Super Bomberman R

Super Bomberman R (スーパーボンバーマン R, Sūpā Bonbāman Āru) is an action-maze game developed by Konami and HexaDrive, and is part of the Bomberman series. The game was first released worldwide as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch in March 2017, and later for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in June 2018.[4]

Super Bomberman R
Packaging artwork for the Switch version
Developer(s)Konami
HexaDrive
M2 (PS4, Xbox One, Windows)
Publisher(s)Konami
Director(s)Akihiro Mitsuda
Producer(s)
  • Noriaki Okamura
  • Yuji Korekado
Designer(s)Masanori Yasuda
Ryuichiro Taki
Programmer(s)Katsuya Murakami
Kentaro Yamada
Takashi Ono
Takashi Koga
Artist(s)Junichi Morita
Writer(s)
  • Kaede Ogawa
  • Gol Koganei
  • Moe Yamazaki
Composer(s)
  • Seima Iwahashi
  • Daisuke Kikuta
SeriesBomberman
EngineUnity
Platform(s)
Release
  • Nintendo Switch
  • 3 March 2017
  • PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One
Genre(s)Action, maze
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

It is also the first main Bomberman entry in over six years, as well as being the first to be developed following the dissolution of original series developer Hudson Soft on March 1, 2012. The game received mixed reviews, though many of the criticisms were addressed with post-release patches. By August 2018, the game had sold over a million units worldwide. Its battle royale spin-off, Super Bomberman R Online (スーパーボンバーマン Rオンライン, Sūpā Bonbāman Āru Onrain), was released on Stadia on September 1, 2020.[5]

Gameplay

Super Bomberman R is an action game in which players move through a two-dimensional grid environment and must trap and drop bombs to defeat their opponents.[6][7] The game features story mode spanning 50 stages and supports cooperative gameplay for two players.[6] The game also features an eight-player competitive multiplayer mode.[7] The online mode contains a league system (Baby A/B, Novice A/B, Amateur A/B, Pro A/B, Champ A/B and God A/B). Starting in Baby league B the player has to win matches to gather and earn points for advancement.

Battle mode includes 19 battlegrounds in total. Besides the classic arena, it also offers a multi-level arena with springboards, ice-patterns, moveable blocks, etc., each with a unique style. In addition to the eight Bomberman Bros. and the Five Dastardly Bombers, Super Bomberman R also features a selection of new characters based on Konami Originals, such as Dracula Bomber, Vic Viper Bomber, Goemon Bomber and more. In total, there are 27 characters, each with special abilities.

Grand Prix was introduced with an update in November 2017. It contains 3 vs 3 battles in offline or online matches within 3 different arenas. Alongside new characters (with unique abilities) the player's goal is to collect as many gems as possible within the given time. Alternate mode is team fight which counts the total wins (blow-ups).

Plot

The game features a rebooted plot of previous Super Bomberman games. It starts in a robot scrapyard, where Emperor Buggler resurrects five robots to be his new henchmen, the Five Dastardly Bombers. Meanwhile, on Planet Bomber, live the Bomberman Brothers; eight robotic lifeforms created to be heroes of the universe. Unfortunately, only the eldest brother, White, has the mentality and discipline associated with this role and has no luck getting his younger siblings to take their mission seriously. Black is a self-absorbed slacker, Pink is more concerned about fashion and gossip, Blue sleeps all day, Red is an out-of-control hothead, Yellow is innocent to a fault, Aqua hates violence, and Green is a cunning sneak who uses his status as the baby brother to manipulate his siblings. During yet another of White's attempts to get his siblings to train with him, their television begins broadcasting a signal from Buggler, who proclaims his goal to conquer the universe and shows that his army has taken control of the five planets of the Starry Sky Nebula; swearing that all other planets will soon follow. He offers a challenge to anyone who would defy him to fight his Five Dastardly Bombers. White immediately takes up the challenge and forces his siblings to come with him as he heads to the Starry Sky Nebula to face the Buggler army.

Release

Super Bomberman R was developed by Konami and HexaDrive, and several people involved in the game are former Hudson Soft staff who had worked in past Bomberman titles.[8][9] The game was announced on 12 January 2017 and released 3 March 2017 as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch console.[7][10] On 20 April 2017 free DLC was announced alongside regular updates with various gameplay improvements. The first DLC set includes four new stages and two new accessories. Future updates with various playable characters from other Konami franchises—including Vic Viper from Gradius, Simon Belmont from Castlevania, and Pyramid Head from Silent Hill 2—were also teased.[11] Further updates with additions of new characters and entirely new game play modes are being released by Konami. [12] Ports for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows were released in June 2018, each featuring a platform-exclusive character: Ratchet from Ratchet & Clank for the PS4 version; Master Chief from the Halo series for the Xbox One version; and P-Body from Portal 2 for the Windows version.[13] The original Switch version also received its own exclusive character via an update: the Bomberman franchise's own MAX.[14] An update in June 2018 added WWE professional wrestler Xavier Woods as a playable character, along with additional Konami characters such as Solid Snake, Naked Snake and Raiden from the Metal Gear series.[15][16]

Reception

Nintendo Life's preview stated that "Super Bomberman R isn't going to break any ground with its familiar explosions and mayhem, but it doesn't have to; sometimes, colourful old-school gaming is refreshing in this era of progressively darker and more complex titles."[28] This was reiterated in their review, with Steve Bowling describing it as "no-frills", but "the go-to multiplayer launch title" for the Switch.[26]

Super Bomberman R received "generally mixed reviews", according to review aggregator Metacritic.[19] In Japan, the game's debut week sales reached 39,609 copies sold, marking the highest first-week sales for a Bomberman game since 1998's Bomberman World, which sold 76,801 copies in its first week.[29] By August 2018, the game had sold over a million copies worldwide across all platforms.[30]

References

  1. "'PS4®', Xbox One and Steam versions to be released! (The Americas)". Super Bomberman R Official Website. Konami Digital Entertainment. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  2. "PS4®、Xbox One、Steam版発売決定!". Super Bomberman R Official Website (in Japanese). Konami Digital Entertainment. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  3. "'PS4®', Xbox One and Steam versions to be released! (Europe)". Super Bomberman R Official Website. Konami Digital Entertainment. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  4. "Super Bomberman R coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC in June". Gematsu. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  5. "Super Bomberman R Online Info".
  6. Alexander, Julia (13 January 2017). "Watch 15 minutes of Super Bomberman R on the Nintendo Switch". Polygon. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  7. Marchiafava, Jeff (13 January 2017). "Super Bomberman R Coming To Nintendo Switch". Game Informer. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  8. Williams, Mike (13 January 2017). "Nintendo Switch Launch Line-up Includes Zelda: Breath of the Wild and 1-2-Switch". USgamer. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  9. Hawkins, Matt (13 January 2017). "Super Bomberman R Is Being Made By Former Bomberman Staff [UPDATE: Impressions]". Siliconera. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  10. Schwartz, Terri (12 January 2017). "Nintendo Announces Super Bomberman R For Switch". IGN. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  11. McFerran, Damien. "Today's Super Bomberman R Update Includes Four Battle Mode Stages And Two Accessories". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  12. "スーパーボンバーマン R 公式サイト". スーパーボンバーマン R 公式サイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  13. http://www.siliconera.com/2018/04/13/super-bomberman-r-trailers-highlight-platform-exclusive-characters/
  14. https://twitter.com/Konami/status/1004709812020494339
  15. https://www.destructoid.com/wwe-s-xavier-woods-is-coming-to-super-bomberman-r-508086.phtml
  16. https://nintendoeverything.com/super-bomberman-r-update-out-now-version-2-1-new-characters-including-solid-naked-snake-and-more/
  17. "Super Bomberman R for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  18. "Super Bomberman R for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  19. "Super Bomberman R for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  20. Carter, Chris. "Review: Super Bomberman R". Destructoid. Destructoid. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  21. Carsillo, Ray. "Super Bomberman R review". EGMNOW. EGM. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  22. Shea, Brian. "Super Bomberman R". Game Informer. Game Informer. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  23. Vacheron, Griffin. "Super Bomberman R Review". Game Revolution. Game Revolution. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  24. D'Aprile, Jason. "Super Bomberman R Review". GameSpot. GameSpot. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  25. McCraffrey, Ryan. "Super Bomberman R Review". IGN. IGN. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  26. Bowling, Steve. "Review: Super Bomberman R". Nintendo Life. NLife Media. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  27. Rose, Bryan. "Super Bomberman R (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  28. Meyer, Lee (16 January 2017). "First Impressions: Explosive Action in Super Bomberman R". Nintendo Life. NLife Media. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  29. http://www.siliconera.com/2017/03/13/super-bomberman-r-best-opening-week-series-last-20-years/
  30. Craddock, Ryan. "Super Bomberman R Hits One Million Worldwide Sales, Konami Celebrates With Bungee Jump". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
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