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- Silent Bomber
Silent Bomber
- November 24, 2000 14:47 PM PST
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Old-school action gamers take note as Bandai rolls Silent Bomber off the presses. Silent Bomber comes to you without much ado, but it's easily one of the most playable action titles in a long, long time.
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Silent But Deadly
In keeping with its name, Silent Bomber isn't one of the loudest titles of the year as far as hype goes. Drowned out by the Dreamcast's lineup and the looming PlayStation2, Silent Bomber is the PSX title that could, a refreshingly different take on the old-school action game formula that propped up the console industry in its infancy. Silent bomber is, simply put, a blast; it's an all-out bombfest that will have your television lighting up with exploding enemies even as you run, jump, and lay down more bombs. Neither you eyes nor your thumbs will stop during gameplay, because the only respite you'll get is in-between levels.
Silent bomber is best described as a cross between Gauntlet, Smash TV, and Bomberman. You are Jutah (pronounced YOO-tah), a member of a crack demolitions squad sent in to infiltrate a massive enemy battleship and destroy it from the inside. Jutah is a master of explosives; his only manner of attack is judiciously setting bombs and detonating them with impeccable timing. You can lock onto enemies and lay bombs directly on them, or try to second-guess their paths and lead them into traps. This simple hook is at the heart of the gameplay in Silent Bomber, but more lies beyond the title's apparent simplicity: Silent Bomber is very fun, very challenging, and very unique.
Jutah Jazz
A futuristic backdrop exists throughout Silent Bomber, and in this respect the game looks stunning. The Playstation's graphical limits shine through, despite the designers' best intentions, but the overall effect is stunning. Characters and enemies are kept relatively tiny onscreen, to facilitate speed and control, and the first time you spot some of Silent Bomber's gorgeous special effects (massive purple lasers, unbelievable explosions), you'll be sold for good.
Speaking of explosions, the sound in Silent Bomber is as intense as its visuals. Outside of an annoying tune here and there, the sounds you'll hear will pound your head into submission. Explosions ring with violent realism, robots and turrets whir as they bring you in sight, and character voices are typically well acted and perfectly placed.
Considering the simplicity of the concept, the complexity of the gameplay is impressive. Jutah can lock on to enemies as he runs around them, all the while laying bombs. You can lock on, and as long as you remain in range, you can set bombs as you jump about, dodge and run. Once the bombs are set, you wait for the right moment, and BAM! One toasted bad guy. Satisfaction is immense when you figure it all out, and thanks to an awesome tutorial that won't take long at all.
The Glad Bomber
Silent Bomber is just the thing for action gamers looking for something different. It's challenging enough to keep veterans busy, but the controls are simple enough to rope in casual gamers. If you've got an old-school action itch and want to try something different, this game is da bomb.
