Beginner's Guide to Bomberman Live

The action/puzzle gameplay in the well-loved Bomberman franchise is found pure and unsullied in Bomberman Live available on Xbox LIVE® Arcade. If you've ever played any version of this game, you will have some familiarity with the Arcade installment. Levels still appear as arenas from a top-down perspective filled with blocks that can be bombed, and certain blocks that can't. And you and your little Bomberman pals still roam around the arena, trying to blow each other up.

He's back!

Either offline or on Xbox LIVE, your main goal is to be the lone survivor at the end of the round. Success comes as you place bombs to catch your opponents, and avoid the four-pronged blasts from your enemy's arsenal. Potent and varied power-ups add further depth and strategy during the course of every round.

First Instinct
Before placing a bomb on the map, your first thought should be how you're going to get out of the way of your own bomb. Many an amateur Bomberman player has been killed by their own exploding wares, so be careful to avoid trapping yourself and giving your opponents an easy out. Always know your escape route.

The Trap
Of all the classic Bomberman strategies, the trap may be the most useful by far. Essentially, this is a two bomb technique (Bomb power-up required), where the first bomb is placed to make the enemy flee in a desired direction. Then, once they move out of the way of the first bomb, the second bomb is quickly placed to trap them in one or the other explosion. Of course, this is usually more successful when you've pinned your enemy near a corner.

Skulls are nasty business.

Use the Power-Downs
Advanced players may be able to successfully avoid all but the most cunning attacks. If you can't blow them up, force them to take a power-up they don't want (we'll call it a power-down). Take note of the Skulls that make your enemy ill, or the Fire-Down, which reduces their bomb's strength. Place bombs so that they are forced to collect the power-downs in exchange for their survival.

Patience, Grasshopper, Patience
Reaction tactics can be quite successful in Bomberman Live. Instead of acting the part of the aggressor, set bombs after an enemy has already committed one of his or her own bombs to the map. After they move out of the way of their own bomb, they might stumble into the explosion of your carefully-timed bomb drop.

Costume Drops
Unique costume skins are a popular element in the game, though some players wonder about the drop pattern. Simply wait until the timer in a game has ended (offline matches only) and costume items will be dropping onto the map. The key here is to play the game so that you and at least one enemy survive to the end. Make sure you're somewhere near the middle of the map when the timer ends, and you should be able to survive long enough to track down a costume item.

That's a lot of fire for one bomb.

Early Containment
Take advantage of the early moments of a match to survey the tactics of your opponents. There's no burning requirement to start bombing pathways, so exercise a bit of patience before deciding which direction to venture.

Avoiding enemies in the early stages can put you at a quick advantage, especially if you stay out of the way long enough for your enemies to pick each other off. Remember, it's not the largest amount of kills that wins the match, but simply who survives the longest.

Understanding Power-ups
Understanding and visually recognizing the available power-ups is essential to success. Unless you can immediately recognize a Line Bomb waiting to obliterate you from across the map, you're in trouble. Likewise, knowing that the Power Glove you just grabbed gives you the ability to pick up and toss bombs, or that you should avoid the Fire-Down items should be second nature.

Take a few minutes out of your day to peruse the How to Play menu under Help and Options and familiarize yourself with the power-ups and all the various rules of play.

Offline before Online
The quality of competition online can be nearly unbelievable. Bomberman has enjoyed a rabid following for well over a decade, so unless you're a hardcore fan of the series, I would suggest spending a good deal of time practicing offline (you can net a glut of achievements this way) before daring to tackle the formidable talents waiting for you online in Bomberman Live.

But you should still give it a try because this fast-paced arcade version of the game provides a lot of clever fun. We hope these tips help you with the basics of the game and bombs away!

Article by Ryan Treit