Bomberman Tournament

Last updated
Bomberman Tournament
Bomberman Tournament cover art.jpg
Developer(s) Hudson Soft
Publisher(s)
Director(s) Shigeki Fujiwara
Producer(s) Hiroyuki Mikami
Artist(s) Shoji Mizuno
Kozue Satoh
Composer(s) Koichi Seiyama
Jun Chikuma
Series Bomberman
Platform(s) Game Boy Advance
Release
  • JP: April 27, 2001
  • NA: June 26, 2001 [1]
  • EU: August 10, 2001 [2]
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer


Bomberman Tournament [lower-alpha 1] is a game in the Bomberman series for the GBA. The game contains a multiplayer battle mode between linked Game Boy Advances. The player and up to three others can compete in any of the game's eight multiplayer battle arenas, each of which has its own unique gameplay twist.

Contents

Story

On the edge of the galaxy sits a small planet, Phantarion. From the cutscene at the beginning of the game, it is given that five meteors (the five Dastardly Bombers, from Super Bomberman 2 and Super Bomberman 3 ) hit the planet. Shortly thereafter, a large fortress was erected, and in turn the land around the tall, tower-like fortress and the fortress itself began to freeze over. The people of Phantarion sent out a distress call, and Professor Ein sent Max to investigate. Upon arriving on the planet, Max makes his way to the base of the tower. Once inside, he is confronted by a huge bird creature (later found to be Plasma Bomber in his transformed state). He is knocked out by the bird by one fell blow, and is either sent to the top of the tower or down a hole (the exact cannot be determined, Max is only shown being pulled into a dark, foreboding circle in the center of the screen). When Doctor Ein talks to Bomberman a week later, Bomberman tells him that they have lost all contact with Max. Bomberman is then sent by Ein to save Phantarion and find Max, thus beginning the playable portion of the story.

Gameplay

Tournament was generally lauded for its simple, approachable gameplay. In order to score (in multiplayer mode), players must lay time bombs in order to trap and obliterate their opponents, with the last player alive becoming the winner. As the player defeats enemies and clears away obstacles, a variety of power-up tiles appear. Randomly selected from a pool of 10 different items, these tiles have a number of effects, such as increasing bombs' blast radius, increasing the player's bomb capacity, or even reversing a player's controls.

Unlike other Bomberman games, Tournament's single-player quest mode is an action-adventure game with influences of Zelda , Pokémon and especially Hudson's Neutopia .

The majority of the action takes place in 2D from a top-down vantage point, while Karabon battles and select minigames are presented in a side view. Each of the game's six different environments possesses only a minimum of rectangular features but is detailed with other features, such as trees that topple over or an earthen giant collapsed in the middle of a road.

Development

Bomberman Tournament was developed by Hudson Soft. The game was first announced at the 2000 Nintendo Space World, with a single screenshot shown to the public. [3] [4] Publisher Activision was given publishing rights to release Tournament in Europe and North America. [5]

Reception

Bomberman Tournament received "generally favorable reviews", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [6] NextGen called it "An established multiplayer classic whose added single-player mode mixes in two of Nintendo's most beloved franchises." [16] In Japan, however, Famitsu gave it a score of 26 out of 40. [11] Michael "Major Mike" Weigand of GamePro said, "Complete with colorful visuals and simple, dead-on controls, Bomberman will be right at home in this Tournament." [20] [lower-alpha 2]

According to a sales report from Reuters, Bomberman Tournament contributed to Activision's revenue going up thirty percent to $110 million in the second quarter of 2001. Both Tournament and the Game Boy Advance version of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 accounted for 31% of the revenue. [21]

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as Bomberman Story (ボンバーマンストーリー, Bonbāman Sutōrī)
  2. ↑ GamePro gave the game two 4/5 scores for graphics and sound, and two 4.5/5 scores for control and fun factor.

Related Research Articles

<i>F-Zero: Maximum Velocity</i> 2001 video game

F-Zero: Maximum Velocity is a futuristic racing game developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo as a launch game for the Game Boy Advance. It was released in Japan, North America and Europe in 2001. It was the first F-Zero game released on a handheld game console.

<i>Mario Kart: Super Circuit</i> 2001 kart racing video game

Mario Kart: Super Circuit is a 2001 kart racing game for the Game Boy Advance (GBA). It is the third Mario Kart game and retains its predecessors' gameplay: as a Mario franchise character, the player races opponents around tracks based on locales from the Super Mario platform games. Tracks contain obstacles and power-ups that respectively hamper and aid the player's progress. Super Circuit includes various single-player and multiplayer game modes, including a Grand Prix racing mode and a last man standing battle mode.

<i>Bomberman</i> (2005 video game) 2005 video game

Bomberman is a 2005 video game developed by Racjin for the Nintendo DS. It was released by Hudson Soft in Japan on May 26, 2005, and published worldwide by Ubisoft. The game is notable for its chibi art style, previously seen in the Bomberman Land series.

<i>Its Mr. Pants</i> 2004 puzzle video game

It's Mr. Pants is a puzzle video game developed by Rare. It was published by THQ for the Game Boy Advance (GBA) handheld game console in North America and Europe in 2004–2005. A port of the game for mobile phones was developed and published internationally by In-Fusio in 2005–2006. The game stars Mr. Pants, a crudely drawn mascot formerly featured on Rare's website who had made cameo appearances in several prior Rare games.

<i>Sonic Shuffle</i> 2000 video game

Sonic Shuffle is a Sonic the Hedgehog-themed party game developed and published by Sega for the Dreamcast in 2000. The game plays like a board game much in the same vein as Nintendo's Mario Party series, with up to four players moving their characters across a game board filled with a variety of spaces which can trigger different events. Some spaces will launch minigames that pit the players against each other in short competitive events.

<i>Midnight Club: Street Racing</i> 2000 video game

Midnight Club: Street Racing is a 2000 racing video game developed by Angel Studios and published by Rockstar Games. The game focuses on competitive street racing and the import scene. The game was released for the PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance platforms, the former being a launch title for the platform. It is the first game in Midnight Club franchise, followed by Midnight Club II.

<i>Bomberman Generation</i> 2002 video game

Bomberman Generation is a 2002 video game released for the GameCube. It was followed up by Bomberman Jetters.

<i>Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness</i> 2000 video game

Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness is a maze chase video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation in 2000. It was later released for the Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, and Game Boy Advance. A remake of Ms. Pac-Man (1982), players control the titular character in her quest to stop a witch named Mesmerelda from stealing the Gems of Virtue. The game was well-received upon release, with critics applauding its simplicity and faithfulness to the arcade original. A sequel was in development around 2006, but was cancelled for unknown reasons.

<i>Konami Krazy Racers</i> 2001 video game

Konami Krazy Racers is a kart racing video game published and developed by Konami for the Game Boy Advance handheld video game console. It was first released in Japan, and was later released in North America and some PAL regions. It was also re-released for Wii U Virtual Console on October 15, 2015 in Europe. It was a launch game for the system. Konami Krazy Racers makes use of a variety of characters and concepts from several of Konami's franchises, including Castlevania, Metal Gear, and Gradius. It plays similarly to the Mario Kart series, with eight characters per circuit and offensive/defensive items placed at predetermined points in the tracks.

<i>Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2</i> 2001 video game

Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 is a sports video game developed by Z-Axis and Full Fat and published by Acclaim Entertainment under their Acclaim Max Sports label. It was released for the PlayStation 2 in August 2001, and in the following months it was ported to the GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and Xbox video game systems. Both the GameCube and Xbox ports featured two extra levels that were not present in the PS2 version.

<i>Army Men Advance</i> 2001 video game

Army Men Advance is a top-down shooter video game developed by DC Studios and published by the 3DO Company exclusively for Game Boy Advance. Much like Army Men: Sarge's Heroes, the story has General Plastro and his army of tan figurines have decided to take over the world and it is up to Sarge and reporter Vikki Grimm to thwart the conquest. Throughout the game, the player is required to rescue team members, infiltrate tan bases, escape from a jail, investigate an extra terrestrial presence, and retrieve communications equipment. The player can choose to play as either Sarge or Vikki, but the quests for each are identical and once a character has been chosen it is impossible to switch to the other unless the player wants to start again from the first mission.

<i>Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2</i> 2000 video game

Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 is a boxing game for the Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and Game Boy Advance. It is the sequel to Ready 2 Rumble Boxing.

<i>GT Advance Championship Racing</i> 2001 video game

GT Advance Championship Racing, known in Japan as Advance GTA, is a racing game developed by MTO and published by THQ. It was a launch title for the Game Boy Advance. The game's sequel, GT Advance 2: Rally Racing, was released on June 30, 2002 in North America.

<i>Mat Hoffmans Pro BMX</i> 2001 video game

Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX is a 2001 BMX video game developed by Shaba Games and the first game to be published by Activision under the Activision O2 label. It is similar to the Tony Hawk's series and competed directly with Acclaim Entertainment's Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX. Despite a planned release in fall of 2000, the game was released in 2001 for the PlayStation and Game Boy Color, followed by Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance. The PlayStation and Dreamcast versions received "favorable" reviews, while the PC and Game Boy Advance versions received "average" reviews. A sequel, Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2, was released in 2002.

<i>Pinobee: Wings of Adventure</i> 2001 video game

Pinobee: Wings of Adventure, known in Japan as Pinobee no Daibōken or Pinobee: Quest of Heart, is a platformer for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Artoon and published by Hudson Soft. The game was released as a launch title for the system, on March 21, 2001 in Japan and June 11, 2001 in North America. A version was developed for PlayStation in 2002, simply titled Pinobee outside Japan.

<i>Bomberman Land Touch!</i> 2006 video game

Bomberman Land Touch! is a puzzle video game developed by Hudson Soft for the Nintendo DS. The game was first released in Japan and North America in 2006. Part of the Bomberman franchise, Touch! is the third game in the Bomberman Land series and its first to be released outside Japan.

<i>Fire Pro Wrestling</i> (2001 video game) 2001 video game

Fire Pro Wrestling is a professional wrestling video game in the Fire Pro Wrestling series and was the first Fire Pro game to receive an official English translation and the first to be released on a portable system rather than a console. A direct sequel, Fire Pro Wrestling 2, was released in 2002.

<i>Bomberman Land Touch! 2</i> 2007 video game

Bomberman Land Touch! 2 is a puzzle video game for the Nintendo DS released in Japan on July 19, 2007, and in North America, Europe, and Australia in 2008. Part of the Bomberman franchise, it is the sequel to Bomberman Land Touch! and the seventh game in the Bomberman Land series.

<i>Worlds Scariest Police Chases</i> (video game) 2001 driving video game

World's Scariest Police Chases is an open world action driving video game developed by Swedish company Unique Development Studios and co-published by Fox Interactive and Activision for the PlayStation in June 2001. Work on the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2 and PC versions of the game was cancelled, as well as its sequel, titled World's Scariest Police Chases 2: Code Red.

<i>Namco Museum</i> (GBA) 2001 video game

Namco Museum is a 2001 video game compilation developed by Mass Media and published by Namco for the Game Boy Advance. It contains ports of five of their classic arcade games, Ms. Pac-Man, Pole Position, Dig Dug, Galaga, and Galaxian.

References

  1. ↑ Harris, Craig (April 18, 2001). "Bomberman and Pinobee for US Launch". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  2. ↑ "UK Release Dates (2001 Releases)". Eurogamer . Gamer Network. Archived from the original on August 16, 2001. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  3. ↑ GameSpot staff (August 24, 2000). "New GBA Games Announced". GameSpot . Fandom. Archived from the original on June 21, 2001. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  4. ↑ IGN staff (February 23, 2001). "Bomberman Tournament (Preview)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on September 26, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  5. ↑ Ahmed, Shahed (April 18, 2001). "Activision announces two more for the GBA [date mislabeled as "May 17, 2006"]". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on October 6, 2001. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  6. 1 2 "Bomberman Tournament". Metacritic . Fandom. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  7. ↑ Semerad, Jay. "Bomberman Tournament - Review". AllGame . All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  8. ↑ Johnston, Chris (July 2001). "Bomberman Tournament" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 144. Ziff Davis. p. 91. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  9. ↑ Zimmerman, Chris (July 20, 2001). "Bomberman Tournament". The Electric Playground . Greedy Productions Ltd. Archived from the original on January 4, 2003. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  10. ↑ Bye, John "Gestalt" (October 7, 2001). "Bomberman Tournament". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on November 25, 2001. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  11. 1 2 "ボンバーマンストーリー". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Bomberman Tournament". Game Informer . No. 101. FuncoLand. September 2001.
  13. ↑ Provo, Frank (July 5, 2001). "Bomberman Tournament Review". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on January 1, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  14. ↑ Bub, Andrew S. (January 28, 2002). "Bomberman Tournament (GBA)". GameSpy . IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 2, 2002. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  15. ↑ Zdyrko, David (July 6, 2001). "Bomberman Tournament". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  16. 1 2 "Bomberman Tournament". NextGen . No. 79. Imagine Media. July 2001. p. 62. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Bomberman Tournament". Nintendo Power . Vol. 146. Nintendo of America. July 2001.
  18. ↑ Metts, Jonathan (August 25, 2001). "Bomberman Tournament". Nintendo World Report. NINWR, LLC. Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  19. ↑ Lake, Max (September 23, 2001). "Bomberman Tournament". Nintendo World Report. NINWR, LLC. Archived from the original on September 6, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  20. ↑ Weigand, Michael "Major Mike" (August 2001). "Bomberman Tournament" (PDF). GamePro . No. 155. IDG. p. 72. Archived from the original on October 10, 2004. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  21. ↑ Bye, John "Gestalt" (July 25, 2001). "Activision on rise". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.