Overview – developed and published by Konami in partnership with HexaDrive, Super Bomberman R2 is the latest entry in the legendary explosive franchise. Go on a new adventure with the Bomberman brothers as they try to save the galaxy from a mysterious evil. This title is available on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation and Steam platforms, with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Konami for providing the copy of Super Bomberman R2 that was used for this piece, via the Keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story.
Story – in space, a mysterious entity known as the Black Moon has been attacking planets across the galaxy, all in search of a material called Ellonite. Hot on their heels are the Bomberman Brothers, a group of 8 robotic heroes who want to restore peace to the universe. During their mission they encounter a mysterious alien race called Ellon, who are tied to mysterious technology. Who are these beings and what connection do they have to the Ellonite?
Gameplay – the game is separated into two distinct modes, the multiplayer battle mode and single player story mode. In the single player mode, the player controls White Bomber tasked with exploring several worlds, collecting Ellon and battling the Lugion who have been deployed. The planets are separated into individual zones, with enemies that roam the areas, along with hazards like lasers and bomb canons that will hinder the progress of White.
The single player gameplay loop is similar to an adventure RPG, where the player can explore the worlds, bombing enemies, blocks and hazards. When travelling to a world, a headquarters and base camp will be established. This is the starting point for White to set out from, with the other zones branching off from there. The camp is also where you can access options including hints, exploration and the HQ Buildup level editor (discussed further below).
When on the surface of the planets, White is able to roam the different zones freely, using a way movement in the field. This is quite the contrast to the previous title, which was restricted to a grid based system. However, there are still areas of the different zones that have pillars, blocks and hazards that replicate the grid gameplay. White also has a limited number of lives, with one being lost when contact is made with flames or an enemy.
Players can drop bombs to take out the enemy forces, clear blocks and even destroy traps that are located in the different areas to allow progression. While blowing up enemies and blocks, there is a chance for point drops to spawn. When collected, these are added to White’s EXP meter and will level him up when different milestones are met. Each time the player levels up, they will gain an upgrade to their overall abilities.
At the start of a world, White will have a single bomb, level 2 fire power and level 0 speed, but as levels are gained, each of these skills are improved to a max level of 8. There are also power-ups, which consist of the punch, glove and kick abilities, letting the player do more with the bombs on screen. But the levelling system isn’t the only form of progression that plays a part in this adventure, as there are the Ellons that need to be located.
In each of the main planets, there are 100 Ellon to find. The most common way to uncover these squishy aliens is by blowing up the blocks they are trapped in, which will add them to your total. When an Ellon has been saved, they will follow White around creating a snake like tail behind him, with a maximum of five that can follow at any time. Great care must be taken though, as they can be blown up, which will send them away to the starting area.
The Ellons serve several purposes, as well as being cute, they can open gates to different areas when a set number is met, open up warp gates and unlock special challenges. The gates only need to match or exceed the total Ellon that have been rescued, but the warps and challenges need to have them with you. This makes it important to ensure you have enough Ellon with you, which makes the little reserve at the camp area very useful.
As the player moves between the zones, collects Ellon and levels up, there will be instances where the base is under attack. This introduces the level editor and castle mode to the player. When under attack, the player takes the role of defender, protecting a set of Ellonite crystals from the encroaching Lugion enemies. While in castle mode, the action plays out in a more traditional manner, with a grid system and a timer for the defence.
When the enemy attacks, they will try to obtain keys, which will allow them to capture a crystal when the gate is open for a brief period of time. There is also a special weapon that White can use by collecting points and filling a special meter, this special weapon will fire a beam in a straight line in the direction the player is facing. If the enemy captures all of the crystals before the timer expires, the player will fail the defence.
Before the first defence occurs, the player will be able to prepare the HQ, placing blocks, gimmicks and other elements through the Level editor system. The level editor itself is rather simple and works well, but can be a little awkward to get used to when getting used to it. While editing a stage, there is a set number of destructible blocks and gimmick parts that can be placed, which is limited to begin with but can increase when levelling.
The player has a lot of freedom with the creation of base elements, which can lead to some very creative choices to be made. The HQ can also be altered whenever the player returns to base camp, which will also scan the explored zones and mark them as cleared if all Ellon have been found. The map will also show gates that have been located, as well as the enemy base points that the player can attack in castle battles.
When the player locates an enemy fortress, they can attack it with the rest of the Bomberman brothers. This is where the Attack side of castle battles is shown off, as the player must navigate the enemy stronghold, battling with the Lugion, avoiding friendly bombs and collecting keys. When the player has a key, they will be able to collect the enemy crystal, which will score victory but if another Bomber grabs it then the player must try again.
Once all of the enemy bases have been destroyed, the enemy RoboBoss will appear. These battles can be very challenging as the boss can strike across the screen, making it very dangerous for the player. In order to combat this threat, the player must hit the enemy weak point with their flames, putting them into a stunned phase. When this happens a special Ellon canon will appear, where the player must collect Ellons that spawn to power it up to damage the boss.
The speed at which the boss can be defeated is based on the approach the player takes, as a more cautious approach will require more canon attacks. This is due to the both the requirements for the Canon and the limitations of the player, as the 5 Ellon limit applies here making for a risk and reward style of play. These mechanics really mix up the established formula of a single player Bomberman experience, making for a unique and fun adventure.
Now we have to talk about the other elements of the gameplay experience, as we also have Battle mode, the non-story level editor and customisation/shop system. When entering the personalisation menu, the player can access the shop, where new characters, costumes and much more can be purchased. To purchase the items the player needs to use coins that are earned in battles, with the different items varying in cost.
While in the personalisation menu, the player can alter their profile and the characters they play as. In the character settings, the player can use the items that they have purchased in the shop to customise their favourite Bomber, mixing and matching different parts. But not all characters can be modified. In the player settings, the profile that is used for online play can be modified, with different icons, music and mottos to add flair to the profile.
Next is the level editor, where players can use the systems they learned in story mode to create their own stages. Using this mode, players can build levels to play and share online, with the ability to download the stages that other players have made. The maps can be made and shared for use in both on/offline play modes, but be aware that all of the stages made in this mode can only be played in multiplayer castle battles.
Finally we have the battle mode itself, where players can challenge friends online and in the same room. There are three modes that can be played in the battle mode, consisting of Graded, private and offline battle. The graded battles have a ranking mechanic split between the game modes, where players will improve their ranking for the season in each mode. We are currently on season 1 of graded, but no info about season 2 is available.
The active battle mode in ranked play rotates based on time, with modes switching through the day. There are also missions that players can challenge rewarding bonus coins for completion. Then there is private battle, where players can create a room for their friends to jump in and battle from a long distance. The settings for these modes can be set by the room creator, with a code needed for players to be able to jump into the room and participate.
Last we have the offline battle mode, where players can battle it out offline in local battles, duking it out in classic Bomberman fashion. The players are able to battle it out in all of the game modes, with the player able to modify the settings to fit their own unique tastes. Here is a quick breakdown of each of the battle modes that players battle in;
- Castle – the new battle mode where players battle it out in asymmetrical combat, with the defender selecting the map and layout for the battle. Then the attackers will try their best to claim the treasure chest to win.
- Standard – the classic battle mode, where players can play with the traditional gameplay mechanics. The Louies, a rideable ally of the Bomberman brothers appears in this mode as an egg and will let the player absorb one hit.
- Grand Prix – work together in team vs. team battle, blowing your opponents up and collecting crystals with the winner having the most points after two rounds.
- Battle 64 – battle for the top spot in 64 player battle, with two lives and a gradually shrinking set of arenas. The last player standing will be granted the title of champion of Battle 64.
When battling in the different modes, players will earn coins based on their performance, with more coins depending on the mode. It is entirely possible to earn enough coins for all of the items in the shop by offline battles alone, meaning that the online mode can be entirely optional for players who don’t enjoy this element of gameplay.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to move onto the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – the control layout for this release is very easy to pick up, with movement controlled by the D-Pad and thumbstick, along with all of the core battle functions on the face buttons. There is a full tutorial for players to get used to the controls, as well as handy tool tips on screen for players to use as reference. For the PC there is both controller and Keyboard support, with the more convenient way to play being a controller but Keyboard works very well.
Difficulty – there is a very gradual challenge to this release, with the single player difficulty rising at a comfortable rate. This makes for an experience that new players to the franchise can easily jump into, with little in terms of punishment when getting a game over. This is due to the continual record of progress being made, so when the player gets a game over, they are returned to the base camp menu with their progress retained.
Presentation – the visual style for this release is pleasing to the eye, with vibrant environments to explore, large scale bosses to encounter and a lot of explosive effects on screen. The game runs at a very smooth rate, with all of the on screen effects and assets loading in quickly and everything looks fantastic. The sound is something special, with a soundtrack that has that classic Bomberman feel, as well the option for English and Japanese voices for the game and story scenes.
Final Thoughts – like many others, I grew up playing Bomberman on the Super Nintendo, Game Boy and more, which gives the franchise a special place in my heart. So when this game was announced there was a little hype to see what they would do, and I can say I was not disappointed. The new version of the story mode was a lot of fun, albeit a little frustrating at times with the Ellon following along like it was an escort mission and I do miss co-op play.
However, the overall gameplay hits the mark, with the revamped single player adventure that was reminiscent of the older games like Bomberman 64. The battle modes were great to get sunk into, but there may be an imbalance for the newer players when playing online. This may be a little off-putting to players who want to jump online and have fun. Regardless, I am happy to recommend this title to all players, old or new who want a new Bomberman experience.
In the end, I give Super Bomberman R2 a final score of 4/5. This is an excellent Bomberman title, with a new story that captures the spirit of what makes the series great, as well as the huge selection of unlocks, multiplayer features, battle modes and a solid gameplay foundation. If you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.
Link to Steam version (HERE)
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
Link to PlayStation version (HERE)
Link to Xbox version (HERE)
Please Note: the Steam and Nintendo Switch links will redirect to an affiliate link approved by Konami/Keymailer
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