Well, that was a blast and a half! To promote both the new characters and the new battle mode at the Tokyo Game Show, Konami not only hosted a short tournament but also put together a new voiced cutscene to lay the backstory for the upcoming free update, slated for this November. (Because apparently backstory is somehow a thing in a Bomberman game in the year of your Lord 2017.) So far, the presentation is only available on Konami’s all-purpose livestream here on YouTube, which means you’ll probably have to click around in order to find where the SBR segment starts. (EDIT 10/8/2017: The animated cutscene is now here on YouTube!) The translation of the cutscene – done by Bomber D. Rufi, as always – is below the cut, at the end of this post.
Here are the major points as far as we can tell; edits may come later as the news settles in better.
- The cutscene, aside from introducing some of the DLC characters (as well as Dracula Bomber, whose playability isn’t clear yet), also reveals that the bombersiblings, while not possessed of unique abilities themselves, are able to use the abilities from the DLC characters in Grand Prix mode. Speaking of…
- Grand Prix mode is 3-vs-3 battle, as mentioned in a previously reblogged news post. Another feature of it was unveiled here, which is that each character has different stats regarding how powerful they start out (in terms of Fire Up / Bomb Up / Speed Up), how powerful they can be, which abilities they start out with, and which abilities they can potentially gain.
- For example, White starts out at 2 Fire, 1 Bomb, and 0 Speed, but can potentially reach 8 Fire, 8 Bomb, and 8 Speed. He doesn’t have any abilities to begin with, but he can potentially gain all of them on the field.
- In contrast, Reiko Hinomoto, one of the new DLC characters, starts out at 1 Fire, 1 Bomb, and 4 Speed, with the potential to reach 3 Fire, 3 Bomb, and 8 Speed. She starts off with the Power Glove, and is able to gain the Boxing Glove and the Bomb Kick, but cannot use Pierce Bombs or Rubber Bombs at all.
- And Pyramid Head starts out at 1 Fire, 1 Bomb, and 0 Speed, with no ability whatsoever to improve those stats. He starts out with the Boxing Glove, and is able to use Pierce Bombs and Rubber Bombs, but cannot use the Power Glove.
- It should be noted, though, that if a bombersibling is assigned a DLC character ability, they also inherit that character’s base stats. So Red is normally 4→8 Fire, 2→5 Bomb, and 0→2 Speed, but if he’s assigned Reiko’s ability that all changes to 1→3 Fire, 1→3 Bomb, and 4→8 Speed, on top of starting off with the Power Glove like she does and being unable to use Pierce or Rubber Bombs.
- Crystal mode involves players collecting crystals scattered around the field. Whoever collects the most crystals win. Obviously, you lose the crystals you’ve collected if you’re blown up.
- The abilities for the new DLC characters were revealed in their promo graphics, but let’s translate them here:
- Reiko Hinamoto Bomber’s ability is Guts Shield, which creates a 3x3 square barrier on the field that goes through blocks and bombs. This can keep out players and explosions while also freezing players caught in the barrier for a few seconds.
- Jehuty Bomber’s ability is Zero Shift Alpha, which lets him warp to the nearest enemy.
- Anubis Bomber’s ability is Zero Shift Beta, which lets him switch places with the nearest enemy.
- The Grand Prix Crystal battles showed off breakable blocks regenerating on the arena, a feature I’ve never personally seen in any Bomberman game before this one. It’s unclear if this is only for Grand Prix mode, or only for Crystal mode, or if it’s something that can be toggled in normal multiplayer.
- (Not related to the game itself: the winning team for the mini-tournament mentioned that their coordination was so good because they practiced everyday. Seems to suggest that there’s a robust e-sports scene for Bomberman in Japan, which is something I’ve been wondering about for a while.)
- A soundtrack for SBR is slated for a December release, with some hints that the little octopus fella in the promo image (hailing from Parodius) may just possibly be a DLC character down the line.
Visitors to Konami’s booth were rewarded with this adorable collectible sticker sheet.
As promised, the translation for the cutscene is below this cut!
***
ANNOUNCER: The Big Bang Grand Prix…an explosive tournament happening once every one hundred years that determines who will be crowned the strongest in the universe. Participants enter in teams of three and battle using teamwork and their skills. The location chosen for the next tournament is Planet Bomber, where White and his eight siblings live.
WHITE: All right! The main event of the Bomber Grand Prix is a week away! This is an excellent chance for us siblings to show off the results of our training and teamwork! Let’s do our best, everyone!
AQUA: I’m not so sure I like the violence involved…
WHITE: Not to worry! Everyone entering the tournament is a fine, upstanding warrior. It’ll be a fair and just competition filled with good sportsmanship!
???: How commendable of you to participate in the Big Bang Grand Prix with such a pure heart…
RED: Who are you?! Come out and show yourself!
???: I am the king of Castlevania…Dracula Bomber. I thought I would assess the caliber of the warriors of this planet for myself, but it seems that to have any expectations at all was a mistake.
WHITE: Are all of you entering the Grand Prix, then?
RED: If that’s the case, then I’ll blow you to pieces right here and now! Eat this!
WHITE: Wh – ?! What are you doing?!
AQUA: L-look, over there!
WHITE: It didn’t work?! Oh, no, Red! Aqua! What’s going on here…? They have such weird powers…
DRACULA: The Big Bang Grand Prix isn’t a place for you to play around. It is where warriors test their mettle and risk their lives. Weaklings have no business in participating!
???: I can’t let you do that!
WHITE: And you are…?
???: I am Vic Viper. Vic Viper Bomber. I came to this planet with my team to participate in the Grand Prix. Bombermen, you can’t let yourselves be defeated in a place like this. We want to battle with you…we’re expecting great things.
WHITE: But…but we don’t have powers like theirs. It’s no use…we just can’t…
VIC VIPER: As I thought…you really don’t know anything. There is a secret hidden within your bodies.
WHITE: A secret?
VIC VIPER: That’s right. You aren’t just robotic life forms. You are legendary bombermen, with infinite expansion of your capabilities. I will show you the proof of what lies within your bodies as prototype bombermen. Simon Bomber – the memory tapes!
SIMON: Understood. Take this! [unintelligible] Star!
WHITE: W-what’s this?!
DRACULA: Your paltry tricks are nothing compared to my power of darkness!
WHITE: Take this – Vampire Killer!!
DRACULA: This power…it can’t be!
VIC VIPER: Through using the memory tapes, you can assimilate the power of other mechanical life forms. This is your true power.
WHITE: Amazing…! I have this kind of ability?!
DRACULA: I see…so that’s how it is. Listen well: we shall settle this at the Grand Prix. I assume you have no objection to this?
VIC VIPER: Of course not! We won’t be stopped by the forces of evil!
WHITE: We won’t lose either! Not only do we have these new abilities, but we also have our bond as siblings! Isn’t that right, everyone?
RED: That’s amaaaaaazing! Lemme have that power, bro!
AQUA: I think it’s unfair that you’re the only one with that ability, big brother!
WHITE: Owwww! Why does it always end up like thiiiiiis?!
ANNOUNCER: And so, with a twinge of apprehension, the tournament to decide the strongest begins.
