Bomberman will surely be known as one of the greatest multiplayer games in history. It has appeared in one form or another on many platforms, including the SNES, the Genesis, the Turbo Grafx-16, Sega Saturn, the Nintendo 64, and practically every home console available.

Although the series has collectively sold millions of copies over the years, a true Bomberman-inspired game has never really made an impact on the PC…until now, that is. Bombing Quest, by developer Team Puh, is now available on the best gaming platform on the planet and with pretty good results.

You Da Bomb

The original Bomberman was designed in Japan where the gameplay adhered to the Japanese style of presentation and visual concept (cute, big-headed characters, bright colorful graphics, etc.) which many gamers happen to like. Bombing Quest has a more westernized look and geared more towards a mature crowd while retaining the fun and addictive gameplay.

In a nutshell, the object of Bomber Quest is to destroy all the enemies on a grid using well-placed bombs that can detonate in four directions. When you successfully destroy all the enemies, a doorway opens up and leads you to another maze where you start your quest all over again.

Just like games of this genre, the further into the game you go, the more challenging it gets. Upgrades are littered throughout and enable you to enhance your speed, increase your blast range, and produce more powerful bombs. Unlike other Bomberman games of the past, this one throws around some modern-day graphical power with more detailed characters, smoother animations, and sharper backgrounds. The music, however, is rather mundane but serviceable. While you can play the game with a controller, I found the keyboard more to my liking as the keys were better placed and easier to manage.

Bombs away

Despite the retro vibe this game gives off, I do have one major issue with it. Let me first start by saying that the main appeal of any Bomberman-type game has always been the party element. It was the perfect game to get a bunch of friends together and blast each other to kingdom come while gulping down sodas and stuffing your face with pizza.

This is what the Bomberman legacy is all about, and sadly, Bombing Quest lacks this experience. The developers have stated that a multiplayer option will be coming in the next few months, so that alone may be the one reason to keep this title on your hard drive. At least for the time being.