Bomberman ‘93 is the expection to the Virtual Console rule. You see, it is not Bomberman’s first game (he first appeared on the ZX Spectrum in 1983, then the NES in 1985 and again in 1991), nor is it his first TurboGraphx appearance (His first was called Dyna blaster, which was released simultaneously on PC). In fact this is Bomberman’s last and greatest outing on the TG16 console, and what a blast it is too! (pun most definitely intended). I will try not to talk about the dozen or so superior sequels that made their way onto the SNES and PC in the years following, so very quickly I will say this: If you were hoping for kangaroos, you won’t find them here, ok? Bomberman is another one of those franchises that has endured the test of time through its simple yet highly addictive game mechanic. You walk around, drop bombs, blow things up till you’re the last man standing. Essentially that’s it, with the usual array of powerups and special items to help you on your quest. There is a plot to these games somewhere, I know there’s a reason why Bomberman has to blow up the bad guys but let’s be honest, has anyone ever stopped to find out? The single player mode is pleasantly long. The ‘baby steps’ first few levels (one measly powerup per level!?) quickly dissolve into a cacophony of baddies and bosses, and with somewhere in the region of 100 stages to work through there will be enough to satisfy most of us, especially with the added ’state save’ feature that the virtual console offers. You can now pause bomberman, exit to the wii menu, turn the wii off, unplug it, go to sleep, get up in the morning and pick up exactly where you left it. Cool huh? The stages are bright and colourful, with many floor features to boggle the mind such as warp holes, ‘no bomb’ tiles, conveyor belts and other B-man standard fare. Graphically, it’s better than a NES game, it’s not quite a SNES game, but they are certainly colourful enough to make up for it and after a while you won’t notice anyway. For me though, there was only one reason to download Bomberman - the multiplayer. With up to 5 of you battling it out for top dog, the game can get pretty intense, although getting 5 people connected can be a tricky business (I managed it with three GC pads and 2 remotes in the end, you will need to hold ‘R’ on each GC pad to do it this way and even then it’s fiddly at best). The powerups are a bit scarce in Bomberman ‘93, with two or three players you can obviously get more, but with 5 of you I guarantee that people will be killed simply because they couldn’t get a ‘kick bombs’ powerup in time. If you are killed in multiplayer, all the powerups that you collected re-appear in random positions at the same instant of death, leading to a mad scramble for booty from the surviving players that usually results in more death. Collecting the ‘line of bombs’ powerup is almost a precursor to victory, as it allows you to lay as many bombs as you can in a straight line right in front of you - if used correctly it will render you virtually unstoppable. The multiplayer is of course what made Bomberman so brilliant, and if you have to share your wii with others it’s one of the few must-haves in the VC library. The relative lack of powerups forces you to use all of your wits and cunning, and there are 8 themed multiplayer stages to choose from, all based on arenas from your single player quest to mix things up a bit. Of course because the TG16 was never released in Europe, most of us have never played this version before. It’s hard for me to judge this game on it’s own merits, especially after being spoiled with the many SNES releases that followed it, but I shall try. Even though I know how much better this series got, I still really like this game for what it is. There is enough in the single player to keep you busy for a while, but the 5 way multiplayer adds replay value far beyond the mere 600 points that you would pay for this classic slice of gaming. If you have never played bomberman, get it. If you have, you don’t need this review to tell you how damn fun it is.

Donkey Kong Country was one of Rareware’s last outings for the SNES, and it was also the first time Shigeru didn’t play any part at all in a DK game. I think he was a little jealous of how beautiful Rare made DK look because he lashed out after the game was released, calling the game "mediocre" and said people will buy anything that "looks pretty". Thankfully he later apologised for this, and revealed that he was pressured to make Yoshi’s island look as good as DKC, a request that ran against his well known ethos of fun first. If Shigsy had gone for graphics, we wouldn’t have the wii today! If you’ve never played it, this game is a side-scrolling platformer where you take the role of Donkey Kong and his friend Diddy Kong in a quest to find his stolen banana hoard. Along the way the duo meet many allies, using animals such as a Rhino, an Ostrich, a Swordfish and a Toad to help them kill enemies or traverse tricky sections of the terrain. Outside of the levels you can find various members of the Kong family who are also willing to lend their services. Grandpa Kong offers tips and advice while reminiscing about the good old days, Candy kong offers up save points (although the new state save feature of the wii means you can stop and save anywhere you want now. nice!), and Funky Kong offers up his barrel jet to help you travel around the island in style. Enemies can be jumped on, rolled into, or Donkey Kong can slap the ground with his hands to kill them. Many of the animal allies you find along the way can also attack for you. As you travel the levels you will find bananas to be collected, 100 will give you an extra life. There are also red baloons scattered through the levels which will give you an extra life, if you can grab them before they float away. The biggest part of this game, however, is the barrels. You will find them everywhere. Some on the ground like DK barrels containing your partner, or star barrels which act as a half way point to which you will return if you die. TNT barrels explode when you throw them, and steel barrels can be rolled to take out multiple enemies at once. Then of course there is the blast barrels which propel your simian stars across the landscape. Blast barrels are a large part of this game, and you will often find yourselves traversing large sections of a level without your feet ever touching the ground. This was one of the first games to use pre-rendered 3D objects in a 2D lansdcape, and it was done so well that the game still looks beautiful, even now. The soundtrack to the game is so catchy that they released an album based on it, and the strengths and weaknesses of the two characters will have you tactically switching between the two on each level, to reach a higher ledge with Diddy Kong or pound larger enemies with Donkey Kong, for example. The game is pleasantly long, with enough variety between the worlds to keep you coming back again and again, and the plethora of hidden caves and goodies will keep you searching even after you’ve completed the game. In closing, I’m sure I don’t need to say anything about this game to those who have played it, and for those who haven’t, it will be one of the best 800 points you will spend, no matter what they release over the next few years. Another Rareware classic.