Super Bomberman R shows a side of the Switch that's a little unloved at launch
Bombs away.
This isn't going to be a particularly fashionable opinion around these parts given the animosity many still hold for Konami, but I quite like Super Bomberman R.
It's an unashamedly old-fashioned affair with its roots set firmly in the past - some of the original team from Hudson Soft, the much-loved Japanese company that merged with Konami back in 2012, are onboard for this - and it's doing something that nothing else really is around Switch's launch. Super Bomberman R is all about huddling around a screen with some friends and playing some boisterous local multiplayer, something you can do pretty much anywhere now thanks to the Switch's unique set-up. And it does a pretty good job of that too.
Super Bomberman R leans heavily on the nostalgia of a certain generation, harking back to the 1993 SNES outing that saw the series at the peak of its popularity. The original Super Bomberman is one of those games you might find yourself pining for over a pint, and Super Bomberman R makes use of one of the Switch's best tricks by letting you play in the pub. And you won't even need a multitap.
Is it a good Bomberman, though? I've only played a handful of multiplayer games and sampled the first of its eight single-player worlds so I'm not quite in a position to say just yet, but I can say that it's so lovely to have Bomberman back. The formula works as wonderfully now as it did back in the 90s, and Super Bomberman R does well not to tinker with it too much.
Single-player has a delightfully puzzly edge, while multiplayer is as entertaining as ever, winding the clock back to the 1993 SNES game and doing away with the mounts that were introduced in Bomberman 94 and played a part in the all-conquering Saturn Bomberman. Eight players are the maximum here as opposed to the 10 of that particular series' high point, and it'll be interesting to see how that comes together in online multiplayer - especially as Super Bomberman R is one of the only Switch games you can take online over launch weekend.
The price is going to be a sticking point, though as someone with a weakness for Konami classics so large it saw me part with £300 for a Gradius 2 board I'm hardly in a position to cast judgement. Launch days are never cheap, but the Nintendo Switch is managing to stretch things more than a little. £65 for a Pro Controller, £75 for another set of Joy-Cons and then this: £45 for Super Bomberman R, one of only five games coming to physical retail alongside the console's release.
It's not the best game you can get for the Switch's launch, and I'm not sure whether it'll stick in the memory in a year or two's time when Nintendo's console has a more substantial library. But it is, in its own way, selling a side of the Switch that's a little under-represented at launch, and I think that could just about make it worthwhile. We'll have our full review for you early next week.