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For those who have been following the news in this portal, you may recall an earlier article I wrote about Gunbound. Ah yes, even with my unfortunate lack of skill in PvP games, I signed up for IAHGames’ latest offering Bomberland.
It is no coincidence that the abbreviation of Dan Dan Tang (DDT), conjures images of little dynamite sticks exploding (see DDT on Wikipedia), because it sure packs a powerful punch for its compact size! Also known as Bomberland to the English-speaking crowd, this game is likely to ignite a new revolution in casual gaming, because within 5 minutes I was hooked!
What? 5 Minutes? Why not? See, the wonderful thing about Bomberland is that it is amazingly compact. All you need is an Internet connection and some basic system requirements that most computers come equipped with today. This means the game is super portable, and you will not need to worry about missing a game even while at a friend’s house. Who knows, you might even be able to play it on an iPhone! Once I sign up without downloading a single .exe file, I clicked Start Game on my web browser, and almost instantly, the Create Character screen materialized before my eyes…
My little bomber girl (Green Sugar) was all fired up after the tutorial and ready for some action. Armed with her trusty green cannon (one of the many types of weapons you can choose from), she bravely accepted an invitation in the Game Lobby in her quest to become Noob-No-More… Before I go on any further, let me first assure our non-Chinese readers here that the language barrier is probably one of your least concerns as the game is pretty intuitive. No worries if you enter a game room without any knowledge of the controls, because a step-by-step in-game tutorial will soon be on its way! Furthermore, if you have had experience with other similar MMOs like Gunbound or the Worms series, the controls are really similar – with the addition of shortcut keys for advanced players to boost themselves up quickly without wasting precious seconds on the turn countdown timer!
Getting into Character
In terms of graphics, Bomberland leans towards the cutesy instead of the cool. That is fine, as it makes for the speedy transfer of bytes and bits that helps to keep the game compact and casual. The character design is also reminiscent of the cute chibi style found in games like Dragonica and Gunbound. Definitely a springboard for guys to introduce your girlfriends to Gaming! (or meet gals) The soundtrack is minimal and may get repetitive, but the tunes are rather nice with a few guitar riffs woven in that give the game a nice rockin’ flavour.
And I Managed to Win a Few Matches! (With Help of Course…)
After a few false starts and consecutive misses, I was beginning to get the hang of the game. (My team member was kind enough not to kick me out of the room) The game has a fun emoticon system that makes gaming together hilarious and enjoyable. It was really funny watching an opposing team member give a frightened face (on his own accord) when I was aiming my cannon at him, and sobbing (a ‘reflex’ action) when he was hit. I could also encourage my team mate by cheering him on with flying kisses!
The fundamentals of the game are similar to Gunbound. You have a power bar (that shows the last power used), angle of shot, wind direction and strength, as well as the ability to alter the landscape with shots. Using the special ‘airplane’, a player can also teleport once every three turns. Being slow to aim and gauge, the timer (10-seconds max) definitely stressed me out! The game also has an array of neat Boosts that can be used during your turn. For experienced players with sharp-shooting skills, this is clearly an advantage. One strategy that players employ is to pump multiple shots and quickly blast the player through the ground. This results in instant death if successful. For fans of firepower, once your anger gauge is filled (aptly labelled POW!), you will attain “Nirvana” and can execute a Special Shot. (It can be further combined with 50% Power Up AND multiple shot.) This will trigger a cool animation that may result in hilarity if the player misses (obviously, that would be me).
Ghosts of deceased players also have a hand in influencing the outcome of the match. Just like how Gunbound has its post-mortem slots, Bomberland spirits can fly to treasure chests and use the resultant loot to help their team members. One downside is the difficulty in viewing the whole map while gauging my shot. Although there is a mini-map at the top right-hand corner, I find it difficult to use although advanced players may feel differently. To move the map around, I clicked at the edges of the map to find arrows to adjust the screen view. This took up valuable time on my turn.
Other Odds and Ends
Like in most MMOs, Bomberland also has a township where players can set up shop, buy items, upgrade their gear and access their own personal storage. What’s pretty cool is the upgrading of items via the town’s blacksmith. Special stones and crystals can be obtained through special Tasks which are divided into Growth, Dailies and Society. It’s pretty easy to upgrade your weapon or armour at lower levels, but as your armour ascends, each upgrade level will have a lower success rate than the last.
For the stat crunchers, these precious stones can also be obtained from the Cash Shop, which is another awesome place! Not only can you buy raw materials for upgrading, megaphones and boosts, special items that change wind direction or reduce damage received are also purchasable here. I really like the colour customization of many of the already cool gear. A great reason to play if you love a colour-coordinated wardrobe!
Another super thing Bomberland has is the wedding system. However, you need to have Cash in order to pursue your loved one. (just like in real life) Grab the proposal ring from the Cash Shop, book the Wedding Hall, invite all of your friends and have a great married (game) life! Skirt-chasers beware – there’s a Cash penalty if you choose to divorce your (game) wife!
Bomberland is a social game. It has a place for mingling and making new friends, a Hall of Fame for those interested in checking out who’s who in the top ranks, and even a place where all the in-game events are listed! Speaking of communities, the Bomberland community extends into the real world, connecting fellow players and fans via Facebook! Bomberland or DDT is pretty decent for the amount of fun it dishes out. This is a highly compact and portable game that’s perfect for casual gamers or those with a busy schedule. So, are you with me? Join me now!
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