Super Bomberman R 2: A Blasting Game Review

Super Bomberman R 2 is here as a sequel to the 2017 Super Bomberman R. The main style of the Bomberman games hasn’t changed much over the years and involves you kicking, pushing, and throwing bombs around an arena to try and blow up enemies, blocks and other players! Bomberman has always been an exceptionally fun party-style game when played alongside other players. I don’t know what genre I would classify these games in. Some argue they should be considered puzzle games, while others claim they are action. It’s a blend of quite a few genres, that’s for sure.

I had a lot of fun with the original Super Bomberman R, so I came into this review feeling slightly conflicted. On the one hand, I hoped I would enjoy this as much as I did in the first game. On the other hand, I couldn’t help but feel if this is more or less the same game again (when you break them down, the Bomberman formula is very static).

To get it out of the way, I have most definitely enjoyed my time with Super Bomberman R 2 and have put plenty of time into it with my partner playing the many modes it offers. However, it’s priced as a €60/$50 game, which feels a bit steep for a game in the Bomberman franchise.

Let’s dive in and look at what made it enjoyable, see if it is worth the price, and if it did indeed live up to being a sequel to the original Super Bomberman R.

Graphics/Sound

Like the original Super Bomberman R, Super Bomberman R 2 retains a clean, neat look. It has a very vibrant and colorful art style, which is expected of the series. 

The effects from bombs and other objects in the game are pleasing to look at, especially when you have a massive multi-chain of bombs all exploding around you. Don’t get me wrong, the graphics aren’t groundbreaking, nor does it give the feeling of a big-budget AAA game, but it’s suitable for what it needs to be.

The music tracks are generally enjoyable if not a little repetitive, after a while. I’m not personally a fan of the voice acting from the Bomber Bros. But then, I felt the same about it in Super Bomberman R too.

The game’s performance feels rock solid most of the time, but I haven’t noticed some slight drops in some of the more hectic matches when the screen is filled with enemies and explosions.

While on the topic of performance, good lord, the load times in the menus are frustrating. It occurs in between every menu transition and it feels like a 2-3 second wait for what I think is some online functionality. It’s actually very reminiscent of Konami’s Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, which has the exact same effect.

Gameplay

Here is the meat of the game and the real reason we all want to play Bomberman, the gameplay! At its core, Super Bomberman R 2 does play similarly to Super Bomberman R and the Bomberman games before it. The objective is usually to be the last one standing in a bomb-filled arena.

Where Super Bomberman R 2 does massively differ is the amount of game modes available. It’s chock full of content that slightly varies the formula to keep things from stale.

Super Bomberman R 2 introduces modes such as Battle Mode, Grade Match, Room Match, Offline Battles, Story Mode, and a Stage Editor. Combining these modes allows you to play the solid Bomberman formula in many ways. It should provide you with hours of content.

Battle Mode

Battle Mode allows you to enjoy the usual Bomberman arena experience, broken down into a few sub-modes.

“Castle” is an asymmetrical battle between two sides. Both the castle side and the attack side. The castle side must protect multiple treasure chests and have at least one remaining to win, while the attack side must grab and win all the treasure chests. You can use abilities, weapons and more in an attempt to successfully attack or defend. The castle side has a max of 3 Bomber Bros since it’s much easier to defend in this mode than it is to attack.

You then have the standard mode, the classic Bomberman battle mode loved and adored by Bomberman fans. I’ve spent much of my time in this mode, and it’s just good classic Bomberman fun.

Grand Prix is a battle between two teams. Work with our friends and allies to defeat the opposing team.

Batte 64 is the lovably insane mode that was introduced in Super Bomberman R. This is basically a 64-player battle royale mode where there can be only 1 winner! You start in a regular Bomerman arena as usual, but it’s linked to 15 other arenas for a total of 16 arenas. Each arena is blocked from the other, but there is a count-down timer that counts down as you play, and once it hits 0, you enter what is called a “Movement Phase”. The movement phase removes all blocks from all arenas, prevents you from dropping bombs, and allows you to move into other arenas. Once the phase ends, new blocks are dropped onto the stage, the barriers are re-raised, and some arenas are permanently shut off. Battle 64 doesn’t have local co-op support which was a tad disappointing.

Grade Match

Grad Match is a battle between users with similar abilities, you can also fight online in Grade Matches!

Room Match

Room match is just a regular free battle type of mode. You and your friends can get together online to kick bombs at each other.

Offline Battle

Offline Battle is local play. The maximum number of players per console is 4 for local play (confirm this). 

Stage Editor

Stage Editor allows you to build and customize your own stages with various blocks and gimmicks that can be shared online with other players. It feels like it is taking a leaf out of Super Mario Maker and is better off for it. This is an excellent way of allowing the game to endure long after its initial release window. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what everyone creates in the long run! The Story Mode will also introduce you to this and give you a short tutorial on it.

One aspect we simply can’t ignore is the comeback of a Bomberman classic: Louies! At long last, they’ve returned. You can acquire Louies during regular battles, each coming in diverse colors and equipped with unique abilities. They not only enable you to take an additional hit but also move more swiftly, among other benefits. I am genuinely thrilled that they have finally made a return!

Story Mode

A fully-fleshed out story mode returns once again in Super Bomberman R 2. This should take you roughly 10-12 hours to complete. In this new narrative, you’ll journey across three expansive planets: Fulvita, Aquastar, and Unknown Star. Your tasks involve tackling basic environmental challenges in something called “World Explore”, combating adversaries, and saving Ellons to bypass obstacles. There is some light RPG elements to this, as you can get EXP and level up your Bomber Bro. However, after navigating through several repetitive sections, I began to lose interest in this mode. Just in the first world, there were 100 Ellons to collect, which felt overwhelmingly excessive. My sentiments towards this storyline largely echo my feelings for Super Bomberman R’s initial offering; it quickly felt repetitive. The main plot didn’t captivate me, often leaving me eager to delve into the alternative game modes that I found much more enjoyable.

Also, Super Bomberman R 2 story mode can not be played in co-op. This was rather disappointing as I played through most of the first Super Bomberman R story in co-op.

Replay Value

Super Bomberman R2 boasts an exceptional level of replayability, underpinned by a diverse cast of characters, a plethora of game modes, and a versatile stage editor that promises endless creativity. The game is poised to provide entertainment for a long time so long as users are actively creating stages in the long run.

While the story mode may primarily appeal as a “one and done” experience that I personally wasn’t too fond of, the other modes consistently deliver engaging gameplay, beckoning players back for more. Additionally, with the inclusion of online play, as long as the online community remains active, players can always find others to challenge in Super Bomberman R2.

You can also unlock a BOAT load of new Bomberman Bros and customization pieces. A lot of characters return from Super Bomberman R such as Goemon (bring back Mystical Ninja Konami and Pyramid Head. Each of these characters cost 1,000 coins which is an in-game currency earned by playing the game. When I was doing the battle mode, we were getting 50 coins per match (not round). This would equate to needing to play 20 matches for 1 character which feels a little steep considering how many of them there are.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with Super Bomberman R 2. It’s a worthy successor to Super Bomberman R and retains the “fun” factor of the Bomberman series. It’s by no means a perfect game, but I would definitely recommend it to those looking for some good party shenanigans!