Let's say you're in the middle of a room, talking with a league of gamers. Their talents range from mastering the trickery of the recently released Burnout 3: Takedown to taking down the evil bugs in the classic Atari 2600 effort, Yars Revenge. But mention that you have a multiplayer round of Bomberman '93 brewing on the classic Turbo Grafx 16 system, and chances are that, despite their individual preferences, you'll have gamers eager to get in on the action. The addictive qualities of Bomberman are easy to see, and the tactics and items that come into play guarantee that no match is the same. It truly is one of the best party games around, and, to this day, the series is alive and well.

Unfortunately, not every Bomberman has been a winner. When Interplay released the PC title Atomic Bomberman, it got negative attention, and for good reason. Likewise for Bomberman Wars for PlayStation, an isometric take on the series that just didn't fit. Now there is Bomberman for the N-Gage, a title that could have taken advantage of so many opportunities through Bluetooth play, but self-destructed due to several missteps.

Hudson Soft has recrafted the game into the classic formula, shaping it into something that resembles a Nintendo or Turbo Grafx entry rather than one of the new chapters. That means you have a solo player mode that spans across eight worlds with five stages apiece, including boss battles.

The gameplay of Bomberman remains the same, as you must maneuver your way through maze after maze, blowing up walls and enemies while collecting little icons to improve your performance. The presentation seems a bit off, because the game has an old school flavor and yet still seems a bit unpolished. The animation isn't as smooth as it should be, as your character's animation is choppy. Furthermore, the game features shrunken stages, just enough to fit the N-Gage screen, so the play field is very limited. Could no multi-screen levels be composed?

The game's sound is pretty basic, with the kind of music and effects that refuse to transcend the norm and instead just sit there and stagnate. Some may enjoy it, while others will more than likely go bonkers and kill the volume.

As far as the multiplayer is concerned, the game supports up to two players. There are still challenges to be had with other players, and it is engaging, but that's it. Having two players compete in a Bomberman match is sort of like trying a one-man Olympic event. It's decent, but it's more fun if other people get involved. Hudson could have easily worked on getting better Bluetooth support for up to ten players, complete with expansive maps, but all we're left with are mental images of what could've been.

Bomberman isn't a total failure. In fact, it's a more competent game than half of the lackluster N-Gage titles out right now. However, it's a very limited rush job with no real care put into detail, level design, or desirable multiplayer options, and it looks like a rehash rather than a quality port. If Hudson Soft had done some more research and geared the game for a Christmas release, the N-Gage would have possibly had a stand out hit for the holidays. Unfortunately, it's just another ho hum release for Nokia's plagued portable.