I recently learned two things about the Bomberman franchise: 1) It is entirely possible to screw up a Bomberman game to the point where it can’t even be described as “okay,” and 2) When made with the least bit of attention to the theme and style of its predecessors, a new Bomberman game is still one of the best titles to own on a system. This is the kind of title that the larger console counterparts should’ve received.

PlayStation Portable owners are in for a treat, because this incarnation of Hudson Soft’s never-ending series is fantastic. The premise is pretty simple: drop bombs to blow up breakable walls, gaining the leftover power-ups, and blast your opponents while you hide behind walls that can withstand the blasts. It gets more involved than that, of course, with the numerous power-ups that allow you to kick bombs over the stronger walls, make your character go faster, cause bigger explosions, cause a bigger blast radius, timed bombs, etc.

Bomberman provides rich single-player and multiplayer experiences, the latter being where the real longevity comes in. The single-player portion is broken up in a campaign mode where you go from world to world, defeating opponents and bosses. There is also Battle Mode, which is the traditional way to play and involves playing against CPU opponents. Multiplayer functionality comes in several forms: using one PSP to play against human opponents, CPU opponents, a mixture of both, or playing against another player who has their own copy of the game. The only downside to multiplayer is that it’s Ad-Hoc, so it’s limited to you and local PSP owners.

In single-player, the levels are broken up into thematic worlds that have a series of levels and a boss battle. The levels include traversing a few structures, but mainly wandering through the traditional grid pattern of unbreakable walls while trying to catch your opponents in one of your bombs’ blasts. Once the opponents have been defeated, you must go to or find the teleporter to exit the level; however, if the teleporter is caught in your blast, a flying opponent who can go over all the structures will be let loose and make itself a serious nuisance. Along the way, power-ups will be collected and stored in a handy menu that sits to the left side of the screen, accessible via the shoulder and a face button. The menu can also be accessed, and power-ups engaged, in-between levels or while paused, along with the ability to move planets and to save. The bosses are also difficult, random in number, and will drop swarms of bombs around you or chase you with a particular power-up that they are proficient with. The single-player portion is absolutely solid and provides a whimsical experience that is both hectic and addictive.

The game also looks and sounds great. The PSP’s wide screen does the levels well, and its rich color palette also treats the relatively simple presentation of the title to as much as it needs to get the job done with style. The game isn’t graphic, with enemies twirling and disappearing in a ‘poof,’ so there is no need to be worried about younger gamers witnessing anything unsavory.  However, this really isn’t a game for the younger crowd because, despite appearances, it is very challenging and is more for the puzzle fan that appreciates a fast pace and the unpredictability of a variety of sometimes wacky power-ups. The sound effects and music are similar in presentation in that it isn’t taxing the system’s capabilities, though they don’t need to, and they perform their tasks admirably. The game is lighthearted throughout, making it great to both see and hear.

Overall: 9/10

There are few franchises as venerable as Bomberman. At this stage in its life, the series really has its design sweet spot down; Bomberman Act: Zero is a prime example of what happens when the designers stray too far from said sweet spot. While it’s not quite an action game and not quite a puzzle title, it’s just the right combination of both, and it’s hard to think of a better way to spend $30.