Bomberman 64 - Dunkelschwamm
How well does a game made for the N64 fit into Sven Co-op? Decently as it turns out, the whole map is interesting temple architecture that players must explore (and blow up) to unlock new areas. There are lots of weapons, not just grenades, and respawning enemies to use them on.
Author: Lymphoid
Date of release: 2022
Maps in package: 2
Map review of Bomberman 64
(originally posted on SCMapDB)
Bomberman 64 is a recreation of two levels from Bomberman 64 in Sven Co-op. It accomplishes this with what I presume to be a near straight-brush remake of the maps, with various standard Sven enemies and weapons filling in for Bomberman foes and items.
Both maps share similar objectives: activate interactive elements of the map by finding gold cards, then use those interactive elements to reach gems. Then, fight one high-HP monster as the boss. It's very straight forward.
What's less straight forward is the approach. Players spawn only with grenades and a crowbar, which helps little in dealing with the melee enemies who mill around the map. However, by destroying breakables in the map you uncover new items: more grenades, some tripmines or satchels, or even new weapons like an MP5, shotgun, M16, or even rocket launcher. These breakables also carry ammo, health, and armor, so keep an eye out.
Once armed, the maps play like puzzle-scavenger hunts. You move back and forth destroying things, dealing with respawning enemies, finding ways to platform into teleporters, and finding the gold cards. Once you find gold cards, interactives in the map will glow green, such as switches or elevators. Triggering these unlocks the gems which take the player to the last area. The first map also has a fun gimmick with the wrench breaking "dragon blocks".
The first map is much longer than the second map, but I'm not sure how much better it is. It has some novel puzzles, but also includes a handful of areas that feel like bloat and confusingly drag the player away from objectives. There was also a necessary teleporter chamber in the end of the first map that I think you have to die to exit? The second map was far more straight forward with most of its objectives, and had some really funny interstitial cutscenes starring a stukabat as well.
The boss battles, and the combat in general, is mostly pretty boilerplate. None of it got too aggravating, though the blackops grunts who appear toward the end of the first map and constantly through the second map are absolutely nightmares when they shove you into the instagib water.
The brushwork and visuals of this map are really nice. The boss areas look like entirely newly designed areas, and look fantastic. Everything is pretty brightly lit, but not too flat. The map definitely evokes an N64 vibe in brushes and textures, but the skybox is some gorgeous high-res blue sky affair that my teammate referred to as feeling like being in heaven. The simple N64 map layout helps a lot with helping the player quickly understand the quirky language necessary to solve the map's puzzles. The map is chock full of cute things, like dinosaur mouth tunnels that open when shot.
Overall, I think Bomberman 64 is really good! It's different from your typical Sven Co-op map, and does a lot to create a consistent and unique blend of Bomberman and Sven. It's got action, guns, enough items to keep your players healthy, breakables, and really neat bosses to boot. If you like cute levels that change up typical Sven Co-op gameplay, these maps are for you.
Pros:
- Really nice Bomberman 64 environments with some spiffed up enhancements
- Smart combination of weapons and enemies for the environment
- Fun interactives which combine to make interesting puzzles
- Plenty of items laying around once you crack into things
- Lots of stuff to destroy with explosives
- Really fun interstitial cutscenes in the second map
Cons:
- First map meanders and features bits I would say simply slow down the gameplay for no reason
- The elevators in the second map had a real hard time, as elevators in Sven Co-op often do
- Boosting and tripmine-climbing in this map very easily breaks some of its puzzles
- Map doles out weapons in odd order sometimes. Shotgun shells for half of the map before a shotgun turns up, then rockets a whole map wherein the RPG is practically unusable until the boss
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