Bomberman Land for PSP Reviews & Ratings by IGN

You might not think of "bombs" when trying to come up with family-friendly activities, but we can assure you that Bomberman is quite family-friendly. This little hero has been blowing things up in the name of fun for years now, and he's trotting over to the PSP in Bomberman Land, a mini-game compilation filled with a wide variety of activities and a healthy chunk of classic Bomberman entertainment.



Bomberman Land is, generally speaking, an enjoyable game to play but has a number of problems that we should discuss. Before we truly begin though, let's cover the basics. Bomberman Land places you in control of White (you can rename him), the quintessential Bomberman ready for adventure. White -- and a number of his Bomberman friends -- receive word that Bomberman Land (a massive amusement park) is in trouble. Being the noble and lively Bombermen that they are, White and co. travel to the fun-filled island hoping to get to the bottom of this mystery.



Not all goes according to plan and their plane crashes into the island. What's worse: all the residents of Bomberman Land have lost their memory and the entire park has been broken up into pieces and needs restoring. The story is silly but satisfactory for a simple title, so your adventure promptly begins.





This is a title made up primarily of mini-games and dialogue. White is accompanied by Mini Bomber, the smart-talking, self-proclaimed star of Bomberman Land. You progress through the game by hopping from point-to-point on a board game-style map, where each marker activates either a mini-game or a dialogue sequence. The entire single-player campaign is structured in this fashion. You move to each spot, play a game or talk to people to get a Zone Piece (small numbered blocks) and then you use those Zone Pieces to open up more areas. The game flow is very straightforward.



Unfortunately, one of the main problems with the game arises when analyzing this overarching structure. First and foremost: although you'll be clear as to "where to go" the majority of the time, there will be points when nothing seems to open up the next area. These stagnant moments result in mindlessly running from one place to another looking for a random Zone Piece you may have missed, and such repetitive checking can get really aggravating.



And although some of the dialogue scenes are amusing, it seems like you spend an awful lot of time not playing mini-games, which seems odd for a mini-game collection. Fortunately, Mini Bomber will often deliver some genuinely funny lines that range dramatically from completely self-absorbed to awkwardly uncertain. The pacing issues may coax you into rushing through the dialogue to get to the next mini-game, but if you take the time to read it you may be pleased.



Otherwise, most of the mini-games (called Attractions in the game) are fun and offer a wide assortment of things to do. One of your first tasks is to race a small remote-controlled car around a track, while others include launching Bomberman off a cliff and flapping his arms/wings to stay afloat. Some of the games are even more complex than typical mini-game fare, like a side-scrolling ninja game with multiple platforms and a host of enemies to dispatch. Besides a few poorly controlling entries, most of the content is entertaining.



Perhaps the real beauty of this title is the inclusion of Battle mode, which is a traditional Bomberman game with a surprising number of options. You can pick from over 40 levels (many of them are just alterations of each other, but it's still an impressive collection), numerous skins and extremely detailed game type customizations. Battle mode plays like any classic Bomberman should, just with upgraded sprites to make the experience easier on the eyes. We had a great time with this mode and it will absolutely please fans of the classic gameplay mechanic.



Bomberman Land also has a fair number of multiplayer options to enjoy. You can play Battle mode with up to three other people, even if they don't have the UMD. You can also send over unlocked Attractions through game sharing, though these are only for single-player usage. Ultimately, these are great options to have, but we would have also liked to see infrastructure play available.



Unfortunately, Bomberman Land as a whole isn't quite as strong as its base components. As we mentioned before, the pacing of the game definitely feels slow, which is unusual considering its status as not only a casual game but a portable game at that. The music isn't exactly ideal either, with repetitive, overly happy loops that grow old fast. And while the graphics are somewhat above average for a portable title, Bomberman Land isn't pushing the system in any new directions.



And let's not forget to mention the pacing one last time. It really hurts the experience.

©2008-02-05, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved