Hands-On With Super Bomberman R 2

You drop the bomb on me, baby.

KONAMI has a diverse trio of games heading to the Nintendo Switch this fall, and this past week in New York City, Pure Nintendo was lucky enough to get some hands-on time with them all.

I’m happy to report there’s plenty to look forward to with all three titles, and we’ll start this trio of articles by looking at Super Bomberman R 2.

I don’t have much history with the Super Bomberman series, and I was barely into my demo time before realizing that was my mistake. Super Bomberman R 2 is bursting with joyful chaos, offering the kind of hyperactive fun that can occupy an entire game night with friends and family…provided they’re cool with you attempting to blow them up.

It helps that the gameplay is surprisingly accessible. At its most basic, you’re running through mazes, dropping bombs to blast away the walls and your opponents. Your goal will change depending upon the game variation you’re playing, with Standard, Grand Prix, and Battle 64 all returning from Super Bomberman R. The new mode in R 2 is Castle, in which one side defends the castle’s treasure chests from the opposing team. Defenders are tasked with patrolling an area around the treasure chests, setting up defenses with the available gadgets to help keep the attackers away. It’s up to the attackers, of course, to find a way around them…or blast their way through them.

Even better, Castle mode includes a level editor that allows players to generate their own maps and share them online. I didn’t get hands-on time with the level editor, but the benefit is obvious even if you’re not the type to generate your own map. Players should expect a solid amount of content to keep the battles feeling fresh well after the game’s initial release. And who knows? You may find after spending time with the game that you have some solid map ideas of your own.

And don’t worry if you’re new to the series. I was, but within a few rounds my strategies were advancing beyond simply dropping a bomb and running the other direction. Timing is important. So is using the ability to kick bombs away for surprise attacks or to defend yourself. There’s plenty beyond that, but you don’t have to worry about embarrassing yourself in party games while you figure it all out; Super Bomberman R 2 includes a single player component. The game does lose some impact without the chaos of multiplayer, but the story appears goofy and cute enough to propel you forward as you learn the nuances of combat and control.

The Story Mode introduces small, ghostly creatures called Ellons that seem to be having some survival difficulty. By rescuing them, Bomberman and his friends will be able to utilize them to solve puzzles and access new items/locations across the adventure. The Ellons trail behind the player as you work your way through each level, and that can spell trouble; the Ellons are susceptible to damage, too.

The Switch release of Super Bomberman R 2 is set for September 12th for the physical edition. The digital release will launch the following day, and pre-orders are now open in the eShop. For more information, visit www.konami.com/games/bomberman/r2/.