Bomberman '93 - Virtual Console Review
A Great Old-school Party Game - Bomberman ‘93 Review
The Bomberman series isn’t notorious for its constant, ever-changing gameplay. Truth be told, said element isn’t even a staple of the franchise. Most gamers remember Bomberman from playing it in arcades and having a blast with its multiplayer component. Bomberman ’93, originally released for the TurboGrafx-16, is available for download on the Wii, and it’s worth a download by anyone who wants an addictive party game that they can play with a group of up to four other people.
Bomberman ‘93 Gameplay - Single-player Mode (2 out of 5)
Bomberman ’93 features a single-player mode where it is your goal to destroy all of the enemies onscreen by blowing them up with
bombs. You must navigate a maze-like structure, blowing up walls to gain access to the entire level, and take out the enemies one by one. The single-player mode in Bomberman ’93 is for all intents and purposes a weak, boring, and taxing affair. There’s nothing here to keep you entertained for long, and there’s really no incentive to keep playing this mode.
Bomberman ‘93 Gameplay - Multiplayer Mode (4 out of 5)
Where Bomberman ’93 really shines is in its multiplayer component. You can face off against four other players in different arenas
where your goal is to blow everyone else up and be the last player standing. Yes, this game does support five players simultaneously; it just requires a combination of Wii Remotes and GameCube controllers to pull off, and it is highly worth it.
Like in the single-player mode, you have to blast through walls, blow up your enemies, and collect power-ups. Unlike the single-player mode, this is all done against your friends, so it’s very easy to get hooked. Playing against your buddies is exciting and can get really tense the closer you draw to the big finish. There’s something really enthralling about being able to play Bomberman against your friends, and this is what adds so much lasting value to this title. The gameplay is so inviting and non-threatening that you’ll find yourself playing countless games against your friends.
Graphics and Sound (3 out of 5)
Bomberman ’93 features a bright, colorful look that isn’t too detailed but works well enough. The game looks a little blurry, but that doesn’t take
away from the gameplay in the slightest. And even with its slight technical flaws, Bomberman ’93 is a decent-looking game overall. The sound design, on the other hand, leaves a bit to be desired. This is due to the fact that there is only one song for the multiplayer mode, so you’ll soon grow tired of the game’s severely limited soundtrack.
Lasting Value (4 out of 5)
If Bomberman ’93 only included the lackluster single-player mode, it would be hard to stay entertained for longer than half an hour. Thanks to its
inclusion of a multiplayer component, however, Bomberman ’93 manages to entertain for a very long time. It’s very easy to spend hours playing against friends, and you’ll see just how fast time ticks by when you get some good games going. It’s just that much fun. And at only 600 Wii Points ($6), you definitely get a lot of bang for your buck.
Bomberman ‘93 Overall Score (4 out of 5)
It’s very easy to overlook a title like Bomberman ’93. It’s not the most iconic of titles, it’s a TurboGrafx-16 game, and its sequel,
Bomberman ’94, is also available for download on the Virtual Console. Still, if you want to play something simple but highly addictive with some friends, you can’t go wrong with Bomberman ’93. You could download Bomberman ’94, which features a better single-player mode, for just a buck more, but that’s only if you want a better gaming experience that’s centered around the lone player. Bomberman is really all about its multiplayer component, and the multiplayer mode featured in Bomberman ’93 is as outstanding as it can be.
This post is part of the series: Bomberman Guide
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