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Bomberman Hardball
"Great
classic fun!"
The original Bomberman was a puzzle-like
maze based video game franchise that was developed by Hudson Soft. The
goal was to defeat a plethora of enemies by strategically placing bombs
around the screen to blow them up. As with Mario or Donkey Kong,
Bomberman is a character that has been around from almost the onset of
video gaming and every now and then the character returns to grace the
latest console system around.
Bomberman Hardball on the PS2 takes the
franchise to a new direction that not only includes the original classic
Bomberman games but also a variety of sport games that really adds a
breath of fresh air into this loveable character. Apart from these
games, the title also contains a game similar to tamagotchi that is
called life mode and basically allows you to peek into the world and
life of Bomberman. Although nothing special, gamers will probably check
this out and return to either the sport games or the traditional
Bomberman game
The main game mode is the Bomberman mode
where you can play single player or multiplayer and you run around
picking up things to help you and dropping bombers to destroy blocks and
other players. It’s a formula which has worked for Hudson for almost
twenty years and still continues to work. The game is so simplistic yet
addictive, and is definitely a strong case for gameplay over graphics.
The other section of the game contains three sports games which include
baseball, golf and tennis. The games do have some elements of Monkey
Ball in that they aren't overly realistic but in an interesting twist
they have stats on the level of something like an EA game which is a
little strange considering simplistic gameplay of previous Bomberman
games.
Graphically, Bomberman features the traditional Bomberman graphics but
it has been slightly updated for the 21st century but don't expect too
many awards here, especially for those of lovers of visual candy. From
traditional top-down views to more modern 3D views for Bomberman sports,
the graphics contain cute polygon models with awesome colour texture
details that lends itself well to this title. As with the graphics, the
sound effects appear to have been taken out of the original titles that
feature all the yelps and explosions of that old classic.
In conclusion, Bomberman Hardball is an addictive game that I'm sure
fans of the original series will simply adore, although nothing special
in terms of gameplay, the game does have enough to keep it going with
awesome replay value, cute graphics and a healthy dose of addiction. Go
Bomberman!
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