Bomberman: Act Zero Xbox 360 Review

You know its funny people think reviewers have it made. They play a game and then write about it. I get a lot of people saying “Man you are so lucky, let me write a review and have it posted”. To all of those people and the ones reading this review, I wish I could allow you to write this one. There is no set-up, no punch line and no joke.

Konami showed off Bomberman: Act Zero behind closed doors at E3 and being a fan of the series, I thought at first it was a cool idea. Of course I never had a chance to play the demo since it was just for show. I now know why. Read on to see why hands down I can honestly say Bomberman: Act Zero takes the title of the worst game to be released on the system to date in my full review.

Bomberman Act: Zero tries to update the classic with new visuals and a mean-looking lead character. Any fan of the series knows that Bomberman was this cute little cartoon-looking guy who blasted bad guys with his bombs trying to make it to the end of the game. Hudsonsoft and Konami replaced the cute for a robotic-looking creature and made the playing field 3D looking. They also change the way the game is played. Now you start off at level one trying to kill the other guy before the timer reaches zero and still collecting updated power ups. Beat him and you will see the death scene and be commanded to move on to the next level. The problem is that when you die instead of replaying the level you’re greeted to a grim death scene and then the start menu.

The other thing that looked cool at first but seems out of place is when the timer reaches zero the whole playing field starts filling up with blocks. If you step in the wrong place, you get crushed. There does not seem to be a reason to play. There is no real story. It is just a battle with some graphics that really are not that great. They say try and make your way through the 99 levels but there is no option to save. Did they accidentally leave it out? This is something I would expect for 400 points in the Arcade not as a full game at retail!

There are two single-player modes and both seem no different except the life meter and 2 online modes. There is no use trying to be nice or polite here. They simply ruined a classic by making changes to a formula that has worked for years and years. It gets to the point where even die-hard gamers are going to pop this one in, play a round or two, and say “what is the point”. It is no longer an adventure game with a reason to keep playing. It is now a death match and if I want to play that type of game, there are better games than this one.

The controls are pretty basic and work alright but some options seemed hard to use. For example, the remote control, a staple of the series is availble to earn but you really never have time to use it. Other than that is pretty basic and works fine with the Xbox 360 contoller. I think this is the only real part of the review I had something postive to say and no real complaints.

There are online battles and rankings and from the looks of it some people are enjoying it or have nothing else to play. The one mode is marked as FPS. You would think this is a first person mode, right? Well, not in this case. The view is changed and only makes the game harder to play than before. Really the differences in modes all is with the health bar. The achievements make no sense at all as well. In short, the whole game has a pattern that is incomplete and not planned out very well. Playing Bomberman is not fun. Die-hard fans that bought it thinking the game would offer the addictive game play of the old series will be disappointed. When you can’t tell the difference between the online and offline modes, there are huge problems. All I can say is even trying to find a game online is a hassle. Then when you find one it’s over way too fast.

The intro looks cool the first time around then it works on your nerves. The game play does not allow you to look at the graphics and enjoy them. I can say the explosions look cool. Wow, I found something positive to say about the game after all. The new Bomberman looks freakish and totally ruins the series. Its just like a new game and not based on the old series at all. The graphics are okay and nothing spectacular or mind blowing.

Bomberman Act Zero Xbox 360 Screenshots

You will notice that the voice is irritating and sampled almost like this was meant for the Japanese market. Then at the last minute they change it for the US market. The screams of death are really lousy and the only decent sound effects are the bombs and the opening intro. Again, it seems thrown together or incomplete.

It would be rude to say the replay value is the same as part of the title of the game. I will say it is very hard to find a reason to play this game more than a few hours and that is being kind. A friend of mine loved Bomberman, bought it, and took it back demanding something else. Jason and I played it and he said the same thing. In short, replay value is not here plain and simple. It will either sit on your shelf collecting dust or get traded in.

Overall Score: 2.5/10 [not an average]

I can’t give a game like this any higher of a score and I won’t. I think Hudsonsoft and Konami had some good ideas. It just did not fit for this series and the end result shows it. I can’t even recommend this as a rental. It’s just best if you are a fan of the series to leave this one alone and go play one of the other versions or the PSP version that is a lot more like the old series we are used to. Hands down this has to be the worst game I have seen on any Xbox system.

• Official Bomberman Act Zero Website
• Bomberman: Act Zero Xbox 360 Screenshots

Review by XBS Head Writer Rich Reed

Filed under: Reviews • Xbox 360

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