ARCADE WATCH

Keeping an eye on the coin-op gaming scene

Game Bombergirl Manufacturer Konami While Super Bomberman R has the Switch launch covered, Konami is also bringing the explosive hero back to arcades for the first time in two decades. Well, sort of. The company is following in Namco’s now ancient footsteps to create Bombergirl. The game twists the series into a 4v4 team battler and each of the entirely female cast has a specialism. As well as bomb placement, there are also snipers, high-speed attackers, and blockers. Every character also has special abilities that can be levelled up – examples shown so far include a beam weapon and a flaming sword. Each team must attempt to destroy the opposition’s base within the time limit. It’s quite a jump: the series’ last arcade appearance, Bomberman Neo on MVS, only allowed for two players.

The cabinets each feature twin screens – one for gameplay, and one above for spectating. The game is controlled with a tiny thumbstick, which is, bizarrely, mounted on a rigid joystick that looks like it would’ve been far more satisfying to use. And there’s more disappointment in that the Bombergirls’ clothes shred when you lose, allowing soft porn into what is otherwise an intriguing spin on a classic formula. It currently has no release date.