Bomberman Blitz

Bomberman Blitz, released on November 9 2009 in North America costs 500 points on Nintendo DSiware - is it worth the price?

Gameplay
The basic concept in Bomberman Blitz is really no different than any previous Bomberman games. For those not familiar with the series, the gameplay is simple: move your character around from a top down perspective on a grid based arena, blow obstacles in your way to gain powers and blow away your enemies. The controls are simple too - move with the d-pad, drop bombs with the a button. The other buttons are reserved for taunts including booing and laughter.
Each of the ten different arenas begins with obstacles in your way (these include bricks, boxes, tires, etc.) which vary in appearance, but not in function, in each arena. Blowing a bomb up beside them will clear them out, one at a time (unless you have a certain power up), potentially earning you a power up. Power ups include increased: range, speed, bombs you can drop at once, as well as a spiked bomb power up allowing you to pierce multiple obstacles at once. There are also power ups that allow you to kick and throw bombs. For each power, there is a power down item (power down items can be turned off). There is also a skull, which gives the player crazy effects, such as screwed up movement. 
The goal is, of course, to blow up your opponents. Winning games can be achieved by either trophy (win a match, gain a trophy, and whoever attains the set amount of trophies wins) or score mode (player with the highest score, gained by blowing up other players, bomb accuracy, etc. decreased by blowing self up, etc.).
The gameplay in Bomberman Blitz is fast and exciting. There can be a lot of strategy involved in defeating opponents. Cornering an enemy with bombs is quite satisfying. 
Overall, the gameplay is fun, and very, very addictive.
 
Design
There are only a few modes of play offered in this game. The single player mode is simply the player versus up to seven other cpus, on a small (one screen) or large (two sceens) arena, with rules set by the player. You can change most rules, including items, time, revenge mode (which allows felled players to try to revive themselves by blowing up opponents from the sidelines) and pressure blocks (blocks that close in on the players after there is 30 seconds remaining). The arenas themselves include a slippery ice arena, a max speed arena, a pipe arena, and others, each of which offers unique ways of playing.
Next is online mode, which pits up to four players against each other with set rules: random arena, 2:00 minute score matches. Your score after matches is added or subtracted from your point ranking (a system similar to Mario Kart Wii). 
Finally there is a rather (unecessarily) extensive tutorial mode which tells new players the basics of the game. This mode is informative, but takes far too long to do, because you must unlock each new short tutorial, tutorials which could have been condensed. 
There is also a local multiplayer mode. The problem with it is that two or more DSi's with Bomberman Blitz are required to play it.
The single player mode is rather robust and provides an excellent variety of gameplay options, and is well done as a whole. The online play gives restricted gameplay options, but is lag free and enjoyable. It would have been nice to see additional gameplay modes, perhaps a single player campaign or a challenge mode, but what is provided is well done and well worth the 500 points.
 
Graphics
Bomberman Blitz has basic graphics. While by no means bad, they do not push the envelope in any way. 3D graphics would have been inappropriate for the game, but there still could have been more effort put into details for the environments. The arenas are somewhat bland, but are still colourful and fine to look at.
The graphics are well suited for the game; complex and extremely detailed graphics could obstruct the arenas. 
However, they still could have been better.
 
Sound
Music in this game is, in one word, repetitive. Every battle arena is accompanied by the same tune, and while its not bad, some variety in music would have been nice. 
Sound effects in this game are average, nothing that will annoy the player but nothing that will impress the player either.
 
 
Overall
Gameplay - 5/5 - Fast paced and addictive.
Design - 4.5/5 - Plenty of rule options, but more modes would have been nice. 
Graphics - 3/5 - Average.
Sound - 3/5 - An unfortunate lack in variety.
Overall - 4.5/5 - Sound and Graphics complaints don't really affect this games overall appeal. The gameplay is solid and addictive, and the online play is well done. Definately a worthwhile package for 500 points.