June 12, 2018
KONAMI

Super Bomberman R

The White Bomber and family head up a worthy return for the Nintendo Switch. Barring hiccups with online lag and repetitious voice clips, Super Bomberman R is a satisfying candidate for multiplayer competitions and online battles.

59%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, monetization

53% User Score Based on 492 reviews

Critic Score 64%Based on 40 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $16.68

Buy NowGet on Steam$39.99

Buy NowGet on Xbox Games Store

About

"Super Bomberman R" is a modern take on the classic explosive puzzle game. Join the battle as the lovable Bomberman character in a single-player campaign or multiplayer matches. Use strategic thinking and fast reflexes to plant bombs, destroy enemies, and collect power-ups in this charming and engaging game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

53%

Audience ScoreBased on 532 reviews

story42 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

Classic Bomberman gameplay with fun local multiplayer options.
The game features a variety of characters with unique abilities, adding depth to the gameplay.
The story mode is enjoyable and nostalgic for long-time fans of the series.

Online multiplayer is broken and often unplayable, with connection issues and a lack of players.
The game is overpriced for the amount of content and features it offers, leading many to recommend waiting for a sale.
Controls are poorly implemented on PC, with no option to remap keys, making it difficult to play without a controller.

story
124 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
60%
6%
The story mode of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it enjoyable and fun, particularly in local co-op, while others criticize it for being overly simplistic, cheesy, and reminiscent of a children's show. Many noted that the cutscenes are well-animated but lack depth, and the overall narrative is short and not particularly compelling. Technical issues, such as crashes and lag during multiplayer, have also detracted from the experience for some players.
- “The story mode is solid and will surely find one or two happy buyers.”
- “A very fun story mode and bomberman experience especially for those who played in the early days.”
- “The story line for the story mode is really good in my opinion.”
- “The main story is fairly short, only about four hours at most.”
- “The only thing that's really annoying me are the game crashes after every single cutscene in the story mode.”
- “The writing for the story is very cheesy and it plays out like a very bad anime dub.”
gameplay
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
70%
10%
The gameplay is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its adherence to classic Bomberman mechanics and solid controls, while others criticize the confusing 3D environment and lengthy, uneventful boss battles. Although the game features modern mechanics and online support, many feel it lacks joy and responsiveness compared to previous iterations. Overall, while the gameplay can be enjoyable for fans of the series, it suffers from navigation issues and a weak story.
- “Gameplay-wise, it is a real Bomberman game and it is a solid game series.”
- “If you can allow yourself to accept this treat, you will be rewarded with adorable graphics, smooth gameplay, well-supported online features, and a refreshing visual novel portrayal of an adorably weird and intimate team of bomber friends.”
- “Good characters, good humor, good gameplay; all things that I never expected to see again from an IP owned by Konami, seeing their recent distancing from games as a whole.”
- “The 3D environment doesn't really blend that well, making it quite confusing to navigate, and the gameplay can feel unnecessarily long when not much happens (especially bosses).”
- “It appears to have less level and multiplayer features than Bomberman for Wii, and the gameplay itself feels less responsive. Levels look duller, not as colorful, and character movement feels off.”
- “With almost 4½ hours of gameplay, roughly 4 hours have been spent troubleshooting with different friends creating lobbies and seeing who could connect.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
60%
7%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the colorful, cartoony art style and modernized visuals that enhance the classic Bomberman experience. However, some players criticize the 3D graphics and excessive animations, feeling they detract from the gameplay. Overall, the graphics are seen as a significant improvement over previous iterations, though some believe more effort could have been put into their execution.
- “No wonder, because the game principle still captivates us to our screens and the modernized graphics together with the new game elements raise the game to a new level.”
- “Yes, this game has a fantastic art style for the sprites and cutscenes.”
- “The graphics are fantastic, absolutely nailed the cartoony colorful Bomberman look.”
- “What I don't like is the 3D graphics style; I think the map is over-animated already, no need to have bouncy antennas on their heads.”
- “The graphics for this game are so weird.”
- “I mean, it's Bomberman but with today's graphics... the problem is, however, they put such a small amount of effort into it.”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
57%
12%
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy, retro-style techno tracks that enhance the gameplay experience, often serving as motivation for players to retry levels. While some find the soundtrack entertaining and fitting, others criticize certain voice emotes as repetitive and obnoxious. Overall, the music is described as energetic and enjoyable, contributing positively to the game's charm.
- “Love the music in this game, very catchy retro-style techno music; just hearing one of the energetic tracks again is often enough motivation to try a planet again.”
- “The soundtrack is banging and there's even a nice vocal song at the end credits.”
- “The gameplay is old-school fun, the story is weak, the music is catchy as hell.”
- “Music and character voice emotes in the game are repetitive short phrases that are loud, obnoxious, and all around not good.”
- “The music is the usual cheese, as is the story, but it's funny and mocking the likes of Power Rangers, Ultraman, etc., so it's been a lot more entertaining than some other bomber stories.”
- “Has catchy music though and story cutscenes are 'cute'.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
9%
83%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, particularly in adventure mode, where high item costs necessitate significant time investment to earn in-game currency. Unlocking new characters and stages is also seen as a drag due to the cumbersome process of acquiring bombercoins. While the single-player mode is enjoyable, the overall experience is marred by the repetitive nature of grinding.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The adventure mode is tedious.”
- “While there are a few cheap items, most other items are so expensive that you will have to spend a lot of time grinding in-game gold to afford it.”
- “Getting bombercoins is really tedious, so unlocking new characters and stages is a drag.”
monetization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
42%
33%
The game's monetization model is praised for its absence of microtransactions, allowing players to unlock a variety of characters, accessories, and multiplayer arenas using only in-game currency. This approach, combined with a solid port quality, makes it a strong recommendation for its price point. However, some users express frustration with the game's multiplayer functionality and controls, suggesting that these issues detract from the overall experience.
- “The range of unlockables includes characters, accessories, and multiplayer arenas which can be bought with in-game currency (no microtransactions).”
- “No microtransactions (everything can be unlocked by in-game currency).”
- “With no microtransactions or paid DLC and solid port quality, this is a strong recommendation when you can nab it for around $20.”
- “The shop for in-app purchases is a bummer.”
- “Make it your day 2 patch top priority to make the keyboard controls customizable (and allow a 2nd player because there are like, 100+ keys on a keyboard, you know) and maybe your game won't stink of 'quick nostalgia cash grab'.”
- “I can't recommend this game as something even as simple as plugging in a controller and playing local multiplayer does not work, even though multiplayer is one of their main advertisement points.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its chaotic and entertaining cat-and-mouse gameplay, complemented by cheesy music and a story that humorously parodies pop culture icons like Power Rangers and Ultraman. Players appreciate the blend of good characters and comedic elements, making for a multiplayer experience that is both frantic and laugh-inducing, surpassing expectations for a Konami title.
- “The music is the usual cheese, as is the story, but it's funny and mocks the likes of Power Rangers, Ultraman, etc., so it's been a lot more entertaining than some other bomber stories.”
- “Maybe the campaign is better, but I don't care about that; all I wanted was a frantic, hoarse-from-laughing multiplayer game.”
- “Good characters, good humor, good gameplay—these are all things that I never expected to see again from an IP owned by Konami, considering their recent distancing from games as a whole.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, particularly with its network performance, leading to a frustrating experience for players. Additionally, many users feel misled by false advertising regarding language options, further exacerbating dissatisfaction with the game's high price relative to its quality.
- “However, the game falls short with its steep price and poor optimization.”
- “Badly optimized; they even committed fraud with false advertising since you can't choose Japanese or English.”
- “The network needs optimization.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's online stability at launch was severely criticized, with players experiencing significant bugs that hindered connectivity and gameplay. Many reported spending more time troubleshooting connection issues than actually playing, leading to a frustrating experience marked by input lag and difficulty joining games.
- “The online play was super buggy on launch and basically scared all players away.”
- “With almost 4½ hours of gameplay, roughly 4 hours has been spent troubleshooting with different friends creating lobbies and seeing who could connect.”
- “It's buggy, it barely lets you into a game and there is very slight input lag.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a poignant narrative centered around a man's struggle with legal restrictions at an airport, which resonates emotionally with players. However, technical issues, such as glitchy controls, detract from the overall experience.
- “This game has a touching story of a man who is not legally allowed to get on an airport.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers highlight that the game features well-crafted environments that are effectively staged to create an immersive atmosphere.
- “The areas themselves are atmospherically staged.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game enjoyable and replayable, particularly highlighting that multiplayer mode with screen sharing enhances the experience significantly.
- “The game is still fun and replayable; multiplayer with screen share is much more enjoyable, in my opinion.”

64%Critics’ scoreBased on 49 critic reviews

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