Releasing an older, inferior version of Bomberman on the GBA when there are already plenty of great, newer version available surely must be an indication of madness. But then again we are talking about Nintendo. I mean, that's like Subway bringing back the "Classic Meatball Sub!" originally made in 1940! We found a few dozen boxes of them in the basement!"

I'm not going to crap all over Bomberman. I think it's a great series. It's evolved over time and that's what has made it popular. There are elements in the new game that most players can't live without, mainly the multi-player modes. The Classic NES Series: Bomberman, which is a port of the '87 original, is strictly a single-player game. It's primitive and repetitive. I can't even justify playing this game for nostalgic purposes.

Bomberman is a rotund little fellow that defeats enemies by blowing them up with bombs. The playfield is maze-like, with various enemies and walls blocking some of the pathways. With strategic timing and placement of bombs, Bomberman can destroy his enemies and blow apart some of the walls that trap him. Enemies must be in the blast vicinity to be affected. There are power-ups which will allow you to detonate the bombs remotely, but for the most part you'll have to place them when you're being chased and hope the enemy continues pursuing you in the same direction.

Other power-ups will increase your speed, increase the length of the explosions and help you find more bombs. Once you destroy all the enemies and reach the exit, you'll start all over again - on the same playfield. There are 50 levels in all, each one gradually increasing in difficulty - and ultimately monotony.

My advice is to spend a few extra bucks and get yourself one of the newer versions of Bomberman for the GBA. I know there are those among you that believe that I'm missing the point since this is supposed to be a classic port of the original NES game. Keep in mind that just because it's a classic doesn't mean that it can't suck.