Bomberman Hero 64

[Arleen Smelko]

Thoughmany have compared the game to Super Mario 64, it follows a quite different gameplay style and structure, with linear stages and fixed camera angles. Also, while collectathon elements are present, the focus is instead on attaining a perfect score or time on each stage, on which the player is graded.

One day, he received an order to check out a spaceship that had crashed in the Peace Mountains. When our hero arrived at the scene, he found a strange looking robot. According to this robot, the planet Primus Star was attacked by the Garaden Empire. This robot was able to escape with Princess Millian of Primus Star via spaceship, but the Garaden Empire captured them and took the princess away...

The player must navigate Bomberman through 3D environments to find the exit. By default, he can jump, climb on ledges, throw bombs, and lay and kick bombs. Some stages feature Bomberman wearing different Power Gear, which have totally different control schemes. Louie also assists Bomberman as a rideable mount in certain stages, with his own unique playstyle.

Unlike in most Bomberman games, laying and kicking bombs are of limited usefulness, except in situations where they are required (such as to activate a switch through a small hole). For most of the game, players will rely on hurling bombs at enemies and objects, which detonate immediately upon impact.

When the player clears a stage they are given a rank from 1-5 based on how high their score was. You can increase your score by defeating enemies, collecting gems or power ups, or destroying objects. For boss stages, the score is dependent on how fast the boss is beaten. To earn a 5 you must earn every possible point on most stages; in most Power Gear stages and in stages with enemies that can self-destruct, more points can be earned than are necessary. Adok Bombs (50 points) are also not required for a perfect rank, as they can only be collected once.

There are 5 planets and one secret one. Most of the planets have three areas with 4 to 7 stages each. To access the secret planet Gossick Star and fight the true final boss, all the hidden Adok Bombs must be collected, and the player must attain a perfect rank in each prior stage.

Additionally, there are two bonus game modes that can be played from the options menu, Slider Race and Millian's Treasure Hunt. These are unlocked after collecting 3 and 6 gold medals, respectively. Gold medals are awarded after attaining a rank of 5 for every stage in a single world. Slider Race is a short minigame challenge with the Bomber Slider down a slope covered with ice walls. Millian's Treasure Hunt is a return trip through the entire main game, except with a different storyline, where the Adok Bombs have been replaced by pieces of treasure belonging to Princess Millian.

Golden Bomber has his own set of levels (three) which are unlocked after clearing Gossick Star. These do not appear on the level selection menu. Two of them are repeats of levels which used a Power Gear, but instead they are now done while walking on the ground, and the last one is a completely unique level.

Bomber Star can be unlocked at any point in the game by pressing the Start button rapidly (or by using the Joycard 64 with the Start turbo set to middle) during the intro cinematic, then selecting the Bonus option.

The Western version of the game is significantly more difficult than the Japanese version; many enemies have more health, Full Hearts and 1-Ups are more scarce, more points are typically required per stage to unlock the Gossick Star, and items are rearranged in ways that frequently put Bomberman in harm's way.

Bomberman Hero is well regarded for its highly distinctive soundtrack by series veteran Jun "Chiki" Chikuma, which incorporates elements of hip-hop, breakbeat and Detroit techno, along with prominent use of ambient sounds. The music has a very different identity from any other Bomberman soundtrack to date, generally sounding much more "serious" and less cartoonish than usual. The odd track titles like "Oropharynx" and "Monogenic" reflect this change in style.

The game's original soundtrack CD case art contains a very striking photograph of a real-life CD destroyed by an explosion, creating the illusion that the case has been damaged by a bomb. Strangely, there are no images related to the Bomberman series anywhere on the case, booklet or CD.[1]

The soundtrack CD also includes a bonus track that never appears in-game, "Loom." Unlike the in-game audio, this track uses real instruments, and sounds completely unlike any other music from the Bomberman series, including that of Hero. It seems this track was not intended to have anything to do with Bomberman Hero, and was included to showcase the composer's other work.

Bomberman 64 was a valiant attempt at creating an engrossing adventure to accompany the series multiplayer mode. While it was not perfect it was an enjoyable game with an excellent soundtrack. Apparently someone at Hudson was really dead set on nailing the campaign as Bomberman Hero completely loses the multiplayer and is a single player experience only. The singular focus should allow the game to reach its potential. Bomberman Hero is a flawed experience that has its moments but is not as good as its creators probably hoped.

For a game that wants to tell an expansive it heavily rips from Star Wars. Bombeman is training at the Bomber Base when he is instructed to investigate a crashed spaceship. There he discovers Pibot, a robot who informs him that Garaden Empire has attacked the planet Primus Star. The princess Millian is kidnapped but manages to smuggle one of the four disks the Garaden Empire were after on Pibot. With his new sidekick in tow Bomberman sets out to rescue the princess.

Bomberman Hero goes full on 3d platformer and arms its hero with a host of new moves. He can finally jump and grab ledges like your average platforming star. These abilities are called on frequently throughout the game. Most of the techniques from Bomberman 64 return such as kicking bombs. Unfortunately you can no longer pump up bombs to create larger explosions. Instead charging up will toss three bombs simultaneously which sounds cool but I never found a use for it. In the biggest gameplay departure you now have a life bar which is a god send as the game would be near impossible otherwise.

The varying bomb power-ups return with a few new ones in tow. The most basic increase the number you can throw or drop (up to 4) and their radius. The most important are crystals which will increase your life bar at set amounts. You will need a lot of these to reach the max of heart bars but in a stupid move if you turn the game off it defaults back to four. Sadly the various other bombs are rare. Remote bombs, ice bombs, and salt bombs (!) are situational and mostly used to solve specific puzzles. This is a shame as the game could have used the added variety they provide.

Bomberman Hero is a mix between a full 3d platformer like Super Mario 64 and the on rails adventuring of Crash Bandicoot. Most levels are small 3d arenas that simply task you with reaching the exit. Occasionally there is another objective that needs to be completed first such as collecting four pieces of a key or defeating all of a certain enemy type to progress. These eventually graduate to large, full blown maps that you can explore at your leisure somewhat. Bee lining the exit is simple in most cases. But to see all the game has to offer you must collect items to earn higher end level ranks. To switch things up there are numerous levels in which Bomberman will ride a vehicle such as a submarine or helicopter for light shooting action.

The game has big aspirations but falls short in a number of areas. The camera is the biggest issue. Bomberman Hero uses a fixed camera you can manipulate slightly but not nearly enough. This causes all manner of problems with the frequent platforming. Judging distances and lining up jumps is frustrating and leads to many, many deaths. The framerate is also a problem. In the more enclosed areas it is stable. But once the game opens up it drops precipitously. The game begins to chug badly around its midpoint and rarely gets better. The lack of a lock-on function is glaring. Most enemies in the game are dumb and easily dealt with. The bosses however are smarter and will actively avoid your attacks. Trying to aim is needlessly frustrating and makes these battles drag on. The Ocarina of Time and its influence could not come out soon enough.

Bomberman Hero has tried and succeeded somewhat to make the single player portion of the series better. But sacrificing the trademark multiplayer that made Bomberman what it is was the wrong choice. This is a decent game but on a platform with so many better options that does not cut it.

The game follows our hero on a mission to rescue Princess Millian from the evil Garaden Empire. He is assisted occasionally by plucky robot companion Pibot, Ridiculously Cute Critter Louie, and a quartet of new vehicles as he explores six planets, some familiar and some brand new. So yes, the story is just Bomberman meets Star Wars.

Hero, unlike most Bomberman games, is a straightforward action Platform Game, and it is one of the few Bomberman games that allows the titular hero to jump freely. This is partially due to the game originally being planned as a new addition to the Bonk series, until it was decided the game should be focused on Bomberman.This game provides examples of: Actionized Sequel: Bomberman can jump, his bombs explode immediately upon touching enemies instead of just being timed explosions, there is only one puzzle in the entire game (and it's easy), and emphasis is placed on ranged combat. Advertised Extra: The Bomber Slider is actually used in a measly two levels, one of which can be skipped entirely. Very underused in comparison to the Bomber Jet and the Bomber Marine. The Bomber Copter at least gets to be used in a boss fight. Considering how handling vehicles tends to be, this can hardly be called a bad thing. Despite being shown on the cover, Black Bomberman only shows up three times: in the last training level, a later level to blow up a wall and open the path for you, and finally in the Golden Ending congratulating White Bomberman. Big Bad: Evil Bomber is the acting ruler of the Garaden Empire who masterminds the kidnapping of Princess Millian and the plot to resurrect Emperor Bagular, all to get revenge on Bomberman for defeating him prior. Bonus Stage: Has one after each of the first 4 bosses, in the form of simple timed areas with gems, power-ups and 1-ups to grab. Boss-Only Level: All the bosses in the game are fought in their own self-contained arena stages. Boss Rush: The last planet of the standard game, Garaden Star, is a Boss-Only Level bonanza where Bomberman has to confront alternate versions of all the bosses in the game up to that point (including a "Best-of" final match with Nitros halfway through) before he confronts Bagular in a Sequential Boss fight in the star's last stage. Build Like an Egyptian: Several levels on Kanatia. Brainwashed and Crazy: Nitros. He snaps out of it after your final battle with him. Captain Ersatz: Almost every major character in Bomberman Hero is a Captain Ersatz to a Star Wars character. Cat Girl: Natia. With weird hair, too... and a GIGANTIC head. Chasing Your Tail: The Sphinx-like Bolban has an armored front and a vulnerable tail. In the second battle, both his frontal shield and his breath weapon are disabled, but his missiles are harder to avoid because you're fighting him in an underwater tunnel. Circling Birdies: When Bomberman loses all of his health and he loses a life, he has stars circling around his head before he falls on his back and dies. he also has swirling swirls for eyes too. Cognizant Limbs: Bagular's final form has two force field generators on his arms protecting his head. Destroy both his arms, and his head becomes vulnerable. Continuing is Painful: Deaths are actually mostly merciful in this game, as only single powerups are lost after each death. This game actually inverts this trope, because what really hurts is turning off the game (or getting a Game Over): power-ups and health expansions are not saved when you quit, so the next time you start the game, you have to collect everything all over again. This isn't an issue in the JP version. Convection, Schmonvection: Played with a bit for the first couple of levels near lava, where you must enter cooling capsules to refill your health as you gradually take damage from the heat. Crippling Overspecialization: The Salt Bombs. They're the only bombs effective on the slug enemies, but they're useless on everything else. They can't even destroy crates. The Ice Bombs are used to freeze certain enemies to create platforms, but that's it. Defeat Equals Explosion: Every boss except Nitros, Natia, and Evil Bomber dies in a massive explosion. Die Laughing: After enough hits, Baruda laughs...then explodes. Difficulty by Region: Certain bosses take less hits in the JP version, in addition pretty much every level has a much lower par score requirement for a 5, not necessitating collecting every single item in the level. You can also collect an item in a level and leave immediately but still keep it, useful if you just need a flame up or full health and know where to find one quickly. In addition, health expansions and collected gems are remembered after the game ends or is shut off, leaving a bit of mystery as to why that is not saved in the international version. Dolled-Up Installment: Bomberman Hero was originally going to be a new Bonk game, but at some point or another, the staff decided it'd have more mass appeal as a Bomberman game. Sure explains why it's a mainstream 3D platformer where Bomberman can actually jump on his own. The Dragon: Natia has more presence in the story than the other bosses (save for Nitros), and in fact is the one who realizes the Garaden Empire's Evil Plan of ressurecting Bagular. She's also the last of the Four Devils to be fought, both in the main game and the Boss Rush at Garaden. Dual Boss: Both fights with Nadia have you confronting her and a friend of hers. In the first fight in Mazone Star, you fight her and Cronus together, and the second fight with her at the end of the Boss Rush in Garaden Star pits you against two Nadias. Dub Name Change: Prime to Primus, Warudosu to Garaden, Pipot to Pibot, Rooi to Louie, Endl to Endol, Baluda to Baruda, Nekia to Natia, Megani to Cronus, Bonbori Star to Bomber Star (Planet Bomber's moon), and Devil Bomber to Evil Bomber. Evil Laugh: Every major boss but Bolban, who roars instead. Also, Bagular. Well, as well as an old cyborg man can do an evil laugh, anyways. Fake Difficulty: Rears its head when the goal is getting a 5 on Waterway, due to that stage hiding an item behind a fake wall that is indistinguishable from any other wall in a game that never has fake walls under any other circumstance. Gravity Is a Harsh Mistress: The animation for falling into a Bottomless Pit is this on every level, with Bomberman flailing about in midair for a couple of seconds before finally plummeting. Guide Dang It!: This game doesn't really tell you that you need to collect all Adok Bombs and/or get 5's on every level (including boss stages) in order to get to the true final level and boss. Not to mention Adok Bombs aren't found in every level meaning you could be searching an entire level only to figure out there aren't any Adok Bombs there. 100% Completion: Getting 5's on every level, and by extension every Gold Medal for each planet, unlocks bonus minigames in the options menu. King Mook: A giant lobster, Geodude, and manta ray each serve as a Mini-Boss. Lethal Lava Planet: Half of Kanatia. Monster Clown: One of the enemies in the fittingly-named Clown Valley. It balances on a ball and throws knives. Musical Nod: The main menu theme is lifted straight from the Famicom/NES Bomberman, although split in half and with the addition of what sounds like a fax machine. One-Hit-Point Wonder: An early aversion to this in the franchise. Bomberman is given four bars of health at the start, and the player can add up to four additional bars by collecting 200 crystals. That is, until you turn the game off. Our Monsters Are Weird: Thoroughly, even by platform-game standards, or even Bomberman standards for that matter. Just look at Endol, the electric robot catfish monster! Platform Game: One of the few in the franchise. Quirky Miniboss Squad: The Four Devils of Garaden: the catfish-esque robot, Endol, the annoying big bird, Baruda, the sphinx-like Bolban, and the lusty catgirl Natia with her pet robo-spider Cronus. Recurring Boss: Nitros. For the first three planets, he's fought at the end of the second area, but on Mazone, he's fought at the beginning of the third instead. He is also the middle fight on Garaden, after which point he snaps out of his brainwashing and heals Bomberman. Secret Level: Bomberman Hero has a surprising amount of these, including revisiting a flying and underwater stage on foot as the Golden Bomber (plus a new level), a snowboard race against a snowman enemy, a second collection quest, a few completely new stages on Bomber Star accessed by mashing Start as you boot up the N64, a treasure hunt, and the planet Gossick. Sequential Boss: The fight with Bagular first has Bomberman fight him personally, then he uploads his mind to a computer that then becomes the target with two decoy screens to distract you, and finally said computer attaches itself to a tank with arms; you have to destroy the arms of the tank before you can attack the computer again. Single-Biome Planet: Primus (a swampy/forested planet) and Kanatia (the Lethal Lava Land and Build Like an Egyptian mixture, although there are a couple of crystal cave levels there). However, it appears that Planet Bomber is very Earth-like (with an emphasis on mountains) and Mazone has a small jungle at its equator (considering it was a snowy planet). The Smurfette Principle: Bomberman Hero goes with the Damsel in Distress Princess Millian and the token female villain Natia, with Millian being the important part of the plot and Natia being just some big help to the Big Bad. Snowlems: One of the later-game enemies, complete with Cool Shades. Spell My Name With An S: Bagular may be unrecognizable to non-Japanese fans who previously knew him as Buglear/Bagulaa or Bugler/Buglar. The Bagular translation would later be reused in Bomberman Portable, while Super Bomberman R rendered it as Buggler. Super Drowning Skills: Especially irritating, where Mercy Invincibility does not protect Bomberman from losing a block of health from falling in water and then leaping back out... and then it's averted with the Marine Bomber gear in certain levels. True Final Boss: Devil Bomber/Evil Bomber is the real Final Boss of the game, in a plot twist that comes out of literally nowhere. You cannot fight Devil Bomber/Evil Bomber unless you unlock Gossick Star and its three stages, with Devil Bomber/Evil Bomber fought in a Boss-Only Level in the last stage. Underwater Boss Battle: The rematch with Bolban takes place underwater, using the Bomber Marine. Unexpected Shmup Level: Several levels make use of the Bomber Marine and Bomber Jet, which are specifically designed to turn their levels into this. Unique Enemy: Many enemies get reused eventually, but some are exclusive to a certain level, like the spinning hands in Death Temple and the clowns in Clown Valley. Walking Spoiler: Evil Bomber orchestrated the whole plot. Whip of Dominance: The villainess Natia fights with a whip while also commanding her spider-bot pet Cronus. She also has dominatrix overtones thanks to her skimpy black leather getup. Your Princess Is in Another Castle!: Played obnoxiously straight. In fact, the whole plot of the game could be summed up as the Garaden Empire constantly dangling Princess Millian over Bomberman's head as he desperately tries to reach her.

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