
<MAP NAME="boxmap-p8"><AREA SHAPE="RECT" COORDS="14, 200, 103, 207" HREF="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" ><AREA COORDS="0,0,10000,10000" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/thearmchairem-20" ></MAP><img src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/rcm/120x240.gif" width="120" height="240" border="0" usemap="#boxmap-p8" alt="Shop at Amazon.com">	Platform Gamecube Genre Platformer/Multiplayer Party Game Publisher Majesco Developer Hudson ESRB E (Everyone) Released Q1 2004

- Different bombs and power-ups - Good multiplayer

- Linear and unchallenging single-player mode - Not much innovation - Horrible camera

Review: Bomberman Generation (GC) Review: Ultimate MUSCLE - The Kinnikuman Legacy (GC)
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Bomberman Jetters

Score: 7.0 / 10

First, I would like to say how inconvenient it has been for me to bring this review to you, faithful reader. As I’m sure you know, there are some premiere kick ass games out right now, and I don’t know what you are doing reading this review, because this game isn’t one of them. I’ve had to sacrifice some of my Manhunt, and Painkiller time to devote to this cutesy game. I hope you’ll forgive any snide comments if you are Bomberman fan, or are still in elementary or early high school, or are a parent shopping for a game for their kid. Either way, I’ll try and make this bit of writing as entertaining as possible if you too are on a Manhunt, Painkiller, Ninja Gaiden or Pandora Tomorrow break.

I don’t really get the whole Bomberman thing. Being Asian myself, I don’t understand it, but it seems that back in the mother continent, there are some strange cartoon characters that would seem as if they were for children, but upon closer inspection, young adults seem to love the characters just as much. With the voiceovers, and characters in the game, I can only conclude that the target market for this game on North American shores would be for the under 14 crowd, but hey I played it and I thought it was okay. (Bomb Up!)

With that being said, Bomberman Jetters (BJ) is a competent if unexciting platformer. The basic premise is that Planet Bomber is going to be destroyed by a huge comet made by the Hige Hige Bandits. (Don’t ask me!) There are four worlds that White Bomber and Max have to navigate through. You can change between White Bomber and Max on the fly and in some cases although not too many, you will need to use Max to get past a certain part.

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Each world has a few different levels and a few different bosses. The objective of each level is to navigate your way to the end of the environment. Since the view is an oblique top down view, there is no jumping or twitch reflex challenges. Instead, Max and White Bomber manipulate the environment through their bombs and by stepping on switches to open new environments. To destroy enemies, you basically throw, kick, or place bombs by your enemies. The gameplay is incredibly linear and

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there isn’t much challenge in terms of puzzle solving or through the enemies that you will encounter. What you will get in some of the more enclosed environments are some seriously challenging camera angles.

Since the game amounts to essentially navigating a maze, being able to see where your character is, and where your enemies are is fairly critical. The camera is at a fixed angle but can be rotated in a full circle at that angle. This can make some of the more enclosed environments very frustrating to go through. Sometimes, I was stuck not knowing what to do for a long time and eventually figured it out when I rotated the camera to reveal a hidden switch or passage way. This kind of delay and interruption in the flow of a game is unforgivable to me. Even without such interruption each level shouldn’t take more than 20 to 30 minutes.

The boss fights also aren’t much of a challenge as the simple strategy of dodge attack and counter works like a charm every time. There is a little bit more to the game though that does add some level of interest. Throughout the game, you’ll get to collect Charaboms. These are basically creatures that can aid you in some way like a powerup does. You can only have one equipped at a time, but the effect lasts forever while it is equipped. These Charaboms can also be improved by collecting fruit. The equipped Charabom has a meter which will fill up as fruit is collected. When the meter is full, the equipped Charabom will level up, increasing the effect that it has on your character.

Some of the effects include reducing the damage that you take, allowing you to travel over water, and the ability to fly/glide. The greater the level of the Charabom (up to a maximum of level 3), the greater the effect it has on you. Also, there are different types of bombs that are available. You’ll need to find certain objects in order to create these bombs, but once they are created, they will be available to you indefinitely. These little diversions do add a little bit of spice to an otherwise linear game but in practice it proves to be too little to save the game from its downfalls.

After the single player campaign is done, there is still the real gem of the game in the multiplayer portion. This is the classic game that I’ve come to know and love where there are four players each trying to trap and bomb the other players and come out on top. If this game has little else to offer, this portion of the game still manages to save BJ from utter lameness.

Bomberman Jetters will not compete with the premier platformers of today. If nothing else, it should satisfy gamers looking for a good party game and a little more lighthearted fun during their breaks away from their more serious games.

- Mark Leung

(May 17, 2004)