Bomberman Max 2: Red Advance is the sequel to 2000’s critically acclaimed Bomberman Max for the Gameboy Color.  But this new version is banking on one interesting addition to garner your gaming bucks.  One word: charaboms.  Charaboms are cute Pokemon-esque critters that you can collect throughout the duration of the game and use to battle in the game’s multi-player modes.  You will control Max, Bomberman’s rival, throughout the majority of the game but Bomberman will help out in a few of the game’s extensive 100+ levels that span 5 different areas and various modes of play.  The story is as follows: Bomberman and Max have been shrunk to the size of ants with the MINI-MINI device by a group of bandits known as the HIGE HIGE, led by their leader named Mujoe.  In order to return to their normal munchkin-like sizes they will have to traverse through a plethora of stages until eventually making their way to Dr. Ein’s lab where the MINI-MINI device resides.

Luckily Bomberman Max 2 doesn’t stray far from its wildly entertaining roots, and does away with the completely unnecessary 3D rendered levels of last years Bomberman Online (Dreamcast.)  However, perspective is somewhat slanted as opposed to the traditional over-the-top view.  Levels tend to be fairly large requiring the screen to constantly scroll around in order to follow your character’s position.  Objectives entail setting off explosions to clear a path to the goal while avoiding the bomb’s area of destruction, or blowing up all the enemies on a particular map in order to progress.  And, as expected, various power-ups can be acquired that will increase the overall efficiency of your capabilities.   BM2:RA also introduces a new variable of being able to release various animals that you can ride on, each with their own unique abilities like dash boosting or bombs that home-in on enemies.  Majesco was also kind enough to throw in a handful of mini-games within the main mode’s levels that give you the chance to win extra lives and collect power-ups.

Gameplay gets increasingly fast-and-furious as you progress through levels until you are eventually setting off multiple bombs off simultaneously thinking two or three steps ahead.  The control layout is extremely simple and is quite obviously one of those games that is a snap to learn but nearly impossible to master.  The frustration that this game has the potential to induce is enough to make you instinctively chuck your GBA across the room in an ill-fated fit of anger .. This, if you don’t already know, is a good thing.  Stages are set up in a multi-tiered fashion so that you can get to the end of any set of levels by going through different routes, giving you the choice of how to progress.  However, you will undoubtedly backtrack in an attempt to unlock new charaboms by playing levels you haven’t completed yet.  Another cool addition that Majesco put in this game is the battle mode, which can be played multi-player via the link cable or as single player against the computer.  In battle mode you can pit various charaboms in your inventory against each other in an rpg-like fight.  You also have the option to combine charaboms that will result in a completely new animal with its own unique abilities, its completely snazzified for your convenience.  The single player modes in Bomberman Max 2 are extremely fun but the entertainment really gets an adrenaline boost in its multiplayer options where you will face off against up to four human opponents simultaneously.  Anybody who has played multiplayer Bomberman knows that the action can get very crazy and intense very quickly, and as an added feature Bomberman Max 2 only requires one game-pak for all of its multiplayer components.  Woo-hoo!

Graphics are bright and colorful, but like most GBA titles, look like middle-of-the-road 16-bit SNES quality.  The visual elements of the game are diversified and each level is randomly generated in an attempt to keep the action fresh.  The soundtrack is standard-fare light-hearted orchestrations that are adequately entertaining though nothing spectacular but does fit the theme of the game nicely.

Fans of the Bomberman franchise will undoubtedly find a lot to like in Red Advance thanks to the addition of the battle mode, mini-games, and charabom-collecting elements.  This game seems perfectly suited for a handheld system because it is extremely easy to pick up and play for a few minutes at a time and gives you the option to save your progress at any time, which can be useful for those instances when you have to pick-up-and-go at a moments notice.  Overall, Majesco did an excellent job developing this game and puzzle-fans would be well advised to give this game a thorough look-see.

Gameplay: 8.4
Control don’t get much simpler than this, folks.  Lay a bomb, and get outta the way before it blows up in your face, that’s about it.  Progressing consists of ridding the level of baddies or ‘soft-blocks’ via your electrically-charged bombs.  The dynamics are as easy as they sound but until you’ve died 10 consecutive times on the same stage its hard to understand the unforgiving nature of the game.

Graphics: 6.9
Graphics are colorful and sharp but not overly impressive.  There are some cool digitized cartoon illustrations to be found that look pretty spiffed out though.  Between the dozens of controllable charaboms, enemies, and various personalities there are tons of various character models in BM2.  Expect the same visual style as previous Bomberman games.

Sound: 7
Sound is adequate but like the visuals is nothing spectacular.  Soundeffects consist mainly of explosions and the sounds of bouncing enemies.  Music is enjoyable and unlike previous BM installments is composed of drawn-out orchestrations that contrast nicely with the game’s cartoony graphics.

Difficulty: Medium
Completing every last level will take a considerable chunk of time and some of the latter stages are frustratingly difficult.  The battle mode is very simple however and implements only the bare fundamentals of RPG elements, winning against the computer is ridiculously easy if you know what you are doing.

Concept: 7.2 
It was only a matter of time before the huge popularity of the various Pokemon-esque games made its way to the Bomberman universe.  Fortunately Majesco did an admirable job integrating this facet into Red (and Blue) Advance.  However, the foundation of Bomberman is left intact and is, quite honestly, starting to feel a little rehashed.

Multiplayer: 8.7
2-4 players via link-cable

Multiplayer is where it’s at in this game, heated 4-player battles can be had with just one game-pak and the various options that are available, like trading or combining charaboms, has the potential to prolong the lasting appeal of this title considerably.

Overall: 7.6

As far as puzzle/adventure games go you’d be hard-pressed to find a better, more rock-solid title then the Bomberman games and I am glad to report that that tradition has been respectfully carried over with Bomberman Max 2: Red Advance.  The various modes of play, the ability to collect and breed charaboms, and the inter-connectivity between Bomberman Max 2: Red & Blue Advance are also a nice touch.  So grab some friends and a link-cable and let the multiplayer tournaments begin!