Genre: Puzzle
Developer: Hudson
Publisher: Majesco

Bomberman Generation is a puzzle game that features cel-shaded characters and baddies, to go along with bright, colorful, cartoonish environments. This is a title where cel-shading is actually appropriate, and it fits the overall Bomberman theme well. The visuals look sharp, but could have easily been done on the Dreamcast.

All I have is one word: ugh! The music is just plain awful, featuring 30-second songs that repeat over, and over, and over, for an entire board that takes 20 minutes. Finish the board, then here comes the same song for the next level too! All of the songs for both the single player adventure mode and the battle modes are just obnoxious. The sound effects aren't much to speak of, and the voice acting is even cheesier than previous Bomberman games, especially the Hige Hige Bandits, which sound like cast-outs from a Teletubbies episode.

The adventure mode is exactly like the Gameboy Advance version of Bomberman, except not as good. It involves going through some shoddily designed levels, blasting baddies, and trying not to let the music drive you into insanity. Like any Bomberman game, this isn't about some silly adventure mode: this is about the battle mode, the meat and potatos of the franchise. Unfortunately, there's nothing remarkable here either- all of the stages and powerups are taken straight from the other Bomberman games. There are some additional play modes, but none of them add much in the way of value.

It seems as if every console needs its obligatory Bomberman title, and this is it for the Gamecube. Unfortunately, that's all this is: a Bomberman title. No fun new adventure mode, no new board ideas, no new powerups, etc. This is the same Bomberman we've been playing for the past decade or more, and it's getting a bit stale. The battle mode is fun, but I already own the exact same battle mode in about 5 other versions of the game.