomberman '93 as one of its first Virtual Console titles. It supports the multiplayer, party-gaming focus that the Wii is designed to inspire, and even goes one better by letting a fifth player get in on the fun. The single player mode is still fun and challenging, a great representation of Bomberman's early days. All that for just one dollar more than an NES download – it's a great value.
8.0
Presentation
Bomberman's vibrant style shines through in every menu and cutscene, giving the whole game a cohesive and colorful feel. 7.0
Graphics
It seems that TurboGrafx games running on the VC aren't as crisp as the other emulated systems, but Bomberman still looks good. 7.5
Sound
Energetic and playfully happy, the soundtrack supports each bomb blast with beats that match the cute-but-deadly tone. 8.5
Gameplay
Many Bomberman fans have never seen support for more than four players. Here, the action is classic and even more frantic with five in the mix. 8.0
Lasting Appeal
This is one VC game that will likely claim a regular spot in your Wii party-gaming rotation for a long time to come. 8.5
Great
OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)
).
ing IGN just had it wrong.