A recent interview with John Lee, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Hudson Entertainment, explains the thoughts of the developer behind the new Xbox 360’s Xbox Live Arcade game Bomberman Live. Here are my favorite answers, and while his first answer might sound corny I can say from my own experience that it’s indeed a true story, once you’re hooked you can keep bombing for a long time.
Question: What is it about the Bomberman series that has made it so enduring?
Answer: Pure and simple, Bomberman is FUN. It’s a game that, once you play for 15 minutes, you’re hooked. The beauty of why it has endured is that you have a game that’s easy to understand and which pulls in the most casual gamer, but is very intricate once you’ve figured out all the strategies. And that’s why the hardcore gamers love it. Before Bomberman came along gaming was primarily a solo experience. Bomberman is in many ways the KING of multiplayer. It brings people together, and when you play with friends it creates lasting gaming memories. People hold onto those for a lifetime.
Question: Can we expect old-school Bomberman thrills from Bomberman Live, or have you added lots of new twists?
Answer: It’s a combination of both. You’ll find all the great thrills of a classic Bomberman game, such as the crazy power ups, wacky levels with booby traps, and the hyper addictive music. It will feel instantly familiar to fans, and in many ways it brings up great nostalgia. But, it’s also loaded with new features. Beyond the obvious things like HD graphics and online gameplay, the game now features full customization: character customization, power up selection, mode selection – you can now create a game session exactly how you like it. Simply setting up a game session is now a lot of fun, as you add new twists and change up rules, making each game feel different. This is one game you will not tire of any time soon.
Question: Are there any new modes or power ups introduced in Bomberman Live?
Answer: So many new things to play with! I think gamers will be surprised just how much gaming content there is, and how much customization there is in this game. It’s never quite been done before for a Bomberman game, let alone an XBLA game. You now have to find Costume Balls, which give you new outfits pieces to wear, scattered throughout the levels and battle it out with others to get to them first. There are so many different outfits that, if you can imagine, you might never see another Bomberman exactly like yours, as there are well over 10,000 combinations. You also now have new twists on different game modes, including Zombie Mode, in which you paint tiles and even come back to life if you get bombed!
Question: What strategies do you recommend to players to ensure they are the last one standing?
Answer: If I share all my secrets, then people will usurp my throne! The beauty of Bomberman is that there are so many layers of strategy. In fact, in Japan, they created an in-depth strategy guide to becoming a champion player, since they’ve held tournaments there for many years. People adopt very different play styles. We’re planning on putting together a strategy guide like this for the US soon.
OK, OK, I’ll share a few of my secrets. I rarely engage other players quickly. I sit back and clear the space around my character, and collect as many power ups as I can. Being completely powered up is the key. Sometimes, everyone else kills themselves before they even get to me. Easy win! I will admit that if there are particularly weak players, I’ll go after them first to reduce the competition. I also try and master specific power-ups. With the power glove, you can throw bombs off the side of the arena and it appears on the other side. If you time it right you can trap other players, much to their surprise. You can also control the distance that you kick bombs, if you get the kick power-up. I do have one more key strategy that I won’t get into here. Perhaps if you see me online, you’ll see my playing pattern!
Question: What’s in the future for Bomberman on Xbox 360, ie PDLC?
Answer: We just finished up the game and are moving into creating new downloadable add-on packs, and some tournaments as well. It looks like the first add-on pack will come out in the next month or two, and feature a few new characters, a new level and a game mode. The goal is to support the game ongoing for as long as people like.
It’s a good time for fans to tell us what they’d like to see for future add-on packs, so if you have an idea, stop by our forums at www.HudsonEntertainment.com and let it be known!
Read the full interview over at Wonderwallweb.