Super Bomberman 2 is a 1994 platform action video game and the second game in the series. It is mostly a very good game and an improvement on the original.
This game once again consists of normal and battle mode. First I will talk about the normal mode as it is the game’s standout feature. It is mostly spectacular. I was blown away by how good it is. It is definitely much better than the one in ‘Super Bomberman‘ mainly because it is much more demanding. It consists of five worlds with each having eight levels within. The first world is one of the weakest, but still good. The level design is very memorable here and excellently executed and it also has some puzzles in it as well and while I am not a fan of them, they were still interesting. This is a solidly demanding world, but mostly the one which is just a foreplay.
The second volcanic world is even better in terms of difficulty as it is very annoying at times and it has its frustrating moments mainly the fact that everything you destroy can pop up again later and the enemies are good but more on them later. The third world is the easiest and shortest without a doubt and while that is troublesome, the fact that it incorporates some incredibly inventive level design, but most importantly new gameplay, makes it good. It is the first world in the whole series where the gameplay isn’t as linear and where it has some pretty interesting new features. And it is accompanied by a very cute music.
The mechanical forth world is the easiest and also the most forgettable one. Yes, the setting is intriguing, but it is still too easy and the design could have been better. But the moving platforms are introduced here and that was interesting. The last fifth world takes us underwater and features arguably the finest levels, not to mention the most difficult. The disappearing parts are frustratingly difficult, some of the enemies are so hard and above all the inclusion of hidden bombs make this world the hardest and the most frustrating. It took me the most to get past this level undoubtedly.
Now, the enemies are superb and some are so fast and have such sudden attacks that they really make the game difficult. As for the bosses, most are really well designed and in terms of strength, quite solid, but rarely too good. Except for the last boss. Now, this got personal. This last boss is so incredibly powerful that it took me hours to beat him and I literally played just his level as much as all of the other levels combined! Yes, he is that good. But more frustrating than anything else. Also, the whole inclusion of another fight after it with just the eye of the monster staying behind to fight is so unexpected and adding to its longevity and difficulty. I also forgot to mention that I absolutely loved its incorporation of two bosses. You get one boss in front of the other one and in that previous level you need to beat him while also gathering power-ups in order to beat the other guy. That was great as the game provided you with an extra chance, but also an extra level. I really loved that part which is one of the main reasons why the whole game works.
Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about the battle mode. It is this time inferior to the battle mode in the previous entry because the opponents are just so weak. Yes, the designs are good and there are some nicely executed zones, but the lack of stronger opponents made it too easy to beat. The fifth, seventh and tenth zones are the highlights and the very best. The fifth has an interesting design, the seventh is very authentic with its emphasis on some new elements and the tenth introduces jumping over the zones which is certainly a new and interesting addition to the battle. But the weak A.I. just ruined it for me and it is best to play this game with real people.
The level design is great and the graphics and character design is pretty good and better than before. I also liked its score as it has some really catchy themes. There were also no bugs, it was immensely entertaining and the concept is once again great. And even the plot is better here and the difficulty is excellent with the bosses being very good as well. Comparing it to its predecessor, it is weaker in battle mode, but much better in adventure mode which is why it is overall a better and better crafted game and I can’t wait to see if the third one is going to be even better.
Super Bomberman 2 is inferior to its predecessor when it comes to battle mode, but as for adventure mode, it is infinitely better with a much more demanding A.I. and level design and having some really inventive levels as well. It is a very well crafted and above all immensely difficult and entertaining entry in the franchise.
Super Bomberman 2 Review
