"As
historical videogame “documents” both titles are invaluable."
Donkey
Kong and Bomberman, part of Nintendo’s “Classic NES” GBA titles,
are almost beyond reproach as games.But here’s a question I’ve been asking myself more and
more, particularly with old games being released in compilations, “How
do you review games that are almost 20-years old?”
In
this instance, both games are legends in their own right – classic
games that the younger set haven’t played but are always hearing
references to.As
historical video game “documents” both titles are invaluable.
Invaluable
for one reason: naked gameplay.Both
titles demonstrate gameplay over flashy presentation.
Both
Bomberman (BM) and Donkey Kong (DK) are right at home on the GBA.DK with its three repeating levels of jumping and climbing and BM
with its puzzle-like approach involving high-explosives, they both
feature gameplay that can be grasped instantly and played for hours on
end or quick 10 minute sessions.(It’s a lesson a lot of games nowadays have forgotten.)
For
those not in the know, BM’s gameplay is much the same as today’s
Bomberman games.You
navigate a maze of blocks (some destructible, some not) dropping bombs
in an attempt to catch your enemies in the resulting blast.It starts simply enough but as you progress, you can drop more
than one bomb at a time and their power is increased allowing a clever
player to set up truly massive chain-reaction explosions.There’s a timer to keep you moving and it’s one of those
games that’s great for quick play times or much longer times.The simple mechanics but overall solid challenge make it easy
to pick-up and hard to master. (If the game’s 20-years old, I’m
allowed to use really tired game journalist catchphrases!)
And
Donkey Kong… Well, DK is right up there with all-time classics like
Pong.It’s fitting I
quote from my Classic Review of the Colecovision version:
The
graphics are crap by today’s standards but they still manage to evoke
warm feelings of misspent youth. The sound’s not much better. The same
tune plays over and over, changing only when you grab the hammer. But
they are memorable. Years later and for no apparent reason I started
humming the tunes as I helped my uncle demolish a retaining wall with a
sledgehammer.
Even
with their classic status, I have a couple of gripes.Each cartridge costs $20US, an exorbitant amount considering all
those involved have been paid royalties many times over.If each cartridge came with a couple of games – hey, they did
it for Duck Hunt and Super Mario Bros. on the NES (and like I've done
with this review!) – I might be less inclined to beat my chest and
yell, “Money grab!They’re
relying on a gamer’s sense of nostalgia to sell software!”I voiced this opinion to an acquaintance of mine but got shouted
down.“It’s a piece of
history, man!Works of art!How much would you pay for a Picasso or a Carr?$20 is a steal!”So, opinion is split on that matter.
My
other issue is that Bomberman wasn't that great a game to start with and
there's no multiplayer, which is sure to cause some gamers to scratch
their heads. There are more current Bomberman titles for the GBA
that do feature multiplayer so why would you want to grab the original
that doesn't have the feature?