Atomic Punk
| Atomic Punk | |
|---|---|
 North American cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Hudson Soft |
| Publisher(s) | Hudson Soft |
| Composer(s) | Jun Chikuma[1] Noriyuki Nakagami[1] Hirohiko Fukuda[1] |
| Series | Bomberman |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle, Action |
| Mode(s) | Players: 1-2 |
Atomic Punk, released in Japan as Bomber Boy (ボンバーボーイ Bonbā Bōi) and in Europe as Dynablaster, is a video game released for the Game Boy in 1990 by Hudson Soft and licensed by Nintendo, as part of the Bomberman series. It was the first game of the series to be released on the Game Boy.
There are four modes of gameplay in Atomic Punk, including two single player modes and two multiplayer game modes.
Irem also released the first Bomberman arcade game and its sequel under the Atomic Punk name.[2]
Game A
Gameplay in the first mode, "Game A" (known as "Bomber Boy" in the Japanese version) is similar to other games in the series, with a few differences. Power-ups, known as panels, which are usually gained in each level and carried over from one to the next, can also be bought from a store by using GP, which is collected depending on how much time it takes to complete a level and how many blocks are destroyed. At the beginning of each round, the player decides which panels to use to complete the round. Another difference is that the linear gameplay of the original, with the player advancing levels after completing each one, was changed to implement a world map with nine locations.
My Town is the map location where the panel store is located. The following panels are available from the beginning of the game:
- Elixir (cost 100 GP), which revives Bomberman should he die in a stage
- Bomb Up (cost 50 GP), which allows Bomberman to have an extra bomb on the playfield at a time
- Fire Up (cost 50 GP), which causes explosions to lengthen by one square
The other map locations are those in which the game action takes place. Each area has a set number of rounds that have to be completed to finish the area. With the exception of Faria, these areas can be played in any order, but one area must be completed before moving onto another. Each area, when completed, unlocks a new panel for sale at the My Town store. The panels that can be unlocked include:
- Speed Up (cost 20 GP), which slightly increases the speed at which Bomberman moves
- Remocon (cost 30 GP), which enables bombs to be detonated by remote control
- Wall Pass (cost 50 GP), which enables Bomberman to pass through bombable walls
- Bomb Pass (cost 40 GP), which enables Bomberman to pass through the bombs he has laid
- Timer (cost 50 GP), which slows down the timer, essentially increasing the amount of time available to complete the round
- Fire Pass (cost 100 GP), which makes Bomberman immune to blasts from his bombs
The circle-shaped panels (Bomb Up, Fire Up, Speed Up) are permanent and last until you "lose a kid" (die). All the rest are square-shaped panels and they last for only one round.
| Area name | Number of rounds | Theme/features | Panel unlocked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grad | 7 | A mountain area. Each level is split into four mini-rooms that wrap horizontally and vertically. A series of 'warp caves' must be used to travel through the level, from one room to another (random) room. | Remocon |
| Hevol | 5 | A standard Bomberman area. No special features. | Speed Up |
| Cuolece | 8 | An icy area, with ice blocks taking two bomb blasts to destroy instead of the usual one. | Wall Pass |
| Windria | 9 | A windy area, the wind changing between the four cardinal directions at intervals. | Fire Pass |
| Thulia | 6 | A hilly area. The blocks that are normally indestructible can be bombed in this area. One blast 'melts' a hill and a second blast destroys it. | Bomb Pass |
| Jagoraz | 6 | A forested area. Some of the bombable walls are weeds, which obstruct vision but not movement, and can be destroyed with a single blast. | Timer |
| Wather | 9 | A standard area, similar to Hevol, with the exception of water covering all spaces and subtly obstructing your vision. The water cannot be destroyed. | Upgrades your Bomb Up, so that each panel gives you +2 bombs. |
| Faria | 10 | The final area, unlocked after the other seven have been completed. Has flames in place of the usual indestructible posts, which the player must avoid accidentally running into. | n/a |
Game B
The second game mode, "Game B" (known as "Bomber Man" in the Japanese version) is the same as that in the original Bomberman game, but the stage area is squared rather than rectangular and the screen is always centered on Bomberman rather than scrolling when he touches the border.
Vs. Mode
There are two games in Vs. Mode:
- Panel Mode, in which players begin with only one bomb to place at a time and a bomb blast length of one unit, and Bomb Up and Fire Up panels appear.
- Powerful Mode, in which players have four bombs to place at a time and a bomb blast length of four units, and no panels appear.
Reception
Mean Machines gave Atomic Punk a score of 81, praising the game as "highly addictive" port of Bomberman, and added that the password system was a welcome addition.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Composer information for Atomic Punk at Portable Music History
- ↑ "Atomic Punk". The International Arcade Museum. Retrieved 1 Nov 2013.
- ↑ Rignall, Julian; Matt Regan (April 1991). "Bomber Boy Review". Mean Machines (7). Retrieved 2009-06-04.
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