New Atomic Punk: Global Quest

The Good
Bomber Man World is the second Bomber Man game to hit the arcades, created by Irem under license from Hudson Soft. This is not the first time the Japanese company asked to obtain a license to create arcade versions of popular series; the first one was Lode Runner from Brøderbund, followed by Spelunker. Like the last arcade game, it consists of six areas with six stages each, and the aim of each stage is to blow up all your opponents in the stage and proceed to the next one.

Power-ups hidden in blocks allow you to get more bombs, increase your firepower, and become temporarily invincible, among other things. Once you have nuked all enemies, you proceed to the next stage. The enemies in the game boast impressive animations, and they are a lot smarter than their counterparts in the first arcade version. For instance, the enemies in the second area cover up the bomb in sand when they get close to it, while chickens in the later stages go berserk and chase after you if seen. It is not uncommon for enemies from previous areas to make their way into later ones. Contact with enemies results in a loss of life. I always enjoyed Bomber Man saluting before he falls to the ground.

New additions include a world map, showing Africa, Asia, and Australia on the left hand side, and the Americas on the right. For some reason, it is color-coded with mixtures of greens and yellows. According to the map, you start in Japan and end up in the United States. After you defeat one of the six bosses, you see Bomber Man hopping from one part of the world to another in a matter of seconds. I sometimes wish this worked in real life.

Although the power-ups are basically the same, there is a new one that just consists of a letter, making up the word BONUS, and only one of these letters can appear in a specific stage. The letters are shown below the impressive status area, and the sound when you get a letter is good. Each individual letter is tied to the one stage.

There is also a multiplayer feature where you can compete against the computer or up to three other human opponents. This was what got me into the series in the first place. A nice touch is the “booing” and “hissing” sounds that are added on the defeat screen if you lose a game. Your computer opponents have excellent AI, just like they had in the last game.

The Bad
There is nothing bad about this game.

The Bottom Line
Bomber Man World (or New Atomic Punk: Global Quest, depending on which country you come from) has the same core mechanics as its previous game that made the series great in the first place, but features new additions such as a world map, power-ups, and better sound effects. The graphics are spectacular, and let's not forget the superb multiplayer component that got me hooked in the first place. Two thumbs up, way up!