Atomic Bomberman
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| Atomic Bomberman | |
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| Developer(s) | Interplay Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Interplay Entertainment |
| Designer(s) | Jeremy Airey, Kurt W. Dekker |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Release date |  July 31, 1997 1997 |
| Genre(s) | Arcade game |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Multiplayer (10 players) |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Kids to Adults |
| Media | CD-ROM |
| System requirements | Windows 95/98, DirectX 3.0, Intel Pentium 90 or 100% compatible, 16MB RAM, 40MB free hard disk space, 2x CD-ROM drive, SVGA video card |
| Input methods | Keyboard, Control pad |
Atomic Bomberman is a game by Interplay for the PC that was released in 1997. It was the first original Bomberman game to be developed for Windows, and the second game made for the PC, following 1992's Dyna Blaster.
The game is relatively unusual in the Bomberman series, as it was officially licensed from Hudson Soft and developed by an American team. Most titles in the series were developed in Japan. It has a different look and feel compared to other Bomberman titles as a result (despite basic gameplay being unchanged), using pre-rendered 3D characters and backgrounds as opposed to hand-drawn animated sprites, techno-inspired background music and the extensive use of voice samples during gameplay. The voice clips are by well-known voice actors Charles Adler and Billy West.
It is probably the first Bomberman title to have enabled network play over IPX network[citation needed]. Up to 10 human or AI players can play simultaneously over the network or on the same machine.
[edit] Level editor
The game has an ability (which is rather well hidden) to edit existing maps as well as to create new maps. Maps used by the game are in the form of .sch "Scheme" Files. A quick look in the options menu will show an extensive file list (xxxxx.sch), it is possible to edit any of these files or add to them. To do this, the player must go to the main menu, hold CTRL and tap E six times, and then release the CTRL key, the Main Menu will change to show a basic screen with 3 options, the first is to edit a level, the second is to start a new one, and the third is to go back to the main menu. The map editor is a simple interface, showing the map, dotted with different colours (0 to 9) to represent player spawns. The number keys choose which spawn to place, and the mouse cursor chooses where. A function called DENSITY chooses how "dense" the collection of breakable items are (as in any conventional map, there will be some uneven spaces). The Powerup Manager chooses the list of powerups to be included, how often, whether they can be destroyed and what happens when two conflicting powers are picked (such as Bomb Splooge versus Glove). The editor also sports a basic graphic interface, the player can switch between the "Green Acre" theme and a monochrome, patterned representation.
[edit] Hidden game options and voice packs
Unique and rather questionable options and voice packs were left very well hidden in the game. In an example, it appears as though TCP lan and internet play were being developed but was never completed. Additional options are available through modifying a specific set of Game System files. Opening these files us using windows trusty notepad would provide you with a very brief description of what specific settings did or could do. Many settings were simply "flagged" as being disabled or hidden. Changing these settings could potentially cause the game to crash or work improperly, however a lot of the settings could change the way the game played completely. You could adjust everything from the number of powerups available per round, to the starting bombs or powerups, to the time between droping a bomb and it exploding to to how hard or easy the game played overall. Becoming familiar with the settings and changing them was mostly a trial and error method as no information about these files and how to modify them was ever available.
Hidden and highly questionable audio samples were left in the game. These were only found so long as you used the game cd to access them. On the game cd was 2 programs to both open and hear as well as through a lengthy process, modify and even add your own voice samples to the game. The original game only includes a very small portion of the audio files to be played. While initially, it seemed there was a considerable selection, the actual number of samples is actually much higher. Most of the extra samples are based upon the same general quotes of the game, Example: "OH YEAH!" "Backups offs mee!" and such, just with different tones and characteristics of the voice. Usually the voice sample files were named in a series followed by a number occasionally followed by a alternative. For example aa1,aa2,aa2a,aa2b,aa3, usually in the game, only the first 1 or 2, occasionally 3 samples were used. However there was sometimes as much as 5 or even more that were not included in the game. The most questionable samples that you would have never heard without using the provided programs, included language that even some adults would consider far too vulgar for any game. It absolutely pushed the envelope, some of which cannot to be put into quotes here. Some of it was considered even racist.
[edit] External links
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