B-Side News: Bomberman Blasts onto XBLA this Summer

Bomberman promises to retain the classic multiplayer experience by allowing for 8 players to battle online.


Last week Bomberman was rumored to be making his way to Xbox Live Arcade. This week, we’ve got an official confirmation from Hudson, announcing a new Bomberman title for XBLA with support for up to 8 players online.

Bomberman will allow for full character customization, letting players personalize their character’s appearance to suit their needs with over 10,000 combinations available. In addition to 8-player online play, 4-player local action will also be provided.

"This has been one of our most requested games, our fans have been clamoring for it, and we are thrilled to finally be able to deliver the game they want," said John Greiner, President of Hudson Entertainment. "As our flagship series, Bomberman has been hailed as the best multiplayer game ever created. Now that Xbox LIVE Arcade delivers a truly worldwide multiplayer gaming platform, we can at last bring to market a Bomberman game that represents our long-term vision of the brand."

Bomberman is expected to launch worldwide this Summer.

Eros' Entropic Tundra

Ikaruga is headed onto Xbox Live Arcade. My feelings? Excited. Xbox Live Arcade provides a great platform for developers to work with. Especially when considering projects that otherwise became vaporware or were released with a limited printing run. It's an outlet for developers to produce low-cost games that they would otherwise have to charge a ridiculous premium for if it saw an actual printed release. Okay, so I'm running off on a tangent. I digress, I want to see other "rare" titles hit Xbox Live Arcade. The prospect was raised on NeoGAF that Radiant Silvergun could also see an Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA, getting sick of typing that out). What options do I have to play a game like that? Pay a lucratively overpriced fee off of Ebay, or piracy. Emulators work too, but of course, emulating Saturn games has been proven to be a shoddy and nearly nigh unplayable experience. If developers took the time to port some of these otherwise lost relics of gaming to XBLA, it'd be a wondrous thing.

Oh, Symphony of the Night? I'm going to be all over that. For a few reasons:

- Difficult to obtain without resorting to piracy/emulation.
- Ebay, no thanks.
- Accessibility. It's permanent, it's easy to boot up my Xbox 360 and constantly have access to it.
- I haven't played it before (my reputability has just been slaughtered).

As my other entry previously specified, I've taken it upon myself to indulge in the Castlevania series. How have I come away from that? I love it, I'm absolutely a fan now. It's a shame though, because I only have Symphony of the Night left in the vein of a "Metroidvania". But, what a title it is, the most critically and fan lauded of the bunch. I'm anxious for another DS Castlevania to be announced, because I don't possess a PSP of my own. Also, the remake of Rondo of Blood isn't enough to satiate my lust for Castlevania. I'm more inclined to play the "Metroidvania" structure, and Rondo of Blood doesn't offer that. Had this been a title in that style I would've taken it upon myself to purchase a PSP.

...Okay, I digress again. So, what games would I like to see on XBLA? Probably a lot that I couldn't even begin to fathom unless they happened to fall on my lap. I'm interested in titles that appeared on obscure or niche consoles. Neo-Geo, PC-Engine, Saturn, etc.

What titles would you (all one of you), like to see on XBLA? I'm sure there's a diverse selection of noteworthy games out there.