Place the bombs, turn the enemies into ash. That's your only goal in this simple puzzle game by Shinichi Yamasaki of Hojamaka Games (creator of Mamono Sweeper), Somebomb. The first few levels are no-brainers, but once you sample what the latter portion of the 30 stages offers, you'll wonder how you're supposed to clear the screen without a positronic brain. Or a truckload of dynamite.
Bombs explode across the screen either diagonally or both vertically and horizontally as indicated by the mark on their face. Simply drag and drop them from the inventory bar at the top onto the grid below. Lots of happy explosion things will occur, and enemies will turn into dust!
Each enemy has a hit point counter on the lower right side. Your job is to bring that counter down to zero. Bomb blasts that hit enemies reduce their health by one, and if you want to get a perfect score for each level, you'll need to hold back on bombing foes with no health.
The grid is small, the enemies are small, the number of bombs is small, but the challenge is anything but. You're constantly second-guessing your moves and trying to decide if a series of bombs' explosions will overlap in a good way or a bad one. Getting the gold star is another matter entirely, forcing you to consider not only each bomb but the state of the entire grid after each explosion. It's no tiny task, and thanks to the open puzzle selection menu, you can hop back and forth and try any stage you please. No pressure, just ouch-my-brain-inducing bomb placement.
"Congraturations! Perfect". Intentional Engrish?
I'd say definitely not intentional. The developer is Japanese and the email exchange I had with him indicates that although his English is a whole lot better than my Japanese, I ask that you be polite and excuse the rough translations, please.
Walkthrough:
Grid numbering:
11 12 13 14 15
21 22 23 24 25
31 32 33 34 35
41 ...
Level 1
1-1
X:24
+:24
1-2
X:22
X:52
1-3
X:22
X:55
1-4
X:54
+:43
1-5
X:13
+:23
1-6
X:52
+:24
Level 2
2-1
+:24
+:41
+:43
2-2
X:14
+:23
+:45
2-3
X:32
+:42
+:55
2-4
X:35
+:33
+:42
2-5
X:35
X:44
+:51
2-6:
X:31
+:33
+:34
More coming soon!
This game is a lot less difficult than it appears to be. It doesn't take too much trial and error to find the solution, yet it's still satisfying.
I started recording my answers at level 4. I'm at level 5 now.
Level 4 Walkthrough
4.1
000000
000000
000000
+00000
0xx000
+00000
4.2
000000
00+x00
000000
00x00x
000000
000000
4.3
00000+
000000
+00000
000000
x00+00
000000
4.4
000000
00x000
000000
0+0000
000x00
0000+0
4.5
000000
x00000
000+00
000000
00000+
0000+0
4.6
000000
+00000
000000
000000
0xx0x0
000000
Aaaaaand here's level 5.
Level 5 Walkthrough
5.1
0000++0
0000000
+000000
0000000
0000000
0x000x0
0000000
5.2
00+0+00
0000000
00000x0
0000000
0000000
000000x
000x000
5.3
0x00000
0000000
0000x00
000000x
0000000
000xx00
0000000
5.4
0000000
0000000
0000000
0000000
0000+0x
0+0000+
+000000
5.5
0000000
0000000
000x000
000+0x0
00+000x
0000000
0000000
5.6
0000000
++00000
00000+0
00000x0
0x00000
0000000
0000000
I like how we skipped a level 3 walkthrough.
I enjoyed the game, and after figuring out what it took to get a perfect, I was able to breeze through the first 12 stages.
A hint to anyone looking to do it without a walkthrough:
My strategy (at least for the first 12) was to weaken the stronger monsters so that everything on the field is a single shot to finish. On the early early levels, just consider not overlapping, and if you can ace those, the later ones should be easy.
Hope it helps.
I went back and redid level 3 for a walkthrough.
Level 3 Walkthrough
3.1
00000
000+0
+00+0
000x0
00000
3.2
00000
+00x0
00000
0x0+0
00000
3.3
0000+
0000+
00000
000+x
00000
3.4
0x0+0
0xx00
00000
00000
00000
3.5
00000
00000
00x00
00++0
+0000
3.6
00000
0x00x
00000
000+0
+0000
It seems, in addition to the main mechanic, the monster design is based on the original Bomberman for the NES, which makes me very happy.
Fun game; seems to hit that sweet spot in terms of difficulty level. I'm really starting to like this developer. =)
FYI, walkthroughs are useless for this - the levels are generated randomly. As the last line of the instructions read:
ステージデータは、データクリア時にランダム�"�成されます。
In English, that basically translates as "When the data is cleared, the stages are generated randomly." By extension, they would also be generated randomly when you first load the game.
bluemoose,
your walkthrough for 5-1 doesn't match what I see on the screen. It's the only one I can't figure out.
Short, but fun game! From the same author as that RPG-minesweeper thing, you say? Count me in!
Finished my first set of randomized levels, but I'll be playing more of them :)
It could use an undo button, though. Especially in the later levels, when you have to place 5 bombs or so, realizing your third bomb was wrong after all, and then restarting, can be a pain.
Has anyone noticed that the explosion sound effect is exactly the same as the "DUNN... DUNN... DUNN... DUNN... PING!" from the endings of the Dismantlement games?
having randomly generated levels explains why the image in the review doesn't match any of my levels. So... disregard the walkthroughs.
Hmmm.. I'm bruteforcing through the game quite efficiently. I went from 1's to 5's, and passed them all in a few tries, mostly using the "get as many as you can" technique.
I think the game would be much more enjoyable puzzle-wise if the bombs DIDN'T explode, but rather just "lasered" trough the thingies, so you could rearrange them at will. Then the game would be more of a brain-burner and less of a trial-and-error as it is now.
For some reason I had the hang of it today. I have gotten through 1 through 4 just fine and got stuck on 5-2. Finished it up. Could use a couple more levels now ;)
I also like the two dungeon games on the site. They are quite fun. If they ever get reviewed I will will post some tips.
I am completely stuck on 5.2, and my grid looks different than blue moose's.
This is what my grid looks like:
2001001
0101010
0201020
0202100
0211000
0010020
0001012
(1 = 1 hit to kill, 2 = 2 hits to kill).
I have tried so many combos and still can't come up with a solution. Please help!
I don't understand what defines prefect. I beat them all and only 70% are perfect.
@ FanIQ:
For a perfect, you have to kill the monsters without pulverizing them to ashes. That means if a monster has 2 health, you have to hit it it exactly 2 bombs, no more and no less. This adds even more challenge to the puzzles, because while there are various ways you can solve a level (most of the times, anyway), there's only one perfect solution.
I'm halfway through Level 3, and enjoying the game very much, though this isn't as addicting as Mamono Sweeper. And I agree, a Undo button would be a nice addition if they ever make an update to the game.
Update