This is a throwback to Bomberman when the series' popularity was arguably at its peak, and when four people would huddle around a SNES with a multi-tap to enjoy the knockabout thrills of one of the era's finest multiplayer games. Gone are the more hyper power-ups of latter Bombermans, and absent are the Louies, the kangaroo mounts that have been a series' staple since Bomberman '94. Bomberman's formula remains exquisite, and in paring it back to basics Konami serves up a warming reminder of its charms.
Earning gems in-game can be tough - they're easily acquired in online matches, but seeing as online's a mess at the moment that's not really an option.Ī small shame, as elsewhere Super Bomberman R fares much better. Needless to say, if you're out for a replacement for the sturdy and enjoyable Bomberman Live: Battlefest, you're best off looking elsewhere, and here's hoping Nintendo's own online debut with Switch in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is on firmer footing when it comes out towards the end of April. It's early days, of course, but there's a real danger that most players will have moved on by the time Super Bomberman R gets its act together. Even when you've fiddled in the settings to make sure you're only playing against people with decent connections there's a sluggishness that often devolves into a stuttering mess. Whether blame lies with developer Konami (who bought out Bomberman's creators Hudson Soft in 2012) or with Nintendo's own service or hardware isn't exactly clear, but playing Super Bomberman R online can be horrendous. And in that regard, it's not pretty at all. Secondly, it's the first game to showcase Nintendo Switch's online offering. First, its profile has been raised by one of the few physical retail games accompanying the launch of Nintendo's Switch (with a sizable price-tag to boot, something at odds with more recent Bombermans, such as DSiWare's Blitz or Xbox 360's Live: Battlefest). There's a weight that's been placed on Super Bomberman R, one that it's not always able to shoulder. With its blunt simplicity, though, it can be left a little exposed in these less forgiving times. In its power pop colour and with its kernel of proven multiplayer brilliance, it's every inch a forgotten Dreamcast classic that's been freshly unearthed.
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Super Bomberman R, an unlikely revival for Hudson Soft's classic series as it celebrates its 33rd anniversary, feels like the product of another age. Hudson Soft's much-loved series gets a surprise revival where great local multiplayer is balanced out by weak online and a premium price.