I’ve had my hands on Bomberman Generation for a few days now and so far I must say that I really like it. The presentation is going to be the biggest hurdle for most people. The voice acting is terrible and everything is ridiculously cute. Characters are cel-shaded and the backgrounds pulse with bright colors. I happen to like the visual style, but combined with the typical high-pitched Bomberman voices, there are times where I can’t help but feel I’m too old for this.

The game is basically an action-adventure that plays from an overhead perspective, and although it’s not as obvious as in the SNES games, there is still a heavy emphasis on puzzle solving. You use your bombs for everything: attacking enemies, blowing up obstacles, raising see-saws, shielding yourself, and using bombs as bridges to cross gaps. You can automatically pick up bombs or kick them without having to get any power-ups, and by holding the A button after you’ve picked up a bomb, you can charge it until it becomes a Big Bomb which is used to clear larger obstacles and fight bosses.

In addition to this, you find certain items along the way that allow you to create Attribute Bombs. So far I’ve been able to create Aqua Bombs that are used to put out fires and Ice Bombs which temporarily freeze fountains to bridge gaps.

The Charabomb system is also thrown into the mix here. Charabombs are creatures similar to Pokemon that enhance your abilities. Andlar increases your throw distance. Pommy allows you to detonate your bombs rather than wait for a fuse to run out, and Kai-Man increases defense. Hidden items also raise the stats of your Charabombs to enhance your abilities even further.

For lack of better words, Bomberman multiplayer is a blast as always. When I first got it, my roommate and I played standard mode for several hours without even realizing how much more there was. For those of you who have never played Bomberman multiplayer, (you really have no excuse) you fight in a square arena, dropping bombs that explode in the shape of a plus sign. You clear obstacles, grab various power-ups and do everything you can to blow up your friends without blowing yourself up.

I’ve had a chance to try the other modes with some fellow PGC staff members and each of them plays quite differently than the others. Our favorite so far is Dodge Battle. It’s a game of survival as usual, but none of the players are able to lay bombs. Multiple bombs fall from the sky and you have to get out of the way or kick them towards other players before they explode. It’s simple, but it’s frantic fun – and it has some great music too. There are four special modes altogether and eight stages in Standard Battle.

I still have a long way to go before I finish Bomberman Generation, but I like what I’ve seen so far. Everyone should have at least one Bomberman game just for the multiplayer, but for the single-player experience, I’d recommend renting it first. The game is a bit too cute for some people to get past.