Bombslinger | Nintendo Switch | Review

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There’s no hiding the fact that Bombslinger is heavily inspired by Bomberman, at first glance even appearing as little more than a Western reskin of the classic series. Whilst the serviceable Battle mode doesn’t do too much to dispute that, its roguelike Adventure mode blasts Bombslinger past Konami’s most recent effort - Super Bomberman R.

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by Sam Sant

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@SlamShotSam

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Developer: Mode4
Publisher: Mode4
​Platforms: Xbox One,
​Switch, PC
​Players: 1 - 4

After bailing on your posse with all of the proceeds from a heist, you, the titular Bombslinger, hang up your hat to peacefully while away the remainder of your days. At least until your old compadres hunt you down and destroy everything you hold dear, that is. Vengeance on the mind, you’ll select a starting loadout and seek to end those responsible with a bevy of bombs.

Emerging into a pseudo-3D world comprised of procedurally generated screens stitched together to form larger areas, there are often multiple paths to the culminating boss encounters that gate entry to each of four visually distinct, and progressively more demanding, locations. At first, besting these confrontations is no mean feat, and, as such, you’ll find your way back to square one frequently.

Vitally, much of the frustration that can accompany a permadeath defeat is alleviated by being drawn closer to victory at the same time. You’ll memorise enemy attack patterns and behaviours through repeat encounters, mastering dispatching them in the process, whilst also working towards unlocking items and abilities to give you a tactical edge moving forward. Mental and physical arsenals bolstered, in theory, each attempt should be more successful than the last.

Once you’ve established an understanding of the game’s base mechanics, courtesy of the devilish (but, in a good way) learning curve, taking risks in search of reward becomes a mighty attractive prospect. Fighting through every screen to gain the experience and gold lurking within, both of which are subsequently used to purchase from a random selection of power-ups, or consuming Snake Oil to discover its potentially positive or negative effects are almost irresistible pursuits in looking to steamroll your way to the end in record time. Having initially been off the cards for fear of the repercussions, learning to manage and utilise these light gambling mechanics to your advantage is enough to make you swell with a sense of progression.

Its roguelike Adventure mode propels Bombslinger past Konami’s most recent effort - Super Bomberman R.

While not as complex as the likes of The Binding of Isaac, which can be pretty obstructive to newcomers, the occasionally clumsy four-directional movement in Bombslinger will leave some a-shakin’ in their snakeskins. You’ll very frequently need to duck around a corner to avoid the blast radius of a bomb, but every so often you can be slightly off centre to the gap you’re attempting to squeeze through and end up taking damage as a direct result of the fiddly correction process. Considering that this has the potential to put an end to a run, it’s far from ideal.

It’s not such a problem in Battle mode’s lower stakes skirmishes, though that’s not to say they’re easy - the AI takes no prisoners, yeller belly! DeathMatch and Last Man Standing game types can be played across 12 maps, with the former a frantic race to the frag limit and the latter a more considered bout for survival.

In familiar fashion, you’re placed into a maze filled with a mix of destructible and non-destructible obstacles, as well as power-ups and power-downs, with a mad scramble ensuing as up to four bombers fill lanes with flames in an attempt to quell the competition. It proves tense, fast-paced and skilful despite the inherent simplicity, which makes the lack of online multiplayer support all the greater a blow.

A pick up and play nature makes Bombslinger ideal for gaming on the go, but, when it comes to local competitive matches, a big ol’ TV screen is the ideal way for everyone to keep track of what’s going on. This makes Nintendo Switch the game's ideal platform, offering up the best of both worlds and sacrificing none of the sharp retro aesthetic in the process.

The occasionally clumsy four-directional movement will leave some a-shakin’ in their snakeskins.

Bombslinger’s tentpole is its excellent roguelike Adventure mode, which boasts a characteristically addictive gameplay loop that compels you to keep developing your skill set over time. Battle mode is very much a secondary distraction, though proves to be good fun when getting some local friends involved - it’s just a shame that the fun can’t be taken online when there’s nobody to hand, and that control issues can make a game with a consistent level of challenge stray towards feeling unfair. Still, if you’re a fan of the Bomberman template, Bombslinger is a game you probably won’t want to miss.

Pros

• Adventure mode provides a unique twist on the bomber formula
• Fine-tuned challenge & tangible sense of progression keep you coming back
• Range of bosses & lesser enemy types, each with their own unique behaviours to learn
• Sizeable suite of unique power-ups accompany many familiar ones
• Battle mode directly harkens back to classic Bomberman

Cons

• Four-directional movement can be troublesome
• No online multiplayer
• Yee-hawing sound effects in Battle mode begin to grate over time

7/10